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WOMEN AND THE CHURCH IN COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE CHURCH? INSTRUMENT OF THE STATE JUSTIFIED THE CONQUEST DEFINED INAPPROPRIATE INDIGENOUS CULTURE: POLYGAMY, CULT WORSHIP, SHAMANS, MATRIARCHY REAL PATRONATO-PRIVILEGE GIVEN BY THE POPE TO SPANISH KINGS TO NAME BISHOPS
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WOMEN AND THE CHURCH IN COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA • HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE CHURCH? • INSTRUMENT OF THE STATE • JUSTIFIED THE CONQUEST • DEFINED INAPPROPRIATE INDIGENOUS CULTURE: POLYGAMY, CULT WORSHIP, SHAMANS, MATRIARCHY • REAL PATRONATO-PRIVILEGE GIVEN BY THE POPE TO SPANISH KINGS TO NAME BISHOPS • INQUISITION • SOCIAL WELFARE: HOSPITALS, ORPHANAGES, SCHOOLS, PRISONS, CHARITIES, KEEPER OF VITAL STATISTICS
THE CHURCH AS AN INSTRUMENT OF FAMILY CONTROL • ONLY INSTITUTION AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM MARRIAGES • DEFINED APPROPRIATE SEXUALITY • HEARD CONFESSIONS OF ALL • MEDIATED IN FAMILY DISPUTES • REINFORCED STATE DESIRES TO USE MARRIAGE TO DEFINE PROPERTY AND STATUS • ONLY INSTITUTION CAPABLE OF MODERATING SLAVERY
COUNCIL OF TRENT 1543-1563 • DEFINED MARRIAGE AS A SACRAMENT • MARRIAGE INDISSOLUABLE • NO ONE COULD MARRY AGAINST HIS/HER OWN WILL • COURT OF LAST RESORT FOR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, FORCED TO MARRY AGAINST THEIR WISHES • ROLE OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
WOMEN AND THE CATHOLIC IDEAL • VIRGINITY HIGHEST VALUE • MARRIAGE AND SEXUAL PROPRIETY ONLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, SEX ONLY FOR PROCREATION, ANTIABORTION • FEMALE SUBORDINATION TO MEN • WOMEN’S RESPONSE TO THIS IDEOLOGY: SOR JUANA DE LA CRUZ, SANTA ROSA DE LIMA, CONVENTS OF PERU, LIFE INSIDE CONVENTS
CONVENTS IN BRAZIL • FUNCTION: EDUCATION, ALTERNATIVE TO CHILDBEARING, CONTEMPLATION, PLACE OF STATUS • CLASS STRUCTURE • PROFESSANTS-VOWS, DOWRY, PURITY OF RACE, BLACK VEIL (FULL DOWRY), WHITE VEIL (HALF-DOWRY • WOMEN SENT THERE: UNMARRIED WOMEN, WIVES OF TRAVELLING HUSBANDS, WIDOWS, ELDERLY—NON OF THESE WOMEN TAKE THE VEIL • YOUNG GIRLS SENT FOR EDUCATION AND REFUGE: ORPHANS, DEFLOWERED GIRLS, ILLEGITIMATE GIRLS, NON-WHITE WOMEN SEEING RELIGIOUS PROFESSION, PUPILS (EDUCANDAS)
CONVENTS CON’T • SECULAR FUNCTION OF CONVENTS • IDENTIFY WEALTHY MEMBERS OF SOCIETY • KEEP ESTATES FROM BEING DIVIDED BY PARTIBLE INHERITANCE • KEEP FAMILIES FROM HAVING DAUGHTERS MARRY BENEATH THEIR STATUS • SERVE AS BANKER AND REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR SOCIETY
HISTORY OF CONVENTS • PRIOR TO 1677 FOR BRAZIL AND 1540 FOR MEXICO (NEW SPAIN), CONVENTS WERE PROHIBITED • CROWN WANTED WHITE WOMEN TO MARRY • WOMEN WERE SENT BACK TO PORTUGAL TO PROFESS • SALVADOR DE BAHIA GOT FIRST CONVENT FOR FIGHTING THE DUTCH OCCUPATION OF THE LATE 16TH, EARLY 17TH CENTURY
WHO WENT INTO CONVENTS? • FIRST CONVENT (POOR CLARES) HAD ONLY 100 PLACES, HELD MOSTLY BY DAUGHTERS OF MUNICIPAL COUNCILMEN • BETWEEN 1677 AND 1800 77% OF FEMALE OFFSPRING OF MOST PROMINENT FAMILIES OF BAHIA PROFESSED, ONLY 14% MARRIED • CONVENTS LOCATED MOSTLY IN LARGE CITIES
WHAT HAPPENED TO WOMEN WHO DIDN’T JOIN CONVENTS? • ROLE OF THIRD ORDERS, FRANCISCANS, ETC. • BEATAS • RELIGIOSITY WITHIN THE HOME