Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between
de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization

k 2015

Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization

ONDRAŠINOVÁ, Michaela

Basic information

Original name

Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization

Authors

ONDRAŠINOVÁ, Michaela (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Differences, Inequalities and Sociological Imagination. 12th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague, 25-28 August 2015, 2015

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

50000 5. Social Sciences

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/15:00083697

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

new femininities; menstruation; gender; body; ethnography; detraditionalization; retraditionalization

Abstract

V originále

The contribution discusses a question what discourses are employed in the construction of „new femininities“ (e.g. Gonick 2004) in the context of discussions about menstrual cycle as a source of female spiritual and creative power. It is based on ethnographic research, especially participant observation in two Czech centres for personal and spiritual development that organize regular circles and seminars for women. I focus on the question how are the objects of menstruation, of the menstrual cycle and of a "natural" femininity created in these settings. In relation to this aim, I explore individual and collective practices that help to discipline female bodies, establish new self-perception as a woman and create the sense of participating in a bigger interconnected collectivity of women. This new gender identity is created while dealing with an ongoing tension between 1) the emancipation concept of a woman (as an independent, wild, "wolf" woman), connected also to a critique of gender-based inequalities in the social system, and 2) a rather traditional approach to roles of women as mothers and housewives. The emerging gender identity thus springs from a discursive mix which contains both aspects of detraditionalization and retraditionalization of gender; aspects of innovation and conformity. Thus, by analysing this specific case of construction of the "cyclical" femininity I would also like to shed light on the ways the processes of detraditionalization and retraditionalization are entangled in contemporary society.

Links

MUNI/A/1148/2014, interní kód MU

Name: Inovativní teoretické a metodologické perspektivy v religionistice (Acronym: ITMEPRE)

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

ONDRAŠINOVÁ, Michaela. Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization. In Differences, Inequalities and Sociological Imagination. 12th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague, 25-28 August 2015. 2015.

@proceedings{1309817,
   author = {Ondrašinová, Michaela},
   booktitle = {Differences, Inequalities and Sociological Imagination. 12th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague, 25-28 August 2015},
   keywords = {new femininities; menstruation; gender; body; ethnography; detraditionalization; retraditionalization},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization},
   url = {http://esa12thconference.eu/},
   year = {2015}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 1309817
AU  - Ondrašinová, Michaela
PY  - 2015
TI  - Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization
KW  - new femininities
KW  - menstruation
KW  - gender
KW  - body
KW  - ethnography
KW  - detraditionalization
KW  - retraditionalization
UR  - http://esa12thconference.eu/
N2  - The contribution discusses a question what discourses are employed in the construction of „new femininities“ (e.g. Gonick 2004) in the context of discussions about menstrual cycle as a source of female spiritual and creative power. It is based on ethnographic research, especially participant observation in two Czech centres for personal and spiritual development that organize regular circles and seminars for women. I focus on the question how are the objects of menstruation, of the menstrual cycle and of a "natural" femininity created in these settings. In relation to this aim, I explore individual and collective practices that help to discipline female bodies, establish new self-perception as a woman and create the sense of participating in a bigger interconnected collectivity of women. This new gender identity is created while dealing with an ongoing tension between 1) the emancipation concept of a woman (as an independent, wild, "wolf" woman), connected also to a critique of gender-based inequalities in the social system, and 2) a rather traditional approach to roles of women as mothers and housewives. The emerging gender identity thus springs from a discursive mix which contains both aspects of detraditionalization and retraditionalization of gender; aspects of innovation and conformity. Thus, by analysing this specific case of construction of the "cyclical" femininity I would also like to shed light on the ways the processes of detraditionalization and retraditionalization are entangled in contemporary society.
ER  -

ONDRAŠINOVÁ, Michaela. Red Moon and a Cyclical Woman: new modes of femininity between de-traditionalization and re-traditionalization. In \textit{Differences, Inequalities and Sociological Imagination. 12th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague, 25-28 August 2015}. 2015.

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