BIO

I am a second year undergraduate student from Tampa, Florida. My prospective concentration for my International Affairs degree is Public Administration alongside a Certificate in Emergency Management and Homeland Security. I also just added Middle Easter Studies as my second degree while learning Arabic here at FSU, and I am always happy to learn about a new culture. My research areas of interest include– but are not limited to– cultural studies, social issues, social justice, identity, and gender studies. While I’m still unsure of my desired career path, I hope to have a career focused on humanitarian work.

Christianity and Social Change: A Gendered Lens of Empowerment, Responsibility, and Morality in Meru, Tanzania

Abstract

The Lutheran church in Tanzania– established during the East African nation’s time under German colonial rule– has endured as a prominent institution in the Meru region. The church plays a significant role in defining East African womanhood and moral norms. This project looks at the role of the region’s Lutheran churches through the stories and lived experiences of Meru people in the second half of the twentieth century. Tanzanian women’s spirituality and involvement in the church informs their engagement with society and their understanding of empowerment. By maneuvering through Christian norms of morality and respectability, women are able to uplift themselves, their families, and their communities. Analyzing the interviews illuminated certain social issues, which were revealed in the interviewees’ ideas, opinions, and experiences. These themes include gendered expectations of child-rearing, disproportionate amount of work for women, and gender inequality in educational and economic opportunities. The experiences of women of varying ages and captured in these interviews also reveals differences in the prevalence of these social issues across generations. Through church programs, education, and their own faith, Tanzanian women have found the means and the determination to create socioeconomic opportunities for themselves and make change in their communities.

Keywords: Tanzania, Christianity, Women, Africa, Gender