Women’s Organization

 

 

 

 

 

Respite Sisters

AubreyEnna Garten

California State University Fresno

Qualitative Research

Dr. Timothy Kubal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction:

            The Respite Sisters has brought meaning and purpose to the lives of many women that I respect and admire. I found great pleasure in having the opportunity to get to understand this organization better through the eyes of the sociological lens. There were three qualitative research methods that I chose to use in analyzing this group: ethnography, participant interviews, and content analysis. In using ethnography, I had the opportunity to observe more formal meetings, which take place for the group on Sunday, as well as a more casual event that took place on a Friday for the celebration of the 177^th birthday of this organization. I was able to observe interactions among members of my group at all of the aforementioned activities. I was able to interview multiple members of the group. Upon researching, I gathered 30 different sources to compile a content analysis. During my research, I was able to make connections to sociological theory.

            The Respite Sisters has been a large part of my life. My mother is a part of it, some of my biological sisters, and many of my friends are a part of it as well. This has made it an easy choice for observation. I can honestly say "I love my group!" The fact that I already have a vested interest, and the access to my group allows me to do in-depth research. Looking at my group from a Sociological perspective has helped me to see it in a new light and make theoretical connections. Instead of seeing it with what my group would refer to as "seeing it with spiritual eyes," I am looking at it with Sociological eyes for the first time. I have learned more about my group. I have made observations through thick description that have led me to front stage and backstage, status and roles, meaningful action, and definition of the situation. I have greatly benefited from understanding and seeing my group from this perspective.

Literature Review:

            In Symbolic Interaction theory, meanings emerge through interaction. George Herbert Mead referred to this as the "generalized other." As human beings, we are capable of thought and how our actions might be perceived by others. Take a cat for example: there is no evidence that it cares or has any thought that licking itself out in the open might be negatively perceived by others. Human Beings are different. Through social interactions, people are able to attach meaning and symbols to actions and behavior. In a definition found in the Oxford Dictionary of Sociology it is comprised of four parts. "1. Humans are distinctly symbol manipulating animals. 2. Process and emergence. 3. Interactive. 4. Underlying patterns form social life" (Scott, 2014). So what does that mean? As human beings we possess unique abilities to navigate social interactions. We rely on situations and encounters to facilitate different social outcomes. In order to be skilled at this, we have to be connected to others. This complex interweaving of social interactions make up groups in society.

            Frontstage/Backstage are concepts coined by the famous sociologist Erving Goffman. His theory was that people are like actors on the stage. The front stage is when they are performing a role for others. The backstage is where the actor prepares for their performance. We are constantly performing and going between frontstage and backstage to prepare to meet the expectations that are required for us in all the areas of our lives. One author explained this in the context of hospice workers. When dealing with patients, the hospice workers were on the frontstage where they would be caring, compassionate and sensitive about the patient's conditions. While on the backstage with co-workers, they may make jokes about death, even talk about the patients and sort of let loose to cope with the stress of the job (Robinson, 2016).

            Statuses are positions that one might obtain or achieve in life through a passage or promotion, marriage, higher education, or parenting. When you are occupying a status, you play the role, or in other words, the role is what you act out. For example, as teachers and students, we are have certain expectations tied to our role. The professor might be expected to dress up, be intellectually informed on the subject. The student would be required to listen and perhaps ask questions. We play the role for the period of time that we occupy that certain status, because we are all just actors on stage trying to impress an audience.

            Definition of the situation: how we act is based upon our definition of what happened. W. I. Thomas gets some credit as he talked about how there must be a proposal between characters in a specific social situation to facilitate social cohesion. A very well-known example of this might be what happened on September 11, 2001. When the world trade centers were attacked, people were in chaos and in need of a definition of what happened in that situation. Quickly Americans were told by leaders, specifically the president, that what happened was an "evil" act of terror, and because of that, as a nation, we were to declare war on terror and go after those evil Al Qaeda terrorists. If you change the definition of the situation, you change how people act. This relies on norms, values, and an authority to organize participants and facilitate social cohesion. As Goffman pointed out, this means more of a focus on some things and leaving other things out, to have shared meaning.

            Presentation of Self: Another term coined by Goffman; in fact, he wrote a whole book about this in "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" (Goffman, 1956). People have a great desire to have control over how others see them, they want to control the impressions they make and they do this in the way they present themselves. This could be done in any number of ways. For example, if Susan invites friends over to her house and she wants them to think she has her life together, she might clean thoroughly and not show guests the back room where she stowed all the clutter. Or if I want you to think I'm a happy person, I might smile and laugh a lot even when I do not feel like it, to avoid being looked at as someone who is depressed.

            Stigma is used in reference to attributes and behaviors or reputations which a society has that discredits groups or people or gives them a negative classification in some way. Social stigmas can be very strong in teaching people about the norms and rules of society. It is the negative reinforcement given to people to tell them how to act or not act. People might go as far as to stay in an unhappy marriage if they live in a very conservative society whose stigma of divorce is overwhelmingly negative.

