The woman priest: gender and conditions for the use of voice in religious environments

Abstract

The speech and language therapy literature on professional use of voice is scarce when it comes to the work of religious women in leadership or pastorship positions in churches. The objective of this research is to know the conditions for women pastors’ professional use of voice and to investigate gender questions in professional voice user in religious environment. Method: interviews with two women pastors from the Foursquare Gospel Church of Piracicaba, SP and Collective Subject Discourse Analysis. Results: facilities and difficulties in being a woman pastor which influence the conditions for the use of voice are identified. The fact of being a woman favors social and communicative relations with churchgoers, but an accumulation of the social function and roles (priest, spouse, mother and house wife) which lead to the increase in the demand in the use of voice and to different voice adjustments. Women pastors do not have enough vocal preparation for the professional use of voice: they are concerned about vocal health care and recognize the importance of voice as an expressive resource and religious work instrument. There are interferences of religious beliefs in vocal behavior, which requires further studies. We conclude that gender issues are present and interfere in labor conditions and professional use of voice of women pastors and they must be regarded in speech and language therapy actions.