Contemporary Femininities in Mormonism and in Ireland: Challenging and Confirming Essentialism in Online Spaces

Authors

Hazel O'Brien

Keywords

gender, Mormonism, Ireland, social media, identity

Abstract

How are gender identities negotiated within Irish Mormonism, and does this intersect with trends identifiable within Mormonism more generally? In this paper I use the examples of modern Ireland and modern Mormonism to speculate regarding the nature of gendered identities online. I suggest that Irish and Mormon cultures are both confronting serious challenges to traditional essentialist interpretations of femininity that have long dominated their cultural landscapes. I also suggest that social media (SM) and online spaces are facilitating these challenges. However, I observe that online spaces are also used in Irish Mormonism to conform to hegemonic Mormon understandings of gender identity. This is in keeping with international trends where we can see that Mormon SM and online engagement are often used to maintain traditional gender roles within the religion.

BYU ScholarsArchive Citation

O'Brien, Hazel (2022) "Contemporary Femininities in Mormonism and in Ireland: Challenging and Confirming Essentialism in Online Spaces," Mormon Studies Review: Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr2/vol9/iss1/7