            Framing is the agenda, the tradition of focusing on the larger social problem rather than on a particular topic. Media focuses attention on certain events and then places within it. Framing is a field of meaning to organize how people perceive and communicate about the reality of the situation. It is very common for this to be facilitated by community organizers, politicians, and/or religious leaders. It is the story they are telling. There are different types of framing. Identity frame defines who is in the group, and who is against the group. Agency frame are the success stories that are told through documentation in order to empower. Frame building is reaching out to others outside of the group or to people who used to be a part of it. Frame Extension means to reach out to folks who disagree with your group. Framing can be done in situations to produce a favorable outcome. So a group who is focused on environmental protection might organize and say this is who we are, this is how we have cleaned up the beaches, you should join with us. But might omit other information, like how the leader of the group has investments in fossil fuels.

            Rituals are a sequence of activities, words, gestures, objects, tradition performed in sequence may be part of a religious ceremony or just part of everyday life. People perform rituals when they're getting ready for bed, or getting ready for work, even driving to school. Asking good questions to get to know people and what they do when they're alone and in their backstage rituals can help us do better and more in-depth qualitative research in understanding how people see meaning in their everyday lives.

In Discovering Qualitative Methods, the authors Carol A.B. Warren and Tracy Xavia Karner discussed several different ways to perform qualitative research. That could be broken down further into simply learning how to observe, which seems much easier than it is. With so much detail that could be used just in describing an empty room, imagine how much more goes into observing people. However, there are some helpful suggestions on where to start.

First, picture a setting where you want to observe. Is it accessible, do you find it interesting and is it going cost you money to do so? In order to be a good observer, how one performs the presentation of self is essential. Be familiar with what would be expected of participants, specifically, the dress code. What is the demeanor? How are people acting? Are there any props that you need, like if you were observing an exercise class, it would be important to fit in, so that you might observe without disrupting the group. Some groups are "closed," and you must find out who the gatekeeper is, i.e. the person who could deny or grant you access to the group.

Once admitted into the group, finding your key informants can help you get into different situations and make connections that you would not made on your own. Researchers should be like a shadow, following the group where they go and how they move to really see what it's like to be in their shoes. Researchers can take on many different roles in order to obtain information from the group. For example, they may be like an apprentice asking sincere questions with a willingness to be taught. Or perhaps like a mascot that is accepted as being with the group, yet is separate from it, but is approving or reaffirming to the group. A researcher may also be a spy; this may be especially true in non-Western societies when an outsider is coming in to observe the group. From there, the researcher may try to go native and be so immersed in the group that he or she becomes a member. The reverse would be true for a researcher studying a group they are already associated with; their job would be to become an alien and see the group from a different perspective. Researchers must be careful in making sure they are doing no harm, as well as protecting themselves from the risks of violence. They must also leave the field in a positive position for other researchers to take their place.

When your setting and inclusion in the group are secure, you are ready to begin interviewing. Having a good interview is essential to doing good qualitative research. That starts way before the interview begins. There is a process that should take place before doing qualitative interviews. First, the interviewer must decide what type of participants or what demographic is the interviewer intending to study. If his/her focus groups are couples, will the interviews be in person face-to-face, and how many interviews are going to take place? After finding the respondents, the interviewer must make critical decisions on what type of technologies they are going to use to record the interview. This of course should be tested beforehand to ensure that it has a clear audio sound pick up, plenty of battery life, etc. To be clear to the respondent that they're being interviewed, the recording devices should be visible.

When setting up the interview, it's a good idea to take time before to make sure the equipment is set up correctly and to make sure the respondent feels comfortable. The location where the interview is to take place is critical and should lack interruptions or a lot of background noise. Being interviewed may not be comfortable for everyone, but it requires social interaction and it's the interviewer's job to make sure this goes well and to get the story of the interviewee. It is about being an active listener and asking questions pertinent to what they're saying, having eye contact and understanding body language so that the questions being asked can elicit more information. Once the interviewer has received all the information as they see it, they should be gracious and leave time for debriefing or for the interviewee to ask questions. After an appropriate amount of time, it comes to an end. It is best practice to transcribe the interview as soon as possible, preferably that same day, making sure that the transcription is accurate and that perhaps any technology being used to transcribe is one that is trustworthy. There's a lot that goes into an interview. It takes a lot of mental focus as well as the skill of a trained interviewer to know when to validate, when to show empathy and when to probe.  

