1. September 2014 Dr. Brenda Appleby bappleby@stfx.ca RELIGIOUS APPROACHES TO SEXUALITY RELIGIOUS APPROACHES TO SEXUALITY RELS 401 / WMGS 411

2. Religious Traditions:  Hinduism  Judaism  Buddhism  Christianity  Islam 2 COURSE OVERVIEW Contemporary Issues: 1.Hindu women: mothers, wives, daughters 2.Devaluing of girls & women 3.Women & ritual purity 4.Fertility, contraception & abortion 5.Women’s equality & leadership 6.Commercial trafficking in women and children 7.Violence against women 8.Adolescent sexuality & sex ed. 9.Female circumcision / FGM 10.Shame and “honour” killings

3. Each Religious Tradition:  Chapter Reading Response; everyone to do class preparation notes for each of 5 chapters in Sex & Religion (worth 10% of grade)  Sex & Religion chapter Seminar Leader (worth 10%)  Contemporary ISSUE discussion question for each of 10 issues (worth 10%)  Contemporary ISSUE Seminar Leader (worth 15%)  Current NEWS EVENT Group Presentation (worth 10%) 3 ASSIGNMENTS & EVALUATION

4. Research Essay – 25%  Any topic relevant to Religion and Sexuality  Your essay topic may be one of our contemporary ISSUES, or you may propose your own topic  Essay Proposal due 21 Oct  Essay due 25 Nov EXAM – 20%  You will receive 3 essay questions on the final day of class (27 Nov)  You may prepare answers to these questions  You will write the exam on the scheduled Exam date 4 ASSIGNMENTS & EVALUATION

5. 1.Prepare an overview of this religious tradition:  Origins; Distinctive beliefs & practices; Central texts; Geographical distribution of adherents 2.What are the official religious teachings about sex?  Are there religious regulations concerning sexual behaviour? Are there contemporary challenges to these teachings? Are there current interpretive debates over how to respond to these challenges to the official teachings? 3.Are there any “sex positive” aspects of this religious tradition? 4.Are there any “sex negative” aspects of this religious tradition? 5 CLASS PREPARATION NOTES FOR SEX & RELIGION CHAPTER READING

6. 5.In this religious tradition, is the divine force(s) or person(s) or being(s) regarded as sexual or asexual in nature?  Is sex seen as a contribution to or detraction from spiritual/religious duties and goals? 6.How would you characterize the relationships among sex and religious rituals, writings, or activities?  Are the relationships harmonious or hostile? Is sex regarded as a cause for celebration or shame? Any other ways to describe these relationships? 7.What would you regard as sexually liberative in this religious tradition? 8.What would you regard as sexually oppressive in this religious tradition? 6

7. Sexual and Reproductive Health, Sexual and Reproductive Rights Selected Sources on Human Rights:  WHO – WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - http://www.who.int/en/ http://www.who.int/en/  UNITED NATIONS – http://www.un.org/en/index.shtmlhttp://www.un.org/en/index.shtml  [THE WORLD BANK – http://www.worldbank.org/]http://www.worldbank.org/ 7 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

8. HEALTH = "A state of complete physical, mental and social well- being, and not merely the absence of disease“ SEXUAL HEALTH = “Sexual health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” http://www.who.int/topics/sexual_health/en/ http://www.who.int/topics/sexual_health/en/ 8 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

9. HEALTH = "A state of complete physical, mental and social well- being, and not merely the absence of disease“ REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH = “… the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of sexual and repro- ductive health … where all women’s and men’s rights to enjoy sexual and reproductive health are promoted and protected, and all women and men, including adolescents and those who are underserved or marginalized, have access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.” http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/en/ 9 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

10.  FOUNDATION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS  The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, (1948)  Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women, (1979), (CEDAW)  Declaration On The Elimination Of Violence Against Women  BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION, 4 th World Conference On Women, Beijing 1995  UNFPA – http://www.unfpa.org/swp/http://www.unfpa.org/swp/  STATE OF WORLD POPULATION, Annual Report  Improving Reproductive Health  Gender Equality  Adolescents And Youth  HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN, http://www.Unfpa.Org/Rights/Women.htmhttp://www.Unfpa.Org/Rights/Women.htm  INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Cairo 1994; ICPD Programme Of Action  UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 10 UNITED NATIONS

11. 1.UN, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948, http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ 2.UN, Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, 18 December 1979, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/; http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htmhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm 3.UN, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, 20 December 1993, http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htmhttp://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htm 4.UN, International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo 1994, https://www.unfpa.org/public/icpd; ICPD 1994 Programme of Action, http://www.iisd.ca/Cairo/program/p00000.html https://www.unfpa.org/public/icpd http://www.iisd.ca/Cairo/program/p00000.html a)See Chapters IV, V & VII 5.UN, Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing September 1995, Beijing Declaration, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf; read Annex 1 (pages 1-5); http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/index.htmlhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/index.html 11 ASSIGNED READINGS FOR TUESDAY 9 SEPT

12.  Because I am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2007, http://plan- international.org/files/global/publications/campaigns/becaus eiamagirl.pdf; http://plan- international.org/files/global/publications/campaigns/becaus eiamagirl.pdf  read the Executive Summary, http://plan- international.org/files/global/publications/campaigns/girlsummar y.pdf http://plan- international.org/files/global/publications/campaigns/girlsummar y.pdf  Progress of the World’s Women 2008-2009, Who Answers to Women? Gender and Accountability, http://www.unifem.org/progress/2008/publication.html ; http://www.unifem.org/progress/2008/publication.html  Read Chapter on MDGs and Gender (pages 116 to 133), http://www.unifem.org/progress/2008/media/POWW08_MDG.pdf http://www.unifem.org/progress/2008/media/POWW08_MDG.pdf  Progress towards meeting the MDGs for women and girls, 2013 - http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/mdg- momentumhttp://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/mdg- momentum 12 ASSIGNED READINGS FOR THURSDAY 11 SEPT

13. Make notes for yourself on:  the components of sexual health and sexual rights  the components of reproductive health and reproductive rights  the prerequisites (or foundations) of sexual and reproductive well-being  factors that undermine (or even destroy) sexual and reproductive well-being Be alert for aspects of sexual and reproductive well- being that are minimized or ignored in the readings. 13 AS YOU READ...