M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall

Calling and Conflict: A Qualitative Exploration of Interrole Conflict and the Sanctification of Work in Christian Mothers in Academia

This study investigated the role of spirituality in working Christian mothers coping with tension due to interrole conflict, in light of past research suggesting a relationship between spirituality and coping constructs. Interviews with 32 mothers working in Christian academia were examined using a post hoc analysis of content informed by principles of grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Several aspects of a sense of calling emerged that appeared related to the experience of interrole tension: a sense of certitude, collaboration, and a context of purpose. It was theorized that for these women, the sanctification of work, through experiencing a sense of calling, was related to coping with interrole tension.

Integration in the Therapy Room: An Overview of the Literature

Clinical integration refers to the incorporation of religious or spiritual beliefs, values, and methods into the process of psychotherapy that results in a different way of being as a therapist, understanding the client, and/or doing therapy. Two goals are pursued in this article: (a) to provide an overview of what has been done in clinical integration over the past 25 years; and (b) to point the reader to resources in each of the areas addressed in this article. First, the foundations for clinical integration that have been laid over the years are outlined. These include pragmatic, ethical, empirical, and personal reasons for engaging in clinical integration. Following this, an overview of the spectrum of clinical integration is described. The incorporation of religious values and beliefs, religious content in traditional psychological frameworks, and spiritually-derived goals and techniques are discussed. Finally, some ethical considerations in pursuing clinical integration are outlined.

Diapers, Dissertations, and Other Holy Things: The Experiences of Mothers Working in Christian Colleges and Universities.

Academic institutions present specific challenges to women attempting to balance work and family responsibilities. This type of involvement within the subculture of evangelical Christianity presents its own variations. Interviews with 30 mothers working in Christian academia were analyzed using a post hoc content analysis informed by principles of grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin, 1990, 1998). The experiences of these women reveal a number of emotional and practical needs that can inform institutions desiring to create family-friendly climates. These womens stories also reveal that women working within a Christian subculture may differ in displaying tensions consistent with gender-role ideologies that are more conservative than those of the larger society. They seek work environments that are consistent with these ideologies, desire personal integration of their spirituality with their work and family commitments, and express the need for flexibility in establishing goals that are consistent with their ideologies. Implications for Christian institutions are discussed.

Adult Attachment, God Attachment and Gender in Relation to Perceived Stress

This study examines whether adult attachment, God attachment and gender are related to perceived stress. Based on the literature on these variables, it was expected that adult and God attachment would predict perceived stress, that God attachment would have incremental validity over adult attachment in predicting perceived stress and that gender would be a moderator in the relationship between attachment and perceived stress. Two hundred seventy-six participants from a private, Christian university in Southern California completed questionnaires assessing these variables. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that adult and God attachment anxiety as well as adult attachment avoidance significantly predicted perceived stress. Furthermore, God attachment anxiety had incremental validity over adult attachment. Interestingly, gender was a suppressor variable in the relationship between attachment anxiety and perceived stress. Therefore, attachment relationships with ones partner and God are both important in explaining perceived stress level. Gender may also play an indirect role in this relationship, though this concept should be further validated with future research.

The role of spiritual and psychological development in the cross-cultural adjustment of missionaries

The present study investigated the relationship between spiritual development, and both psychological development and cross-cultural adjustment in a group of missionaries. It was hypothesized that spiritual development would be positively related to psychological development as viewed from a relational psychodynamic perspective. It was also hypothesized that spiritual development would be positively related to psychological and sociocultural cross-cultural adjustment, and that it would contribute to the variance of adjustment above and beyond the contributions made by psychological development. One hundred and eighty-one missionaries living in 46 countries completed a questionnaire assessing these variables. Results supported the main hypotheses, and revealed a significant interaction between psychological development and spiritual development in predicting psychological adjustment. Implications for the study of psychological and spiritual development, as well as for the spiritual care of missionaries, are discussed.

Becoming a Mother: The Influence of Motherhood on Women's Identity Development

This qualitative analysis investigated womens experiences of identity change in the process of becoming mothers. Thirty semistructured interviews were completed and the analysis was conducted through a grounded theory framework. The analytic process yielded results that grouped into three overarching themes. The first of these relates to the ways in which women lost themselves for a time while incorporating their children into their identities and reforming their identities. The second theme explores the expansion of the self insofar as women incorporated children into their identities and self-boundaries. The third theme explores ways that women felt that mothering and the close relationships with their children intensified their personalities and identities. Implications for future research are explored.

Breaking the Mold A Qualitative Exploration of Mothers in Christian Academia and Their Experiences of Spousal Support

Women who have chosen to invest in multiple roles as wife, mother, and professional often experience difficulty in balancing these roles. However, research shows that spousal support for women investing in multiple roles can be an important factor in their experience of distress. The authors conduct qualitative interviews designed to gather experiential information with 30 women who are both faculty members at Christian universities around the country and mothers of children living in the home. Information on the participants’ relationships with their husbands and their experiences of spousal support, both practically and emotionally, are determined. Participants report that their spouses help them practically through child care, household chores, and availability in a crisis. Additionally, spouses help their wives through emotional support, including mutual respect, pride in their wives’ accomplishments, and interest in their wives’ work.

Married Women in Missions: The Effects of Cross-Cultural and Self Gender-Role Expectations on Well-Being, Stress, and Self-Esteem

The present study explored the effects of self-expectations and societal expectations of the host culture on the well-being of 37 married missionary women. The results did not support a relationship between the expectations of the host culture, and well-being. Homemakers appeared to be more relaxed and to experience life as more satisfying and interesting than women involved more actively in the missions task. The congruence of roles with self-expectations, role satisfaction, and freedom in choosing a role emerged as highly related to several indices of well-being. These findings highlight the centrality of freedom in choosing a role, and suggest that important subcultural differences in self-expectations exist in the Christian subculture which should be taken into account in research on womens issues.

The Other Side of the Podium: Student Perspectives on Learning Integration

Student perspectives on the transmission of integration in integrative programs were examined through a qualitative study. Participants in the study were 595 graduate and undergraduate students (305 women and 247 men) drawn from four Evangelical Christian institutions of higher education. Participants provided written data in response to three open-ended questions, inquiring about the exemplary and helpful aspects of their educational experiences with respect to integration. Post-hoc content analyses informed by grounded theory analytic processes were used to analyze the data, resulting in two overarching themes: Facilitating Integration, and Concepts of Integration, which respectively address how students learn integration, and how students conceptualize integration. The implications for the conceptualization of integration and for the pedagogy of facilitating integration are explored.

Asian and female in the white God's world: a qualitative exploration of discrimination in Christian academia

This study is a phenomenological exploration of discrimination experiences among 11 Asian/Asian-American female faculty at various Christian universities, with a specific focus on the characteristics of the Christian academic environment which contribute to those experiences. Participants completed a 90-minute semi-structured interview. Ten of the 11 women described experiences where they perceived being treated differently due to race and/or gender. Qualitative analyses of interview data resulted in the emergence of three themes related to the discrimination context (lack of diversity, naiveté and denial and “missionary mentality”). Resulting themes are discussed in light of existing research. Future research implications include the continued need for research on factors that contribute to discrimination in religious contexts.