Seeking the Spiritual in Anti-Oppressive Organizational Change

Abstract

Anti-oppressive frameworks are well established in both the United Kingdom and North American social work literature as one means of addressing social inequities. The literature in spirituality has grown substantially, establishing initial theoretical models and an empirical trail. The relationship of spirituality to critical social work models including anti-oppressive frameworks have yet to be fully examined. The purpose of this paper is to conceptually explore relationships between spirituality and anti-oppressive practice, specifically anti-oppressive organizational change, using as exemplar a small women-centered agency's four-year engagement in anti-oppressive organizational change. Using qualitative methodology, four in-depth interviews explored the experiences of agency staff and volunteer members during this agency's period of transition. Analysis of the interviews revealed the importance of critical consciousness in an examination of power, privilege and oppression, and the importance of empowerment approaches. Additionally, results describe the importance of spirituality in establishing purpose and connection, and in this study, in shaping interpersonal, intrapersonal processes and the quality of the experience of anti-oppressive organizational change. Future research addressing social inequities within an anti-oppressive framework should consider the potential role or influence of the spiritual dimension. Key words: spirituality, anti-oppression models, social justice, organizational change, women's organizations