Blooming Where I'm Planted: A Phenomenological Investigation of Black Clergywomen'sMarginality and Leadership

marginality;sensemaking;intersectionality;positive identity construction;leadership;Psychology;Social Sciences;Psychology

McCluney, CourtneyRoberts, Laura Morgan ;

University of Michigan

关键词: marginality;    sensemaking;    intersectionality;    positive identity construction;    leadership;    Psychology;    Social Sciences;    Psychology;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/138710/mccluney_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Although a vast body of research on social identity considers marginalized individuals (e.g., women of color) as disadvantaged in the workplace, extant scholarship provides little support for ways in which their ;;marginality’ positively impacts their work experiences, particularly in leadership. Marginality refers to (1) a structural condition in which individuals lack resources and access to achieve status in society, (2) a psychological orientation derived from existing at the nexus of two opposing cultures or entities, and (3) a lived experience where individuals criticize social institutions and cultivate resources for survival. Given the emerging focus of positive, generative processes embedded in and among underrepresented populations (Roberts, Wooten, & Davidson, 2016), I examined how Black women extract meaning from their marginality to construct positive work identities, and used their marginality to shape institutional structures and processes. Specifically, I capturing Black clergywomen’s sensemaking of their underrepresentation and marginalization as church leaders to deepen our insight for how marginality is experienced in the workplace. To address my research questions, I conducted an interpretive phenomenological analysis of Black clergywomen (n =28) practicing in Protestant churches across the United States. I critically examined their life narratives and found that Black clergywomen notice structural marginality, recognize their own psychological experiences of marginality in leadership roles, and embrace marginality through as a tool to effectively navigate their organizations. Additionally, I find that the persistence of institutional barriers position Black clergywomen as critical lovers of their institutions which they reshape through their everyday identity and institutional work. Based on my findings, I propose a conceptual model of Black clergywomen using their marginality to extract meaning and develop behaviors that facilitate the construction of positive work identities and organizations.