Spiritual Identity

Snapshot

A conflict model
Students who do not identify with and/or
practice organized religion
 Introduction to our Theory

● Outline of our process:

○ Developed interview protocol
○ Recorded and Transcribed
○ Multiple iterations of model development
● Final model:
○ Conflict model
○ Resolving tensions between three dimensions
○ Snapshot of the individual
 Legend

The Model = Resolved Conflict

= Unresolved Conflict

Internal and External Dimensions: Quotes / Data:

Where does the tension occur? What did the person say?

Contexts:
Where
does
conflict
occur?
Student Stories: Carl
 Example Context: Carl

“And for me, that was my biggest thing is rules.

It's like, and that's what I felt like when I put
conflict down because like if you don't give me a
set reason why I can't do something, I'm going to
do it. Like, so that was that, and that’s what our
youth group leader did [and] really tried to control
Resolved Conflict between: what we did in our community and in school, like
how it turned into like more of like a recruitment
Internal Identity thing for youth group, not spiritual.”
...and...
Referential Groups
Student Stories: John
 Example Context: John

… someone else walked in the room, a third

person joined, and we were trying to explain our
different sides and it definitely made me anxious
because usually it was always two against one,
but maybe if I [got] someone else to understand
where I was coming from, [maybe] they can
Resolved Conflict between: explain it better than my way...

Internal Identity ...it was good to know that someone understood

...and... me as well rather than completely shutting down
Individual Relationships my thoughts and ideas.
Student Stories: Megan
 Example Context: Megan

“When I'm at home I don't say I'm an atheist. I still

say I'm a Catholic because even though my
parents are fine with the fact that I don't believe in
God, they feel like because I was raised Catholic,
I am a Catholic. Even still my dad is like, but you
are a Catholic because that's how you were
Unresolved Conflict between: raised, and you were confirmed and I'm like, but
I'm not because I don't believe in anything that
Internal Identity Catholics believe in”
...and...
Individual Relationships
Student Stories: Vivienne
 Example Context: Vivienne

“The conflict I always had growing up was how do

you tell people about what you experience at
church without them feeling uneasy?...I don’t
want to make anyone feel uneasy, but I don’t
wanna silence a big part of my life either. So, it’s
always been a struggle.”
Unresolved Conflict between:
Referential Groups
...and...
Individual Relationships
Comparing to other theories:
Moral Cognitive Development Theories
Similarities: Differences:

● The struggle to define “what is ● Lacks levels, stages, or positions

truth” ● There is no measure of what is
○ Present in all cog/moral considered more or less complex -
theories instead, we take a snapshot of
● Focuses on relationships between conflicts and whether or not those
the “self” and the “external” conflicts are resolved
○ This comes from
Bax/Magolda and Torres -
Latino Cognitive
● Building personal definitions is key
to resolving cognitive dissonance
 Comparing to other Theories:
Psychosocial Development
Similarities: Differences:

● The Seven Vectors ● Psychosocial clumps interpersonal

-Seen in Chickering & Reisser specially
focusing on: establishing identity,
developing integrity, managing emotions,
and developing mature interpersonal
relationships.
and intrapersonal and our theory
separates interpersonal and
intrapersonal.
Comparing to other Theories:
Social Identity Theories
Similarities: Differences:
● Focuses on the “self” and external ● No concept of “encounters” or
voices phases
○ Helms, Cross, McCarn & ○ Seen in Cross, Helms
Fassinger ● End goal is not integration, end
● Disintegration - Conflicted goal is dissonance resolution
acknowledgement of identity while ○ Cross, Helms
recognizing moral dilemmas
associated with that identity
○ Helms
● Integrates three dimensions:
cognitive, interpersonal,
intrapersonal
Comparing to other Theories: Adult
Development
Similarities: Differences:

Kegan Kegan
● Infinitely many experiences ● No stages or phases - not progressive
● Infinitely many contexts ● Our theory is a snapshot
Baxter-Magolda Baxter-Magolda -
● Using external formulas = ● Progression over time, ours is snapshot
referential groups to know
● clash between internal identity,
referential groups, and individual
relationships (p. 91)
 Fulfilling the Criteria of
Trustworthiness
● Credibility
✓ Prolonged Engagement ❏ Negative Case Analysis
❏ Persistent Observation ❏ Progressive Subjectivity
✓ Peer Debriefing ✓ Member checking / review
 Fulfilling the Criteria of
Trustworthiness
● Transferability - Providing Context
○ Assuming all students impacted by spirituality status
○ Interview people who had grown up within context of Christianity
○ Used Lahey et al. (1988) interview protocol
○ Different races of individuals
○ Different gender presentation of individuals
○ Interviews occurred quiet secluded spaces
○ Interviewees attend a mid-size, 4-year, primarily residential campus
 Fulfilling the Criteria of
Trustworthiness
● Dependability - changes in theory construction
○ Gave 5 cards out to interviewees with emotions on them
○ Disagreement with original iteration of theory → conflict model
○ Interviewees did not agree with directionality of arrows → double-
headed arrows
 Fulfilling the Criteria of
Trustworthiness
● Confirmability
○ Take a moment to review the other data on our handout!
○ Process of looking for keywords, agreed upon
■ Church, Bible, Peer Groups = Referential Groups
■ Values, Beliefs, Myself, Thoughts = Internal Relationships
■ Mother, Father, A Particular Friend = Individual Relationships
○ Cognitive, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal dimension sought
 Limitations to our Theory
● Snapshots - a lot of our data shows how students think or
interpret data now versus during the time of events

● Theory developed based on people who are affiliated with

some branch of Christianity

● Does not take into account individuals with no religious

background
Concluding Thoughts
 References
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