The art (or science) of observation is used throughout the process of choosing a setting/group, being introduced to the group, and conducting interviews. Because this is the research phase of the process, it can be done before, during and after the other components of qualitative research. It can even stand alone, in some cases. In order for a researcher to compile a complete and comprehensive content analysis, they must immerse themselves in the data. This spans across many different avenues where information could be collected, including documents, images and, of course, the Internet. From magazines and advertisements to historical documents that tell the voices of the past, research can be extensive, and one must make sure one has a good sample set. A researcher may also study images and if one image can say 1000 words, one may see this is no easy task. That may mean the researcher is creating images by taking pictures of what they're observing, or they may be pictures submitted by the participants themselves. This has a limited direction of where it may go. They can also study existing archived images. The possibilities are almost endless, and with the worldwide constant access to the Internet, it actually might be endless. A researcher may observe interviews online, through discussions and comments, reading how people are interacting, what the narrative is they're telling, and what types of interactions are taking place. Although this book is three years old, it is clear that there is much need for this type of research, with a current increase of cyber bullying and terrorists using social media platforms to spread their message.

Really good content analysis takes a variety of sources with thick description and a complete immersion into the data. Luckily, there are very helpful programs to help analyze qualitative data, such as NVIVO. This helps to organize and make sense of the wealth of information collected. You may analyze themes which could be categorized into nodes. Thanks to technological improvements, interviews can be downloaded and transcribed within just a matter of minutes and can be organized into word queries in order to determine emergent commonalities to find what is the most common idea and information that is being given. For a researcher to be successful in qualitative research, they must be organized and, as the analysis process goes on, they should have a more focused endeavor in which they can apply theory and better understand social interactions.

Methods:

            I attended different Respite Sisters meetings over the course of a couple weeks. I attended the 177th Birthday Party which was a combined celebration and service project. I had access to a private one on one meeting, called a check in, as a member of the group to see how I was doing personally. I also attended a formal meeting, the most common of all the events, at a regular Sunday service meeting. At each meeting, I conducted a participatory observation. The service event was 2 ½ hours, the check in 30 minutes, and the Sunday meeting was one hour.  Each of the events differed widely but all were meant to fulfill the mission and purpose of the group, which is that "Charity Never Faileth."

            For my first observation I attended the Respite Sisters Birthday and Service Celebration on March 14th, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at a church building located in Fresno. It would be the same location for all three events, with very different interactions. For the two major events, they were large public meetings and it would have been awkward to introduce myself publicly and announce my assignment, so I just sat back and observed, until I was asked to participate. For the one on one meeting, I explained what I was doing for school.

            While I attended these meetings, I observed people using thick description in order to see them performing their frontstage, with glimpses into what might be their backstage. I observed participants and group members gain status while performing their roles for the group. I was able to recognize both meaningful action and definition of the situation throughout my observations. I engaged in activities to see what it would be like as a group member, finding out little bits of information about what brought the women together, what it was they were trying to accomplish and what was keeping them there. My purpose was to understand better what it was like to be a part of this group and be able to explain it with a new lens.

            During each observation, I took short notes. After returning home, I would try to write out what I had observed in full sentences. I then uploaded these notes into NVIVO in the Social Science computer lab. NVIVO is a great computer program that allows researchers to analyze qualitative data. Using NVIVO, I was able to further analyze the field notes that I had taken from my observations. As I was able to use NVIVO, which allowed me to organize my data into five different Nodes. I made word frequency queries using NVIVO, in the word cloud the words that were used most frequently in my data appeared larger. This helped me to know what to focus on. Based upon this data Women, Room, One and Group were the most frequent. I found this surprising for One and Room less so about women and group. It also makes me think about the language I am using and the words I am repeating and using.  

            I met participants of my group by attending meetings and activities to observe the group for an ethnography study before asking members of my group to be interviewed. While not everyone that I had wanted to interview was available for interviews because I had such a large group, I had many participants to choose from. Two of the participants I interviewed were at their home for convenience and ease to them. The third I was able to interview right after a Respite Sister's meeting in the church building. The third interview was interrupted when someone opened a door to the room we were using and so there is a sound of a door slamming shut.

            The first interview was with Lauren. As part of explaining the interview process, I explained that I would be using an alias name and they could choose the name if they would like. I thought this might be a nice ice breaker, and this part of the conversation happened before I started the recorder. Lauren wanted to be Lauren Christmas due to her love for Christmas. I think that helped ease the tension a little bit. Her interview lasted 14 minutes and 53 seconds. It was interesting to me how the attitude or the feel of the conversation changed once the recorder was going. I had a list of set questions which changed as the interview went on as I tried to validate, show empathy and probe to get more description about what each person was saying and have them expound on it. I think there is a level of being put on the spot and when I was interviewing her I realized I was asking leading questions and I wanted her to talk about the recent RS activity where we made menstruation kits and I realized that I was trying to get her to talk about it. So I had to back off a little and listen to what she wanted to tell me.

            The second interview was a little tricky trying to schedule around her kids' schedule where we could find time to talk in quiet, but we were able to do it. She chose the name Samantha Parker and where I thought it sounded like an Americans Girl doll's name, she made a reference to Sex and The City which I didn't quite get, and it made for sort of an awkward beginning. However, I felt this was the interview that flowed the best. It was 18 minutes and 34 seconds. After the interview ended, she continued to tell me stories about how much she loves and respects her group.

