The Multiple Organizational Identities of Catholic High Schools

• In Event: 262 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Church and Non-Church Organizations

Abstract

Prior research has explored Catholic identity in Catholic colleges and hospitals but little has been done to explore organizational identity of Catholic high schools. This study contributes to research on religious institutions and organizational identity by extending the investigation to Catholic high schools. Catholic schools no longer exist within a narrow Catholic subculture and they often draw non-Catholic students as well as Catholic students whose primary interest is not the religious character of the school. The goal of Catholic schools is to provide quality academic education, religious education, and serve the mission of the Church. These goals are not mutually exclusive but Catholic schools are under pressure to compete with public and other private schools so they face pressures from the organizational environment which influence organizational behavior. Interviews with a small sample of principals regarding their perceptions of what factors impacted the school’s ability to manifest a Catholic identity helped frame an analysis of Catholic high school web sites to evaluate: 1) the extent to which they exhibit a “Catholic” identity; 2) determine if there is a correlation between presentation of Catholic identity and external organizational factors and; 3) what type of Catholic identity they reflect. Findings revealed three categories of Catholic identity expressed on school websites: conventional, contemporary, and the mission of the sponsoring religious order. The type of identity varies by geographic location, and whether the school is sponsored by a religious order or the local diocese.

Author

• Catherine Hoegeman, Missouri State University