I'm in my final semester for my MSW and have to do a Masters Project (like a thesis but not limited to that format). I'm planning a study regarding Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and/or Transgendered employees working for religious-based non-profit agencies. My requested favor is twofold: 1) Is my statement of project well-written? and 2) is my project well-designed? workable? valuable?
I really want this project to be worthwhile, high-quality, and eventually publishable, so please do not hold back criticism!!! I'm tough, I can take it
I have to turn this in on Tuesday. Once it's turned in, it's not exactly engraved in stone, but it will be too late for major modifications to the overall study design.
Thanks in advance for reading this. After all, it's the weekend, you've got nothing better to do, right?
THE ISSUE
As it has been stated that 10% of the general population is gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgendered (GLBT), it would be reasonable to assume that 10% of the social work population fits into one or more of those categories. Social work had its beginnings in religious organizations, and at this time a large portion of social services delivered by private agencies are provided by religious agencies. Various religions have different views on homosexuality, with many of the traditional religions viewing homosexuality as a sin. However, if these agencies are receiving funding under contract with governmental agencies, they are often precluded from denying employment to homosexual or transgendered individuals. As a result, a social worker who falls within the GLBT population is likely to, at some point in his/her career, work for a religious non-profit that may view this person’s behavior as sinful. I hope to examine how GLBT social workers handle the values conflict between themselves and their employers. What conflicts arise and how does the social worker handle these conflicts? What determines whether the GLBT social worker remains at the agency or seeks employment elsewhere?
THE NEED
My particular agency, The Salvation Army Social Services for Children, is a religious-based non-profit agency. The Salvation Army church can be considered a conservative Protestant denomination. One of their tenets is that homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful behaviors that can be overcome through prayer. They do not view the GLBT person as evil but as someone who needs to address the “error of his ways;” to find Jesus, beg forgiveness for his/her “sins,” and “go forth and sin no more.” The administrators of the larger Salvation Army are all ordained ministers in the Salvationist religion. Social Services for Children (SSC) is a sub-agency of sorts and is under contract with the City of New York, the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Office for Families and Children’s Services, Nassau County Department of Social Services, and Suffolk County Department of Social Services. Because of these contracts, SSC is required to hire on a non-discriminatory basis, including on the basis of sexuality and/or transgenderism. SSC has a few openly gay employees, has had a few openly lesbian employees, and one openly transgendered employee. There may be more in each category and may be bisexual employees, but if so their status is not generally known within the agency.
The Salvation Army was in the news in the summer of 2001 because of an issue regarding a proposed federal bill, the Faith-Based Initiative. This bill proposed moving more of the delivery of social services from government to religious-based organizations by removing some of the impediments and restrictions on who could use federal funding. The proponents of the bill asserted that religious non-profits should be exempted from some of the regulations typically tied to receipt of federal funds. The Washington Post received a memo leaked from within The Salvation Army that indicated The Salvation Army had brokered a quid pro quo deal with various elected federal officials promising support of the bill provided that the bill specifically exempt religious non-profits from having to comply with non-discriminatory hiring practices. This created quite a stir in the GLBT community; openly homosexual and “gay-friendly” politicians spoke out against this deal, one even holding a press conference on the steps of our building. GLBT employees of SSC feared that the GLBT community would form a picket line or hold a demonstration in front of our building like they had done in the past when the Boy Scouts of America barred homosexuals from membership or leadership positions.
This is not the first time in recent history The Salvation Army has shown itself to be against homosexual and transgendered causes. Years ago, when the City of New York considered a regulation requiring voluntary agencies to practice non-discriminatory hiring regarding the GLBT population, The Salvation Army and other religious agencies (including Catholic Charities) threatened to back out of all their city contracts. In child welfare alone, voluntary agencies provide 80% of the services for the city. The city council backed down from this requirement. However, this issue has come up again at the City Council; last month a council member proposed a regulation requiring agencies under contract with the city to recognize registered Domestic Partnerships and to offer the same benefits to Domestic Partners as it does to married employees. The Salvation Army will likely fight this measure, as it would involve a de facto recognition of the right of homosexual employees’ long-term commitments, something which is against the beliefs of the religion. From an administrative point of view, this causes a dilemma as the agency may alienate its current GLBT workforce and discourage other GLBT social workers from applying for employment at the agency. This narrowing of the pool of qualified employees and applicants is particularly dangerous for SSC, as the field of child welfare has long experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining a high-caliber workforce.
PURPOSE
This project should assess the experiences of GLBT social workers in religious non-profit organizations and identify what factors determine whether a GLBT social worker seeks employment or remains at a religious-based agency. The findings will help agencies examine their organizational cultures and identify what elements of their agencies encourage or discourage GLBT social workers from working for their agency.
AUDIENCE
The audience for this project would be agency administrators, human resource professionals, and social work supervisors. While some agencies will not be interested in attracting or retaining GLBT employees, administrators of agencies that are structured with more distance between the secular and religious sides of their organizations may be interested in widening their pool of applicants and retaining qualified GLBT employees.