            The third interview was a little different as it was in a more formal setting. Even though I had explained the interview process before starting the recording once I started it, her eyes got really big and she just stared at it, sort of frozen. So, I took a few more seconds to explain it wasn't a big deal, I was just going to ask questions and then stop it. She had no preference in her alias name, Rachel. It was not until I had performed this interview that I realized each of the women I had interviewed had at one time or another been a president of the Respite Sisters. This means they would have had to conduct meetings and oversee the organization. So I tried to ask questions pertaining to that. The third interview was 15 minutes and 7 seconds.

            After recording my interviews, I transcribed them using Temi. I found this service to be very beneficial, although not perfect as it made some errors including which speaker was talking. However, it was much better than having to type out the entire transcript myself. I then copy and pasted all of the transcripts into one document. I went to the computer lab in the social science building to use NVIVO on the campus computers. There I uploaded the document with all three interviews into NVIVO.

            Using NVIVO I created a word cloud query. I created five nodes to analyze my data. I found this to be very interesting as I was analyzing the interviews and applying them to sociological theory. I felt the interviews went well. It made me want to do more interviews in order to have a larger sample size to see if the data remained consistent with my findings.

            In order to accumulate sources that could be used to analyze data for the content analysis, I used materials that were given to me by the president of the organization. I used public materials that were given as study material during membership meetings. I was given a book about the history of the Respite Sisters. I also obtained online resources that were made available to the public on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. I also accessed materials from the church-sponsored website associated with my group.

            Using NCapture I was able to download comments between members on social media websites. I was able to find electronic copies of the sources I was given by members of my group. After compiling all my sources, I copied and pasted all thirty sources into a word document. I proceeded to download that one document into NVIVO at the Social Science computer lab at Fresno State. I ran a query where I completed a word query. I then organized the data into five different nodes. I found the results to be quite interesting.

Analysis:

 The word cloud created in NVIVO helps to pick out what is being discussed most. It helps code your data for you. Sometimes the results are surprising, such as how I did not know that the word room was being used so much in my paper for a grand total of 17 times. These tools in NVIVO help to create frequency queries. It provides a powerful tool in analyzing data.

            Using the Query option on NVIVO I was able to make a word cloud. This analyzed the frequency of word usage. The word that was used most frequently was like. As this is just a filler word, I was able to add it to a stop word list. Excluding it made sense to see what words with more meaning came up instead. However, this caused me to think about how frequently filler words are used in everyday language and are simply ignored.

            Upon running a word query through NVIVO, I created a word cloud with the most used words.  I was not surprised to see words like member, relief, minister, needs or Women which was the most commonly used word and seemed very apt as it is a women's organization. However, I was surprised to see words like husband and priesthood, which are connected to male roles in the church. This seemed particularly interesting as even among the women I interviewed not all of them are married. This is truly an organization focused on strengthening families and is a constant topic of consideration.

I used five Nodes and had to be very selective with the information I was given in order to use just three statements in each node.

 

 

 

 

Thick Description- I choose these quotes for Thick Description because I thought they added important and interesting details that helped readers feel like they were experiencing the group with me.

 "As I pulled up, seven women piled out of a minivan, almost like a clown car. I watched as they approached the door we were parked closest to in the back and then as they realized it was locked. Right off the bat, that is not very inviting. I took particular notice of one of the ladies who was older and using a walker. She was wearing a black dress with white flowers on it."

These were details that I felt were important for people who have never attended my group.

"The room consisted of three columns of 10 rows of pews. The pews in the middle were larger than the pews on the side, like some movie theaters. At the front of the room was a large projector screen on a sort of stage with a podium and a microphone. A large piano was on the left and an organ on the right… open the accordion doors at the back which led to a gymnasium, with basketball hoops that had been raised to the ceiling. In the gym were 20 tables with enough space for nine sisters at each table plus one leader and everyone was to make at least two kits. We ended up making 4-6 kits a piece at least, at my table."

These observations help to provide the description of the event of what is actually going on.

     "Each table was divided by size of underwear. We were shown how to roll everything up and fit it into a plastic zip lock bag to make sure everything would fit, and then fit it into a small discrete drawstring cloth bag with different patterns. In fact, all of the panty liners were made of soft colorful fabrics which actually seemed odd to me based on its intended purpose… I did notice some women sitting at tables talking, not very many were on their phones, in fact hardly any at all, and this seemed odd but refreshing."

            This was a separate observation and I think that is important to make that distinction.

            "The meeting took place for just 15 minutes, there was one small window cracked open and letting in some fresh air and sunlight. In a way, it also let me see what it was like to be part of the group more clearly and how sometimes not everyone has good experiences despite people having good intentions."

            Describing the people and the room helped me to view it from an outsider perspective to try to give details that I might otherwise have taken for granted.

              "All the participants in the room are female. The chairs are comfortable, they are able to be folded up to perhaps make space, or to be put away. They have cushions attached to the chairs. They are covered in a dated floral print on both the seat and the back of the chairs. This is an important distinction because as I was passing a room where men were congregating, the men's chairs did not have cushions."

