A shift in focus: when gender empowerment is a consequence rather than an action. A case study of the Ursuline Mission in Beira, Mozambique
Author
Palomo, Emily Boem
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-31
Pages
45
Abstract
This thesis examines the intersection of development, gender empowerment, and religious belief through a case study of the Ursuline Mission in Beira, Mozambique, treating empowerment as a vector of development. Based on on-site interviews with mission members and an inductive design, the study links a contextual account of Mozambique and faith-based organizations to a theoretical framework on development, gender mainstreaming, intersectionality, and religion. An analytical approach inspired by (Critical) Discourse Analysis explores the role gender plays in the nuns’ (“shareholders”) discourse and how this shapes outcomes for local women (“stakeholders”). The analysis is organized into three strands: articulations of gender and empowerment, projects and practices (including the Tabitha initiative and education), and faith and gender. The thesis concludes that the mission’s informal, grassroots efforts at discursive, material, and educational levels have the potential to effect tangible improvements in women’s social relations, health, and pathways out of poverty—suggesting empowerment can emerge as a consequence rather than an explicit program aim. Although the dataset is small and not formally collected, testimonies of positive change offer a rudimentary indication of impact and underscore the need for further research on alternative, faith-based approaches amid the challenges of policy evaporation in gender mainstreaming.
Denne afhandling undersøger krydsfeltet mellem udvikling, kønsmæssig empowerment og religiøs tro gennem et casestudie af Ursulinemissionen i Beira, Mozambique, hvor empowerment forstås som en udviklingsvektor. Med udgangspunkt i interviews med missionsmedlemmer og en induktiv tilgang kobler analysen et kontekstafsnit om Mozambique og trobaserede organisationer til et teoretisk rammeværk om udvikling, gender mainstreaming, intersektionalitet og religion. En analytisk ramme inspireret af diskurs- og kritisk diskursanalyse anvendes til at belyse, hvilken rolle køn spiller i nonnernes (”shareholders”) diskurser, og hvordan dette påvirker lokalsamfundets kvinder (”stakeholders”). Analysen struktureres i tre spor: artikulationer af køn og empowerment, projekter og praksis (bl.a. Tabitha-initiativet og uddannelse) samt tro og køn. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at missionens uformelle, græsrodsbaserede indsats på både det diskursive, materielle og uddannelsesmæssige plan har potentiale til at fremme håndgribelige forbedringer i kvinders sociale relationer, sundhed og muligheder for at undslippe fattigdom—hvor empowerment opstår som en konsekvens snarere end et eksplicit mål. Studiet er begrænset af et lille, ikke-formelt indsamlet datagrundlag, men vidnesbyrd om positive forandringer fungerer som rudimentær indikation af effekt og peger på behovet for yderligere forskning i alternative, trobaserede tilgange i lyset af udfordringerne med ”policy evaporation” i gender mainstreaming.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords