Survey Says...
I've had several people point out to me with concern that my survey was not conducted with adequate academic rigor. I had no intention of ever trying to get this survey published in a peer-reviewed journal of sociology. It was for my own interest and the interest of my readers. The survey has its imperfections and biases, but I found the results fascinating, for whatever they're worth.
I primarily got my survey participants from online forums, among them the Facebook Groups 1 Million Mormons Online, the Mormon Channel, and the Official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Facebook page. I also posted my survey link on Feminist Mormon Housewives' Facebook page, A Thoughtful Faith Support Group, a Facebook group called Temple Talk, the Cougar Board and another BYU sports chat website. I tried to have a somewhat varied sample of so-called TBMs (True Blue Mormons) and those who are more heterodox in their faith. However, I think more of the latter group responded, as you will see from the results.
HERE IS THE LINK to all of the results, data trends and responses. It was interesting to watch as the number of male respondents went up, the number of more "conservative" responses increased proportionally.
I am fascinated to know how people in the church grapple with these issues and how they can feel that the church believes in gender equality while it teaches a clear hierarchy of the sexes both in the family and in the church. It is so interesting to me the varied attitudes and perceptions, from those who think they've got it all figured out (as I once did) to those who think it is unrighteous to try to understand these things, to those who openly embrace the hierarchical nature of men over women exactly as it's taught, but somehow still insist that this is equality. There are also those who don't believe it is equality, who flat out state that men preside over women, have greater authority than them, and have a greater ability to receive revelation than them and that the temple is very clear about the "order of things."
All of this plays into the larger issue of a lack of revelation on these issues, contradictory statements from leaders, and differences of opinion. It is part of the reason that regardless of the personal answers that I may find to these questions, it is hard to be in a church where others believe such things about me, my value, role and worth.
I primarily got my survey participants from online forums, among them the Facebook Groups 1 Million Mormons Online, the Mormon Channel, and the Official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Facebook page. I also posted my survey link on Feminist Mormon Housewives' Facebook page, A Thoughtful Faith Support Group, a Facebook group called Temple Talk, the Cougar Board and another BYU sports chat website. I tried to have a somewhat varied sample of so-called TBMs (True Blue Mormons) and those who are more heterodox in their faith. However, I think more of the latter group responded, as you will see from the results.
HERE IS THE LINK to all of the results, data trends and responses. It was interesting to watch as the number of male respondents went up, the number of more "conservative" responses increased proportionally.
I am fascinated to know how people in the church grapple with these issues and how they can feel that the church believes in gender equality while it teaches a clear hierarchy of the sexes both in the family and in the church. It is so interesting to me the varied attitudes and perceptions, from those who think they've got it all figured out (as I once did) to those who think it is unrighteous to try to understand these things, to those who openly embrace the hierarchical nature of men over women exactly as it's taught, but somehow still insist that this is equality. There are also those who don't believe it is equality, who flat out state that men preside over women, have greater authority than them, and have a greater ability to receive revelation than them and that the temple is very clear about the "order of things."
All of this plays into the larger issue of a lack of revelation on these issues, contradictory statements from leaders, and differences of opinion. It is part of the reason that regardless of the personal answers that I may find to these questions, it is hard to be in a church where others believe such things about me, my value, role and worth.
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