I used this an example of being able to capture a picture of what was going on.

  "At the front of the room is a large black board mounted on the wall, with it is chalk and magnets in the corner. Around the border are some arts and crafts cutouts of flowers with a colorful trim thing to just make the blackboard look more attractive as well as the respite sisters' logo. In front of the blackboard is a large table with a white lace table cloth. This reminds me of the lace doilies that my grandmother used to make. On the table is an orchid in a flower vase next to a picture of a beautiful white building that would later be referred to as the Temple."

           Frontstage and Backstage- I knew that I needed to include frontstage because people are always performing.

 "It was clear that that many of the women were performing their frontstage, especially those who were designated leaders to tell us what to do."

            This is a longer description of frontstage but I thought it was the entire situation that brought frontstage to life.

           "I noticed it seemed to be the same women who were more likely to give input and raise their hands, some did it more than once while others remained silent. One older woman, perhaps in her 80s or so, spoke about her experience of being baptized, which was in her 20s. She stood up. I don't know if this was to be noticed or to make her voice, which was shaky, more able to project. The other women in the room did not stand up when they spoke. She went on for maybe five or six minutes about her story, which seemed slightly off-topic. I looked around the room to see if I could see side glances or signs of irritation, or perhaps impatience, even the instructor's body language, some sort of sense to try to hurry her along. I was surprised when I didn't see any. I wondered what people were thinking about this interaction and if any of them would talk ill of her in their backstage. "So-and-so went on forever in Respite Sisters." I couldn't tell, maybe this was just what I was thinking or maybe it was because everyone was doing a good job of presenting themselves on their frontstage."

            Sometimes the frontstage is not talked about and therefore what is really going on is not discussed that is why I thought this section was so important.

     "All of the women were wearing dresses or shirts, most of which went below their knees, in some cases they went all the way to the floor. No one was wearing tank tops or straps, the few who did, had a shirt underneath them or a sweater over them. Most of the quotes were from men, as well as the scriptures used and the quote that I read. I wondered what this means for and to my group and perhaps the backstage of this group or the hierarchy of leadership in the group and the connection with men in supporting roles."

 I had a unique privilege as I have been part of my group for so long I really felt like I got glimpses into people's backstage. Including the part men play in public and supporting roles in women's organizations.

"As we entered the building, there were three glass doors to choose from and right behind them were five men waiting in the foyer on the couches just as you enter. One of them was in a scout leader's uniform and I did not know if they were the welcoming committee, there for another event, or to set up, if they were just waiting for their wives."

Based on the nature of the service project we were doing really with a backstage issue we got closer than in a different situation.

 "A lady at my table showed me how to really squish them down to get all the air out of the bag. She told me to put my chest into it. By the end, hundreds maybe thousands, were going to be packed up and shipped or carried in large duffle bags to Africa. At this point it seemed what we were doing could not get much more feminine. As we were working closely together, it was almost like some of the ladies eased into their backstage selves. Like the way a complete stranger could without embarrassment or fear of judgment, tell me to use my chest to make sure all of the air got out of menstruation kits I was putting together. It was an interaction that had meaning because I don't know what would have taken place had men been around. In a way, we were in the backstage from presenting ourselves to men. Even though we didn't know each other, we are able to freely talk about things our bodies naturally do. In fact, the sister to my right began humming quite audibly, loud enough for the entire table to hear, while she put her kits together. I did not recognize the tune. It seemed like a behavior someone might do while working around the house with only close family members around in their backstage."

            I think being able to recognize my backstage is an important part of understanding backstage.

 "Luckily for me I did not have to wait alone as my husband stepped in the supporting role as sort of a public character. We were able to banter in our backstage as the church was now empty."

            Meaningful Action- Is all about reaction to how we think people are going to react to our looking glass selves. Including how I was reacting to the group seemed important.

 "At that moment I wondered if I was underdressed in my jeans. As I was awkwardly standing around with my notebook, some sisters took note of me and came over and talked to me, introducing themselves. I felt very awkward as I had ice cream in my hand and it was melting but I was busy answering questions and engaging in my own presentation of self on my frontstage. I didn't want to eat it and be rude or get chocolate stuck in my teeth and be embarrassed by not knowing it was there. After a while I slipped out that back door, the same one that had been locked and prevented me from slipping in."

 I noticed that this is a reoccurring theme throughout the other observations.

"Luckily I had an adult chair to sit on. She started the meeting by asking me about myself. I found this quite odd, as earlier in the church service, my husband and I spoke to the congregation and told them about ourselves. Many of the questions were answered just two hours prior. When I asked her about this she said "Oh I wasn't there, I had to go home and see my sister who is in town." She then proceeded to ask questions about me, stating she had never seen me before that day." "I then explained to her what I was doing in school, and where I was currently interning and in this she was genuinely interested and asked more meaningful questions."

I realized I was very concerned how others were going to react to me.

