Scribd
Upload
9 views

M3 Reflect-Practice I

Uploaded by

jnelson2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views

M3 Reflect-Practice I

Uploaded by

jnelson2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Jennifer Nelson

Theo 501
October 10, 2024

Much of my life experience has been defined by being a part of two


social out-groups. I am a Black woman; if you consider the intersectionality
of being Black and a woman, you might see me as part of a third out-group.
My identity markers have functioned negatively in my life. One of my earliest
memories is a conversation about racial discrimination. However, the church
has been a place to be part of an in-group, with the oppressors in society
being the out-group.

Although my Pentecostal upbringing limited choices and opportunities


for women, it was a safe place to be Black. Now, as a member of a
historically Black United Methodist congregation, I have found a place that is
unquestionably positive and accepting of my primary identities. We have
demonstrated social creativity in two ways. On the positive side, we have
changed the values of the attributes assigned to our group. It is a space
where we celebrate our Blackness, honor our historical place in the
community, and encourage the achievement and advancement of our
members. However, we have also practiced negative social creativity by
changing the out-group. We have othered marginalized groups like the
LGBTQIA+ community. (Worley)

As a congregation, we have been exploring what it means to be


welcoming and accepting of all people. As a lay leader and board member, I
have been helping to lead an effort to become a reconciling church. We have
engaged the congregation through conversation and Bible study in what it
means to be reconciled, how we embody our mission statement, and what
we mean when we say we welcome all people. It has been a difficult
conversation, and we have lost members. Some of the most
traditional/conservative members insist on a literal reading of certain
passages of scripture and believe the direction we are headed to be biblically
wrong.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote to become a reconciling church,
this conversation has deepened my awareness of how my social identity
markers can lead me to cope with the prejudice I have faced in positive and
negative ways. It is also helping to clarify my position in Christianlandia. I am
traditional/conservative (due to the belief that Jesus saves) who believes in
reading the Bible critically and is very close to the border of
liberal/progressive and liberationist areas.
Works Cited
Worley, D.. (2021). Tajfel and Turner Intergroup Conflict Theories 1997.

Instructor Feedback:

Jennifer, I can see that you respond to all the questions thoughtfully,
engaging with the reading material, particularly Tajfel and Turner’s Intergroup
Conflict Theories, and relating it to your experiences as a Black woman in
your congregation. This is a strong connection. However, you do not clearly
identify who the oppressors in society are when discussing ingroup and
outgroup comparisons within the broader socio-cultural context and system.
Based on your reflection, I assume the socio-cultural context you are
referring to is heteronormative and white-supremacist. Additionally, you
argue that the emergence of negative social creativity (i.e., redefining the
outgroup) in your congregation is primarily due to disagreements with
traditional or conservative members who interpret certain scriptural
passages literally in the context of a reconciling church. I think it would be
more relatable if you could further elaborate on how this
religious/spiritual/biblical argument relates to the broader socio-cultural and
systemic forces that fuel negative social creativity or ingroup bias within your
congregation. Jennings' reading would also be a helpful resource in
addressing this question, in addition to Tajfel and Turner’s theories.
Check-plus - 2.5 pts

You might also like