Why Should the Sister Decide For Me? Work, Organizational Mission, and Occupational Identity in Global Organizations

• In Event: 505 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Neo-Liberalism, Development, and the Global South

Abstract

In this paper, I examine how economic and cultural factors influence the different ways people implement organizational mission in global organizations. Using the experiences of American and Congolese Catholic sisters who belong to the same religious order as a case study, I find that while members in Boston and Kinshasa explicitly align their work with the organization’s mission, they articulate different regional goals that are shaped by nationally oriented objectives and financial constraints. In Boston, members’ attitudes toward work reflect a culture of individualism in the United States. Economic concerns are secondary as sisters pursue work and education that is personally fulfilling. In Kinshasa, the local leadership of the organization determines the professional and educational opportunities available to members. There are fewer opportunities for sisters to develop occupational identities outside organizational institutions, and the distribution of work is driven primarily by economic necessity. Instead of personal fulfillment, Congolese leadership is focused collectively on achieving autonomy from the Global North, and raising money to invest in the province. Differences in Boston and Kinshasa reflect local economic factors as well as broader global inequalities.

Author

• Casey R. Clevenger, Brandeis University