The Diversity Paradox by Jenkins J. Jacob;

Author:Jenkins, J. Jacob;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Diminished alternatives

Because of the way Central Community devalued and neglected unseen markers of difference, certain minority members felt unable to express their diverse views and approaches to organizational life. Hence, the emphasis that Central Community’s organizational discourses placed upon visual and physical representations of race/ethnicity not only devalued alternative understandings of difference but also devalued alternative ways of being. Specifically, and as evidenced within the previous sections of this chapter, the value placed upon visual representations of race/ethnicity devalued representations of female leadership, sexual orientation, able-bodiedness, nationality and linguistic disposition, as well as age, marital status, economic income, education level, and political affiliation.

On an organizational level, other potential examples of diminished alternatives include white normative approaches to service structure and choice of sermon topics. African American and Hispanic/Latino church services, for example, are usually longer in length than white church services, lasting as long as four hours (Nelson, 2005; Pinn, 2006). In contrast, church services with predominately white members average a mere 65 minutes in length. In addition, African American and Hispanic/Latino church services typically focus the majority of its time on communal singing and dancing; white church services typically reserve a majority of Sunday morning for the pastor’s sermon (Thumma, 2007). The choice of sermon topics also differ between predominately African American and predominately white churches. Stemming from the African slave trade and rooted in the Biblical account of Moses leading his people from bondage, African American congregations generally view salvation as the deliverance from present-day hardships and oppression: racism, financial inequality, institutional oppression, etc. Due to its emphasis on social and religious collectivism, Hispanic/Latino churches share a similar focus on the here and now. Conversely, white congregations generally view salvation as the deliverance from eternal damnation, focusing upon its spiritual and enduring dimensions in the afterlife, rather than its physical and temporal implications (Pinn, 2006).

Despite each of these potential alternatives, organizational discourses of Central Community resulted in a decidedly white approach to the church’s processes and practices. Services adhered to a strictly monochronic view of time management (see chapter 6), rarely lasting longer than 60 minutes. Services were also organized around Pastor Steve’s weekly sermon, and although Central Community routinely focused on present day hardships and oppression within its local community (see chapters 1, 3 and 5), organizational discourses still framed the concept of salvation in strictly spiritual terms.

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