A Fruitful Question

Religiosity and spirituality have always proven intriguing to me. Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and even cults in the fringe of society have all captivated my attention in various ways and to varying degrees. Keeping in line with research I am already engaged in for my Sociology undergraduate thesis, I hope to possibly pursue a fruitful question related to the modern non-denominational Christian church. Such as, how are gender roles structured within the Christian church, and how do they compare and contrast with the culture at large? Or, how does one’s physical posture and the act of worship relate? In order to conduct further research beyond participant observation and casual interviews with members of the congregation, I can seek out articles online from other people who may have also spent time observing the Christian church, either as an adherent or as an outsider. I might also include photographs from my time spent at Sunday services or in a young adult’s hiking group, evidence for the kind of conclusions I may draw from my observations.

Beyond gender roles in the church, I would also be interested in researching gender as a social construct overall. Understanding my identity as a woman has been tumultuous, as my ideals do not always match with the expectations that others seem to have for me. A fruitful question in this general domain might be what does it mean to be a woman? While many authors have attempted to tackle this question, my voice has yet to be added to the conversation. I would consider the perspectives of transgender women, women of various ages, and women of different ethnicities and cultures.