"The woman next to me was pregnant and stated how uncomfortably warm she was. She said it is worse at home when she is chasing her two year old around. I was glad to be sitting next to someone who was talking to me. Having these types of interactions made me feel so much more connected to the group and provided more meaning as she was opening up about her own experiences."

 

Roles and Statuses- It was clear in every observation that there people performing roles and received rewards for their Statuses. The leaders held a higher position.

"The room consisted of three columns of 10 rows of pews. The pews in the middle were larger than the pews on the side, like some movie theaters. At the front of the room was a large projector screen on a sort of stage with a podium and a microphone. A large piano was on the left and an organ on the right, with what looks like individual movie seats for those who are sitting on the stage. It is clearly for the people who are putting on the event and speaking. A woman gets up and speaks to introduce the keynote speaker as her mother-in-law."

There were women designated as leaders as their status just like a professor is a status to students in a classroom.

"The leaders were excused as the ladies got up and made a single file line to the gym. They had a role to perform. They wore bright orange aprons, the color reminded me of home depot orange aprons. Only these ones had flowers on them and a sticker for a name tag."

            Not all of the interactions with a person or a higher status are positive.

"When the door opened, I heard her say: "I am not sure my 12:45 is here yet." I quickly responded that "I am here!" keeping in mind I had been waiting thirty minutes since church got out, and it was now 1:00 p.m. She thanked me for keeping my appointment, after I had been waiting for 30 minutes, and admitted to never seeing me before."

Often very high status roles like being a doctor grants you status in social situations.

"Four women sit at the front of the room facing the rest of the group, which are seated in rows. One of the three woman at the front of the room got up and talked about upcoming events in the next couple weeks, including another activity which would involve food and a youth musical. We sang an opening hymn 'As Sisters in Zion' and then had an opening prayer.

            The instructor was a different woman, not of those sitting at the front of the room. She introduced herself as a doctor and tied her religious beliefs with her responsibilities within her job."

            Definition of the Situation- How the group mutually accepts the definition of the situation often dictates how people will interact with each other.

"She talked about how if there were no women in the world there'd be no people, how bringing children into the world was part of God's plan. And how they tried to teach self-respect and self-defense to the girls.  They discussed how often the girls would be asked to trade sex in order to get supplies and how they should not have to do this, emphasizing the great need of the service project we were about to work on. She also invited people to contact her if they would like to join her on one of her trips back to distribute the supplies.  I asked for further information for possible further involvement."

 

It can dictate what is normalized and what is not. It creates culture and want will be accepted and what would cause stigma

"The closing prayer and bless the refreshments. It was clear not everyone heard as the chatter continued but quickly stopped after the prayer started. After the prayer, jokes were made about blessing the refreshments being good for our bodies. The refreshments were chocolate iced cupcakes with tiny cherry gummies on top, I wanted to know who's decision that was and if it was on purpose or if they meant to be ironic, as well as ice cream sandwiches and tiny bottles of water."

            It underlines which stories and behaviors the group should focus on, especially when it comes to religious settings. This is particularly important in establishing a belief system that will be followed and upheld.

"On the wall hangs a picture of Mary Magdalene with a resurrected Jesus Christ, emphasizing that Christ first appeared to a woman. On the opposite side of the room hangs a picture of Mary holding her newborn baby Jesus, which could be emphasizing the importance of motherhood. Temple, for the most sacred of worship service. It is obvious that this a very meaningful action as defined by the group. Next to the table, there was a podium with a microphone, to help those that are hard of hearing. The teacher would choose not to stand in front of it and use it but rather move around the room more and be more engaged with those of us in the audience."

 

It also tells the group what is to be considered of the most importance and what is not.

            "In doing this she defined her job as having more meaningful action, as in her everyday work she tries to help others and serve God. So what does that mean for us?' She asked the group to come up with a definition to the situation and how that applied to their lives. Women talked about helping others and how others had helped them even when they didn't ask, this seemed to create a sense of unity and love. Especially, in one instance when a sister referred to another sister in the room who had helped her with her kids."

            In defining one situation as sacred and more serious by default other situations are of less importance. 

            "A final few thoughts were shared, and then a closing prayer. As if in some kind of unspoken agreement, the women talked among themselves and the volume of the voices seemed be increasing as everyone talked at once and we left the formalness of the meeting to go back to our backstage where we could be our normal selves."

            Thick Description:

The ability of each of the participants to provide in-depth experiences and examples provided excellent description to be able to describe the experience in such a way that even people outside the group could understand and have a glimpse of what it is like to be a member, and why those who are members have such great experiences that they want to continue being members. 

