Religion, Spiritual Activism, Feminism, Reproductive Justice A-Level Coursework

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Religion, Spiritual Activism, Feminism, Reproductive Justice

The concept of reproductive privilege is central to the proper interpretation of Amy Everhart's poem "Accidents." In fact, one may successfully argue that Everhart's poem is actually about reproductive privilege and her dearth of such a privilege because she is homosexual. The concept of reproductive privilege refers to the fact that some people -- based on their sexual proclivities -- are able to reproduce within nature, whereas other people are not able to do so. Specifically, heterosexual people are able to reproduce when they have sex with one another, while homosexual people are not able to bear children when they have sex.

Heterosexism, therefore, greatly supports this notion of reproductive privilege for the simple fact that reproduction requires heterosexual activity. What is most interesting about Everhart's poem is the fact that this privilege, like all privileges, is abused by some and denied to others. The poet spends the majority of this work of literature discussing her love for another woman and their inability to create children (conceivably from this love). As such, they are excluded from the privilege of reproducing when they have sex. The counterpart to this aspect of the poem is suggested by the title, and is alluded to in a reference to a young man and his interaction with a woman named "Amanda" (Everhart, 2012).

It is fairly obvious from the author's writing that this pair is having a child that they did not intend to create. The poet actually refers to this child as "an accident" with "a face" (Everhart, 2012). The fact that the baby created by this pair was accidental implies that they are abusing the notion of reproductive privilege which their heterosexual activity enables. The poet envies this privilege which is made possible when a man has sex with a woman.

Shaw and Lee have elucidated a number of ways in which women of faith have utilized their spirituality to empower one another.

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One of the most important ways that they have done so is by asserting their power in a religious or spiritual sense in a social sense. Quite simply, when there are women who play a vital role in spiritual procedures, such as the female "santeras" (Shaw and Lee, 2009, p. 601) in Caribbean culture, they also tend to have a social eminence associated with them in the context of the larger social setting in which their religion is practiced.

This notion is demonstrated profoundly in Horn-Miller's "Bring us back into the dance. The author, who is of Native American descent, refers to a problem in this essay in which a young woman attempted to kill herself. Although the problem affected the entirety of the community as a whole, it is vital to note that the community turned to a spiritual woman for advice about how to proceed. Specifically, "One woman in the longhouse community -- the keepers of our traditional ways -- looked through the "Warrior's Handbook," written by Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall" (Horn-Miller, 2002, p. 232). This example shows how empowering spirituality is for women, as it can put them at the forefront of a movement which the entire community is depending on.

Additionally, women can find spirituality in the sense that in certain domesticated settings, one of the few places in which they can become assertive and lead is within religious or spiritual situations. These settings also enable them to "experience real community with other women" (Shaw and Lee, 2009, p. 600). Additionally, religion can help women to find their own sense of self-worth, as well as to become activists within a larger community (Shaw and Lee, 2009, p. 602). All of these ways help women to empower themselves through spirituality.

Perhaps the most important of the choices that Shaw and Lee discuss is the fact that women should have options for giving birth. Options, of course, indicate.....

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