Date of Award

4-23-2010

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Kathryn A. Kozaitis - Committee Chair

Second Advisor

Emanuela Guano - Committee Member

Third Advisor

Jennifer Patico - Committee Member

Abstract

The research study examines the influence of an African American religious preacher in organizing his congregation into a socioeconomic community. The research question is as fol-lows: How does the leadership performance influence (a) the social interaction of his congrega-tion, (b) the mobilization of congregates into members of a social group, and (c) the development of his congregation into an economic system? This study examines the Pastor, his role, influence, and management of power. Weber argued that there are three pure types of authority: rational, traditional, and charismatic. For an African American religious preacher, the authority would be considered to be charismatic. However, this study discovered that the Pastor of Washington Missionary Baptist Church, the field site for this ethnography, encompasses characteristics of each from of authority. Such characteristics are necessary in order to successfully manage a nonprofit organization, which requires a decentralization of power and shared leadership.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/1331567

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