Lauren: "I would say just as a, as a participant, as a regular member, that requires, as I said, going to meetings, going to and getting to know the other women that you're around and really getting to know them, getting to know them on a deep level, not on a surface level. And it also, uh, what we have, we have a special program where we tried to visit each other and it's called, it's called ministering. And in this we try to ensure that each other's needs are met. And it's a really great program because it allows us to kind of step out of our comfort zone and serve those people and find ways how we can help people instead of just the general "will let me know if you need anything" or "I'm here if you need me." Instead of just putting that out there, we're actually going forward and doing something. We're actually being there for people who need it, whatever it may be. If they're struggling with loneliness or they've lost their job or they're struggling with family members, they just experienced a death. We're finding ways to show our support and our love in meaningful and impactful ways."

 

Samantha talked a lot about not just the differences that can be found because it is an international organization but the diversity of ages and social situations that can be found within individual branches of the group. She talks about women being 18 to 105 and the unique challenges for individuals in this group, providing thick description about how inclusive this group is.

Samantha: "You've got a pretty diverse group because it is women 18 to 105. And in our, in our uh, specific group, we had a lot of, like, older single women that were widows or divorced or you know, for whatever reason tended have a lot of like older single ladies just usually not in great health. Um, and then middle-aged women going through some very challenging experiences in life, like divorce, loss of loved ones, terminal illnesses, different things like that that were pretty tough. And then we have like a younger group, like young women who had just been married, young women who were single, young mothers. So, it's a pretty diverse group with very different needs. Um, for me, I thought it was an incredible experience."

 

            Between the three of the interviews it seems clear to me that the purpose of Respite Sisters is about providing a place for women to belong. Rachel added an important voice to the conversation about race and ethnicity as a women of color that neither Lauren or Samantha included. There seemed to be an agreed upon theme that this is about inclusion not exclusion.

Rachel: "I think the most beneficial part of respite sisters itself is bringing in people that don't want to come to church because there's a stigma against it because they don't think that certain groups of people understand who they are and they don't understand them. So there are certain wards, are there certain types of people, not just racially or ethnically. It has a lot to do with the age of the people that are coming to the wards and it has to do a lot with how they were taught when they were little. The importance of respite sisters and the importance of coming to church. And there were a lot of people that I brought back when I was the president. I brought them to come to understand that we didn't, we weren't there to judge them. We were there to, to bring them to church and we were there to include them and not exclude them. That's really cool."

 

            Frontstage & Backstage:

A reoccurring theme that came up (and I was not sure if it was because I am so familiar with this group or for not) but each of the participants was glowing about how much they love their group. Each one brought up a time of trouble for them personally when they witnessed rifts in their group. However, each one independently came to a resolution about the group and felt closer because of it. Lauren talked about it in terms of understanding different points of view and becoming more unified. Conversations that might not normally be had in the frontstage of a group or something you might not tell everyone.

Lauren: "Absolutely. I think when you have that many people, and especially women that are strong willed and have their own set of opinions. When you put that many people from that many different backgrounds together, you're going to have differences and you're going to have some disagreements. So in my time in respite sisters I've seen, I've seen people disagree on political beliefs or um, even spiritual beliefs where they're at odds. And this has caused rifts in their personal lives because they dislike each other. And I think the most meaningful way is to talk to each person separately, to understand where they're coming from and to help them understand the point of view of someone else. And as I mentioned before, we have many discussions and so I think it's important to bring up those discussions that might be a little bit controversial or may cause contention, but ultimately in having them, we can understand each other's point of views better and become more unified."

 

Samantha talked about backstage issues that happened between members of the group that became frontstage issues as the tiff between members grew. She brought this up not to talk negatively about the group but to explain how the values of forgiveness brought them back together. I thought this was important information that would not normally be shared with members outside the group, who would have no idea about the series of events.

Samantha: We had a situation where two of the ladies who were really good friends there, the daughter of one married the nephew of the other one and they were really good friends. They were super excited and then it ended in divorce in like six months and it was pretty ugly and things hadn't gone well and there was like accusations of abuse and different things and um, totally drove these two ladies who had been good friends apart and their friends kind of ended up feeling like, oh, how do we not take sides and I mean how do you not take sides and absolutely that tension came in to the whole group. You know, because there's no way for it not to and they, you know, again, eventually people, you know, things kind of blew over. They've moved on. I don't think they're good friends still, you know, but they can be civil towards each other and they're still both in the same group… I think that's like the heart of it. I mean that takes a lot of personal maturity and forgiveness to be able to like move past something that was such a big deal and they have. And I think they're both good examples of women who can, you know, stand up for what they believe in but also be kind and loving to someone else who thinks differently."

           

            Rachel talked openly about a time when unbeknownst to the group she did not want to attend the group. She was transitioning from one ward to another. The word "ward" here means a congregation defined by geographical boundaries. This allows areas where there are large populations of Respite Sisters to continue to meet without the groups becoming so large they become impersonal. It was another member who also did not want to come who she was able to open up to in the backstage and they helped each other to attend. 

