Ponencia. The spiritual is political: feminisms and women?s spiritualities in contemporary Argentina

KARINA FELITTI

Barcelona

Congreso; The Politics of Religion and Spirituality, International Society for the Sociology of Religion; 2019

Universidad de Barcelona

This paper analyses the circulation of feminist ideas and practices in spaces of spirituality geared to urban middle-class heterosexual women, such as women´s circles and related workshops, and the presence of spiritual elements in massive feminist mobilizations in contemporary Argentina. It uses a qualitative methodology based on ethnographic observations, interviews and analyses of digital content carried out between 2014 and April 2019. In a national and international context of feminist visibility and broad availability of spiritual goods and services, we question the relations between secularization and sexual politics, and spirituality and feminisms. The outcomes show a secular-based feminism permeable to spiritual practices and an increasing participation of women who define themselves as spiritual in feminist protests. They also suggest that this convergence assists in the dissemination of sexual and reproductive rights in a definition that integrates notions of self-management, empowerment and spiritual wellness.