- The World Wide Web and You
- Resources for Christian Living
- Special Topic: Friendship
- Current Issues: News of interest to
feminists
Introduction
Three points to keep in mind in using
"Web Explorations for Christian Feminists":
1. When you
click on the links below (words underlined in a contrasting color)
you'll be taken outside the EEWC site.
In most
cases, you can come back to the EEWC website by clicking on the back
button on the toolbar at the top of the screen. (In some cases,
when you click on a link taking you to an external site, a new
window opens up and the back button won't take you back to the
site you just left. In such cases, try clicking on the X in the
upper right corner of the new window to close it. You'll find
yourself back at the EEWC site -- which was there the whole time,
but underneath the new site's window.)
2. Since the
links take you outside the EEWC website, the Evangelical and
Ecumenical Women's Caucus cannot be responsible for their content.
The inclusion in this column of any particular external
link doesn't necessarily mean EEWC endorses all or any of the
content you may find on that site. A listing under "Web
Explorations" only means it's a website that I think you'll
find of interest.
3. All of
the "Web Explorations for Christian Feminists" columns
are archived, so be sure to visit the archives from
time to time to check out tips and links in previous columns.
The World Wide Web and You
Chain
letters and spam
Is there a possible relationship between those annoying chain
letters with the long list of names and addresses of everyone to
whom it was sent? Check out this article.
Internet4Classrooms:
Online practice modules
If you find computers a bit intimidating or just want to know more
about the basics (and more), check out this website. It's designed
for teachers but helpful to anyone. Tips for both Windows and
MacIntosh users.
Jan's
Illustrated Computer Literacy Program 101
Another helpful website that takes the mystery out of using
computers and the Internet. Windows-based.
Resources for Christian Living
Religion
in America's history
From the National Humanities Center's TeacherServe®,
this site provides excellent resources for studying the role of
religion in various periods of U.S. history. Just click on one of
the three pictures for online essays on a range of topics,
including Native American religion, the American Jewish
experience, the rise of Protestant fundamentalism, to mention only
a few.
Religion
and the Feminist Movement Conference at Harvard -- Now
Online
In the August-September Web Explorations, I mentioned that the
Harvard Divinity School was gradually making it possible to
experience virtually the November 2002 Religion and the
Feminist Movement Conference, since so many had to be turned away
because of limited space at the actual gathering. When the
August-September Web Explorations was posted, however, only four
of the speakers were featured online. Now you can see and hear all
22 speakers via your computer. (Perhaps you remember the EEWC
Update reports on the conference, one from an attendee
and one from a speaker.)
About
the Bible
An informative list of questions and answers about the Bible and
how it came to us. Prepared by the International Bible Society.
Church History Online
Texts of early Christian documents, church creeds, and related
materials. Site includes several positive articles on women's
ministry.
Special Topic
Friendship
Friendship has always been at the top of my list of what really
matters in life. In genuine friendship, both persons benefit. As
one of my favorite Bible verses expresses it, "As iron
sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend" (Proverbs 27:17,
New Living Translation). With that in mind, I thought we might
enjoy looking together at some of the resources on friendship on
the World Wide Web.
Study
shows women's friendships are important in coping with stress
A recent study indicates that women and men deal with stress
differently. Whereas men are more likely to follow a pattern of
fight or flight, women are more likely to react to stress with a
"tend and befriend" model of behavior. This article is
from Monitor on Psychology, a publication of the American
Psychological Association.
The basics of
friendship
Here you'll find short articles on such topics as "What is
Friendship?" "Building a friendship from casual
friends," "Maintenance of friendship is crucial,"
"Friendships do end," "Best Friends -- How to Grow
a friend," and more.
Quotations
about friendships
Friendship is such an important human experience that it has been
talked about all through history. Here are some quotations about
it from famous people.
Materials on Friendship by Jan Yager
Jan Yager is a sociologist, consultant, author, and speaker. One
of her areas of specialization is friendship, an interest she
developed while writing her doctoral dissertation on the topic.
She is presently planning another book on friendship and has
included her survey
questionnaire on her website for anyone who wants to be part
of her research.
