Cohort: SOMET 39

Topic of the thesis: Feminist, Catholic, and Activist: Dealing with multiple identities

Abstract: Gender roles and meanings are undergoing rapid transformation in Italian society, and terms such as feminism and patriarchy are gaining increasing visibility in public debate. Despite the widespread presence of anti-gender propaganda in Europe and Italy in recent years, feminist values have been progressively embraced by both younger and older generations, particularly among women. This shift partly reflects the broader processes of secularization and the growing popularization of feminist discourses. Within this context, it becomes relevant to investigate how these social transformations intersect with strong Catholic identities and practices. The role of women within the Catholic Church has long been a matter of controversy. Although women have played a crucial role in transmitting faith and often demonstrate a more intense religious devotion than men, they have traditionally been confined to nurturing roles, with little or no access to leadership positions. In response, since the late 19th century, Catholic women's networks, movements, and initiatives have criticized the subordination of women within Catholic institutions.. Building on feminist approaches in the sociology of religion, which have challenged the binary opposition between "religious" (and thus oppressed) women and "secular" (and thus emancipated) women, this study explores the experiences of women belonging to three Italian Catholic organizations that display different orientations toward gender issues (innovative, ambivalent, and traditional). It examines how these women navigate inner tensions and conflicts between the gender roles prescribed by their religious context and the expectations of contemporary society, in other words, how distinct structures of meaning and belonging remain cohesive. Drawing on qualitative interviews, the study investigates women's beliefs and experiences of faith, and how their religious and secular identities intersect in everyday life.

Research interests: Gender and religion, religious feminism, lived religion, women in the Italian Catholicism

Graduated from: University of Turin; University of Tilburg

Degrees obtained: Bachelor in Political and Social Sciences at the University of Turin; Master in Social Work at the University of Turin; Master in Sociology at the University of Tilburg

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