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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (2 results)

  • Thesis
  • Peer Reviewed
UC San Francisco Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2024)

This dissertation examines the embodied experiences of those raised as women within evangelical purity culture. Purity culture is an evangelical Christian movement that promotes strict rules around sexual abstinence before marriage, modest dress for women, and conservative gender roles. Utilizing 65 in-depth interviews, I illustrate how the structures and norms of purity culture shape embodied experiences and the body itself. First, I analyze expectations of female bodily submission to male authority and the "Kingdom of God." Women's bodies are seen as not their own, but objects to be controlled by men and the church for men’s gratification, childbearing, and evangelical proselytizing. I next examine how thinness operates as a manifestation of purity culture values like bodily discipline, modesty, and whiteness. I then demonstrate purity culture as a "spiritualized rape culture," outlining how its norms foster vulnerability to assault through withholding sexual education and patriarchal power dynamics. I also examine narratives that blame women for "tempting" men and “causing” assault and abuse. Finally, I analyze embodied consequences of purity culture experiences including sexual dysfunction, disembodiment, and disordered eating. This novel focus on embodiment and health impacts within purity culture expands understanding of this influential religious movement, revealing how religious culture can profoundly impact corporeal realities, with findings relevant to scholars, practitioners, religious leaders, and those with lived experiences.

    Cover page: Your Body is Not Your Own: (Dis)embodied Sexual and Mental Health in Evangelical Purity Culture
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UCLA Previously Published Works (2021)
    The reintegration of former members of violent extremist groups is a pressing policy challenge. Governments and policymakers often have to change minds among reticent populations and shift perceived community norms in order to pave the way for peaceful reintegration. How can they do so on a mass scale? Previous research shows that messages from trusted authorities can be effective in creating attitude change and shifting perceptions of social norms. In this study, we test whether messages from religious leaders-trusted authorities in many communities worldwide-can change minds and shift norms around an issue related to conflict resolution: the reintegration of former members of violent extremist groups. Our study takes place in Maiduguri, Nigeria, the birthplace of the violent extremist group Boko Haram. Participants were randomly assigned to listen to either a placebo radio message or to a treatment message from a religious leader emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, announcing the leader's forgiveness of repentant fighters, and calling on followers to forgive. Participants were then asked about their attitudes, intended behaviors, and perceptions of social norms surrounding the reintegration of an ex-Boko Haram fighter. The religious leader message significantly increased support for reintegration and willingness to interact with the ex-fighter in social, political, and economic life (8 to 10 percentage points). It also shifted people's beliefs that others in their community were more supportive of reintegration (6 to 10 percentage points). Our findings suggest that trusted authorities such as religious leaders can be effective messengers for promoting peace.
      Cover page: Trusted authorities can change minds and shift norms during conflict.
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