This post was really interesting. I wanted to bring it to your attention if you hadn't seen it.
What do you think? Should the Church venture into creating a site focused on helping meet the needs of women online?
Just seeing the numbers for the traffic that go to other sites, and knowing how much women like to connect in this way, I'm thinking it may not be a bad idea to consider...especially given how much our teachings help support women in their roles and responsibilities.
That said, there are many sites that already exist toward this end. But there aren't any of which I am aware that bring the kind of traffic shown on that table.
My vote is that this would be worth looking into. What's your vote?
(Share your thoughts over at LDS Media Talk's blog!)
The church will never create a site for women. The church might create a site for mothers and wives, but not for women.
ReplyDeleteThe church doesn't provide anything for me now *as a woman* -- there is of course great value for me in the same materials and programs and teachings that are of value to everybody independent of gender, but zero, and I mean zero, of use to me as a woman-who-is-not-a-mother-and-wife. Transferring the same mothery-wifey program to the internet wouldn't improve matters. So I'm afraid the idea doesn't excite me at all. Sorry.
Ardis,
ReplyDeleteIt's ok if you aren't excited by it. :) I still can't get my mind around what would excite me, and what could fill the needs you are talking about...have that kind of broad reach.
I have heard you talk about this before, and it nags at me. Can you explain a little more of what *would* excite you? What you wish you had but don't? I get the general gist, but have always wondered what kinds of specific things would be meaningful to you. I can't help but imagine that our leaders care about this...but if I were in their shoes, I would want to know what would work, what would make you feel that there is content for you *as a woman.*
Beth Palmer and Becky Thomas over at Mormon Times have some interesting ideas in the woman but neither a mother nor a wife category, but even then I think some of it wallows along in the category of NOT a mother or a wife as in ideas to become a wife or what do I do now that I'm not a mother when I thought I'd be. While I agree with you, m&m, that I believe our leaders care about this subject (thus the beginnings of placing women like Sheri Dew and Barbara Thompson in more visible general roles, but even as far back as Mary Ellen Edmunds on the General RS Board) I also agree with Ardis' general disillusionment at the church's inability to focus content of value on women aside from our roles as mothers and women. But while I agree, I don't know what that would look like if it existed and what would get me interested either.
ReplyDeleteKeep thoughts coming...this is something important, I think, to flesh out. It's easy to see what we don't like, but if we ourselves can't come up with ideas of what alternatives should look like, how can we expect our leaders to, ya know?
ReplyDeleteI think it's good, too, to put ourselves in our leaders' shoes. They have the challenge our leaders have of needing to teach the ideal because there is so much opposition to it. I think they know that they often will hit to that ideal and not be directly addressing other situations.
But again, HOW to do that?
I think this blog post that I linked to is really unique in that people from the Church, (who I would imagine) have contact with leaders as they sort through internet options, are asking point blank for ideas and feedback.
Rarely do we have a chance to actually use official channels for this kind of brainstorming in this kind of way. So I encourage those with opinions about this to give more thought and specific input. Help them know how to help. Help them have ideas of specific things to do.
I have to say that I fear that too MUCH focus on those whose lives aren't ideal would end up risking separating them TOO much. It's like trying to figure out if single's wards help or hurt. Do they give special attention that singles need, or do they just reinforce singleness and being 'different'? I don't know that there are easy answers to questions like this.
But this is a perfect opportunity to think through possible ways to have a broader reach, if that is possible.