Mexican Catholic women's activism, 1929-1940
This dissertation examines Catholic lay women's roles in the Church-State conflict in Mexico during the 1930s. After the Cristero Rebellion (1926-1929), clergy and laymen who publicly supported the Catholic Church were threatened with legal sanctions and government reprisal. Thus, Church leaders called upon Catholic women to assume public roles and to work creatively in defence of their faith, albeit following strictly delineated, gendered norms of behaviour. The Introduction discusses the lack of nuanced analysis of women's participation in the Catholic Church in Mexico. Chapter 1 traces the history of Catholic Social Action as envisioned in Europe and as adapted to Mexico from the end of the nineteenth century through the Cristero Rebellion, and includes a discussion of the roles envisaged for women in the Church hierarchy's strategy to concentrate and centralise lay people's efforts into the AcciĂłn CatĂłlica Mexicana (ACM). The first chapter also includes an overview of the Church-State conflict in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Mexico. Chapter 2 presents the reorganisation of various Catholic lay women's social and civic associations into the Union Femenina CatĂłlica Mexicana (UFCM). Chapters 3 and
Boylan, Kristina A.
Catholic women ; Women ; Political activity ; Mexico
Mexican Catholic women's activism, 1929-1940. This dissertation examines Catholic lay women's roles in the Church-State conflict in Mexico during the 1930s. After the Cristero Rebellion (1926-1929), clergy and laymen who publicly supported the Catholic Church were threatened with legal sanctions and government reprisal. Thus, Church leaders called upon Catholic women to assume public roles and to work creatively in defence of their faith, albeit following strictly delineated, gendered norms of behaviour. The Introduction discusses the lack of nuanced analysis of women's participation in the Catholic Church in Mexico. Chapter 1 traces the history of Catholic Social Action as envisioned in Europe and as adapted to Mexico from the end of the nineteenth century through the Cristero Rebellion, and includes a discussion of the roles envisaged for women in the Church hierarchy's strategy to concentrate and centralise lay people's efforts into the AcciĂłn CatĂłlica Mexicana (ACM). The first chapter also includes an overview of the Church-State conflict in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Mexico. Chapter 2 presents the reorganisation of various Catholic lay women's social and civic associations into the Union Femenina CatĂłlica Mexicana (UFCM). Chapters 3 and
mexican catholic woman activism examines catholic lay woman roles church_state conflict rebellion clergy layman publicly support catholic_church threaten legal sanction government thus church_leader call_upon catholic woman assume public role work creatively defence faith albeit follow strictly delineate gendered norm behaviour introduction_discuss lack nuanced analysis woman participation catholic_church mexico trace_history catholic social_action envision europe adapt mexico end rebellion include_discussion role envisage woman church hierarchy strategy concentrate centralise lay_people effort first also_include overview church_state conflict mexico present reorganisation various catholic lay woman social civic association union