SIGNIFICANCE
Since so many social services in this country are directly delivered by religious-based non-profit organizations, and since this will only increase with the recent passing of the Faith-Based Initiative, this issue will be faced by non-profit administrators on a regular basis. The field of social work has been one of the strongest advocates of GLBT rights, and as social workers continue to take on administrative positions at agencies, the administrators will likely want to further the cause of the GLBT population in the area of employment. It is highly unlikely that popular opinion can cause most denominations to reverse themselves on their basic tenets (with the possible exception of denominations where the governance of the religion is based on the congregations). Administrators of non-profit organizations cannot expect to get the overarching religious body to accept homosexuality/transgenderism if GLBT behaviors or identities are firmly against the religion’s belief system. However, administrators can endeavor to make their individual sub-agencies, programs, departments, and work units more GLBT-friendly and accepting.
METHODOLOGY
Step 1: Literature Review
I will be conducting a literature review, using sources from the fields of Social Work, Sociology, and perhaps Theology to provide an overview of current research, thoughts, and theories on how both religious agencies and GLBT individuals deal with conflicts on GLBT issues and values. I will also examine current political movements, policy initiatives, and religious stances on GLBT issues.
Step 2: General Research of Issue
I will conduct research by circulating a written survey among the organized GLBT groups at Hunter, Columbia and NYU’s schools of social work. The survey will assure full confidentiality. Anonymity will be an option for the participants. Those who are willing to forego anonymity will be contacted by me for personal interviews. The target population for the survey and interviews will be GLBT individuals who work or have worked for pay for non-profit religious-based organizations. The survey will cover background/demographic questions, such as number of years employed in social work, age, gender, and “out status” (e.g., “Are/were your coworkers aware that you are GLBT?”). The survey will also ask whether the person has left a job because of the agency’s position regarding GLBT individuals, whether their immediate coworkers were supportive of GLBT issues, and what reasons the person may have for remaining at an agency whose religious base does not support GLBT individuals.
While I will be using the GLBT groups as a main source of my study population, I will also offer participation to personal contacts and will offer the survey to those who have associates expressing interest. Again, confidentiality will be stressed, and while I may tell others I am doing the study, I will not be asking people for names of possible participants who fit the study’s target population. Also, while I do have the support of my immediate supervisor (the Associate Executive Director of SSC), it is understood that I will not limit my study to employees of The Salvation Army and its sub-agencies.
Step 3: Targeted, In-Depth Research
The interviews will seek clarification of the written answers and anecdotes, with questions based on the results of the written surveys. Since I am not sure what to expect from the written surveys, I am not designing the individual interviews at this time as the results from the surveys will impact the interview structure and content.
REFLECTION OF SELF
I am not a member of the GLBT population, but I have had many personal friends who fit this description. I have seen how the effects of non-recognition of a domestic partnership can cause hardship for a committed couple. I have heard close coworkers, very talented and intelligent individuals, vacillate on remaining in SSC employment due to The Salvation Army’s prominent reputation as being against GLBT issues. I was the supervisor of a transgendered individual in SSC employ and had to deal with protecting her from the negative positions of the overarching religion from which our agency is organized.
Because GLBT causes are important to me, I myself have had to deal with values conflicts regarding my remaining in the employ of an agency whose parent body is against GLBT issues. However, I (like many of my non-GLBT but GLBT-supportive coworkers) have the luxury of distance between myself and my agency. Their statements against GLBT individuals and causes do not impact me personally and I can rationalize my remaining with the agency by focusing on the good the agency does. A GLBT employee of The Salvation Army or its sub-agencies does not have that distance or padding to protect him/her. When The Salvation Army makes a statement or enacts a policy that is detrimental to the GLBT community, the GLBT employee receives it as a personal attack, a judgment against the individual, a declaration that this person is an unworthy sinner, someone who should be shunned, someone whose love for a same-sexed partner is unnatural, immoral, and evil. If the issue were gender, and The Salvation Army’s position was that women are worthless, should remain at home cleaning and procreating, and are evil if they go to college or work, I would take it very personally and would not work for the organization. Others who are not GLBT individuals but are pro-GLBT causes might not work for The Salvation Army or other organizations which share the same opinion on GLBT issues; however, they too have the luxury of personal distance from the issue itself. The more prominent these issues become, however, the more likely we will alienate those who are supportive of GLBT issues. This will impact our pool of employment applicants and our private donation funding stream. As someone who is aiming for a high administrative role in SSC, I want to know what will attract and keep GLBT individuals and GLBT-supportive individuals working for our agency. If the project finds a wider audience, it is my personal aspiration that this project will help GLBT-supportive administrators further GLBT employment and causes within the constructs of religious-based organizational structures and cultures.
ORGANIZATION
Without the survey results, it is a bit difficult to envision the structure of the final project. It will be a paper, hopefully a “publishable” paper, but the outline is nebulous at this time. I will incorporate pertinent portions of the literature review, qualitative and quantitative results of the survey, and in-depth and anecdotal results of the interviews.
CONCLUSION
It is my hope that the project will enlighten supervisors and administrators to the factors that attract or keep GLBT individuals in an agency’s employ. Armed with this knowledge, the target audience will hopefully work to make their agencies, programs, departments, or units GLBT-accepting and supportive, thus improving the lives of GLBT individuals involved in social service work.
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