Power, Conflict, and Spirituality: A Qualitative Study of Faith-based Community Organizing

Abstract

Community organizing is a process of garnering power and taking collective action which is often initiated by groups with little individual economic or social power. Through collective action, organizing groups are able to exert influence in societal systems, many times outside or against the direction of existing power structures. As such, conflict is inherent in the community organizing process. The analyses in this article are based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with highly active members of community organizing that is operated through faith-based institutions. Analyses reveal multiple connections between dimensions of power, conflict, and spirituality. The paper presents these connections and moves toward emergent hypotheses about the functioning of power and conflict in faith-based community organizing. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0801217

Keywords

• organizing
• power
• conflict
• empowerment
• community
• spirituality
• civic engagement