The next several links in this "Web Explorations"
column will take you to some of Jan Yager's materials.
"The
power of friendship"
This is a reprint of Chapter 1 from Jan Yager's book Friendshifts:
Why friends are so important today. The chapter title,
"The Power of Friendship," is self-descriptive.
Friendship is indeed powerful! (The word that Yager coined,
"friendshifts," refers to changes in friendships over
the life course or over changes in circumstances.)
Negative
friendships
This is a description of the types of "friends" and
behaviors that can hurt us and that go against all that true
friendship should be. It comes from Jan Yager's summary of her
book, When Friendship Hurts: How to deal with friends who
betray, abandon, or wound you.
Friendships
at work
Yager maintains that causal friends rather than "best
friends" are better in the workplace and tells why.
"Coping
with endings because of death"
In this article from her book Friendshifts, Jan Yager
talks about three topics related to death: (1) "Being
there" for a friend going through a terminal illness, (2)
experiencing the grief of losing a friend through death and
knowing you have a right to such grief, and (3) "coming
through" for friends when friends lose someone close to
them through death and are going through their darkest hour with
a great need for the support of friends.
Healing
power of friendship
This article by Abigail Trafford from the Washington Post
reminds us of the research-based evidence that friendship is
essential for good health.
Another article on the
healing power of friendship, this one from the Clarion Health
Network, lists specific ways the emotional support of friendship
aids in physical and emotional wellbeing.
"Friends
Heal Us," provides still more information about the
health benefits of friendship. This article from the Topeka
Capital-Journal refers to a major study that shows that not
having close friends is actually detrimental to health.
"Social
Support: A buffer against life's ills"
This special Mayo Clinic report, prepared for CNN, re-emphasizes
the link between social support and health.
Current Issues
News items of interest to feminists
"Women
will have to save the world"
(Source: AlterNet.org, Sept. 15, 2003)
Women
overtaking men in university attendance
Source: BBC, September 16, 2003
Nigerian
woman spared death by stoning
(Source: BBC, September 25, 2003)
How
U.S. Abortion rule affects Africa
(Source; BBC, September 25, 2003)
Women
and veils
(Source: BBC, September 26, 2003)
Cultural
defense used in honor killings
(Source: Guardian Unlimited, September 30, 2003}
Women's
right not to live with in-laws in India
(Source: BBC, October 2, 2003)
Iran's
Police women
Source: BBC, Oct. 4 , 2003
Muslim
counterpart to Barbie
(Source: CNN, Oct. 8, 2003)
Vatican
in HIV condom dispute
Source: BBC, Oct. 9, 2003
Tragedy
of a female suicide bomber
(Source: Guardian Unlimited, October 12, 2003)
"Reality
remains dire for women In Afghanistan and Iraq"
(Source: Feminist Majority Foundation)
"Childbirth
in Afghanistan like Russian roulette"
(Source: New Zealand Herald, November 16, 2003)
"The
Winter Holidays for Battered Women"
This article by Rev. Marie Fortune stresses the importance of
recognizing observances of the various faith traditions in meeting
the needs of battered women in shelters over the winter
holidays.
(Source: Faith Trust Institute, formerly known as the Center for
the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence)
Women
and Suicide in China
(Source: Guardian Unlimited, October 17, 2003)
Men
in Skirts: Special museum display of men in skirts throughout
history
(Source: The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, November 4, 2003)
I hope visiting the various sites listed in this edition of
"Web Explorations for Christian Feminists" has touched
your mind and heart -- and that your vision will be enlarged to
pray and act in any of the areas that have especially moved you.
Be sure to visit Web Explorations often, checking over a few
different links each time you stop by. (You could spend all day on
a single site in some cases! So don't feel frustrated if you can't
explore them all in one sitting.) And from time to time, don't
forget to click on "previous issues" at the top right
corner of each page of Web Explorations. Many of the sites from
past editions have regular updates built into them.
That's all for now. See you next time when we
gather together again and set out on a new Web Explorations trek.
Your Web Explorations tour guide,
Letha Dawson Scanzoni
Editor, EEWC Update
© 2003 Evangelical and Ecumenical
Women's Caucus
|