 

Rachel: "Yeah, there was, when I first started, when they split the boundaries and they made me go to a different ward and I was in part of this other ward, um, to me was not as welcoming as the other [name taken out] ward was. So there's this inactive sister that was in the ward with me before and I can't remember, but she said she, every, every week I would come to respite sisters and it would be like a drag. Like I just sit there and like do whatever. But this lady, like she continued to sit next to me and she said, hey, like you got switched over too, huh? And we bonded on that. And it was, it was nice. And then they put us in the activities committee together. And so she kept asking if I was coming to church and she'd ask and I'd go. And it was, it was nice to have at least one person realize that you didn't want to come and that they didn't want to come. And then we made each other come. So it, yeah, it was, really helpful."

 

            Meaningful Action:

A reoccurring theme that came up while doing my interviews was ministering. This is when members of the group visit and serve each other one on one. In this quote, Lauren describes the most meaningful part of the group is service and how she has been served and how she serves others.

Lauren: "I mean many times definitely I'm, I'm thinking of someone just stopping by with flowers and a nice note or making me dinner." Interviewer: "Mmm That is my favorite!" Lauren: "I think that's my favorite too. Taking the time to cook a meal out of their own day. They're taking their own time and their own resources to make something for me. I really appreciate that. And for me, the way I serve best, cause I'm not a cook, is I just like to visit people. I like to talk to them and I can recall many hours I've spent talking to other women if they just vented or cried or they were able to express themselves freely. And that is something that I think I can, that I enjoy doing. And it's, I can easily listen to someone and sometimes I think that's the most meaningful way to interact. Someone just needs to be listened to."

 

            When Samantha talked about ministering, she referred to it as "selfless service" and "the best part of humanity." Her example was not anything anyone did for her or she did for them, it was actually another members example that she not only found as having great meaning but also incredibly motivating.

Samantha: "This woman, um, takes, she works like part time. So, she has Tuesdays off every week and every Tuesday she will take the elderly woman to all of her doctor's appointment. So, this lady schedules any appointments she has on a Tuesday and this lady dedicated her day off every week to taking her to the grocery store, taking her to run errands, taking her to her appointments. This woman that I think other people have a hard time being around, who doesn't have any family in the area, who doesn't really have, I think, much else of a support system or people she could rely on and I think about those older woman and where she would be with without this other gal. I mean, I don't know, she would have to like probably have some in home care or pay somebody to be doing these things and just out of a genuine love and care for her, this woman dedicates a full day every week to taking care of her. I just think it's incredible and she doesn't mention it. She's not doing it for the accolades. Most people don't even know that she does it. She just does it." Interviewer: "Wow that is amazing." Samantha: "And most people don't even know about it. I just happened to know about it, but yeah, pretty amazing. I mean those are examples of like selfless service that I think are just the best part of humanity."

Rachel, who is Hispanic, understood that different people, especially people of different background and ethnicities need different things to feel they belong. So in order to make sure all of the members of her group felt included, she had the entire group learn songs in Spanish to feel more inclusive. The members of this group are mostly a mix of Hispanic and Caucasian. As a reference, both Samantha and Lauren are Caucasian. Having a variety of sisters in leadership roles allows for new and inclusive ideas that not everybody might think of.

Rachel: "They needed to feel welcomed and they needed to to have a place to come where they were understood and who they were being accepted as to who they were. I understood that my experiences growing up and being a Spanish speaker first. I know what my values are and how different a Hispanic family is then then say a Caucasian family and how we're taught that we're going to stay at home until we either get married or we go off to school or we serve a mission or we get a job or whatever the case be, but we also needed to know that church is very important and it's very important to feel included and to want to come to church. I feel like we started off the year with maybe five people coming from the different ward and by the end of my rotation, or by the end of my term I was, I had at least 15 girls every week from the other ward." Interviewer: "Wow, that's amazing!" Rachel: "Yeah. And it was, I mean it was little things. So, we started singing songs in Spanish every other week and we'd, we'd practice a song and we learned that one and then we move on. And it was kind of, it was nice to see that they'd started to come."

           

            Roles and Statuses:

Lauren revealed to me that she had been what is known as a Respite Sisters President, that is the name of the status or position that she held in this particular setting as a member of her group. In fact, each one of the women I interviewed had at one time had the status of being a President. I say at one point as it is a temporary position and Lauren talked about what duties it required for the role she must perform based on norms, values and beliefs.

Lauren: "We're actually being there for people who need it, whatever it may be. If they're struggling with loneliness or they've lost their job or they're struggling with family members, they just experienced a death. We're finding ways to show our support and our love in meaningful and impactful ways and also I was what you would call a Respite Sisters president. And that required a little more planning and organization on my part. And through that we plan activities. We try to orchestrate ways for the women to get together to get to know each other better and to be able to minister to one another. As I just mentioned. Um, and as president, we also, I meet with other members of this organization and we plan out ways to serve these women. And also discussions to have on our Sunday meetings, activities to have and we try to plan things that are really going to be meaningful and helpful for each woman."

 

            When I asked Samantha about her time as a Respite Sisters President, she talked about some of the challenges in performing the role, due to other people's expectations. However, with help from her group she received help from women in supporting her in her roles and coordinating actions. As well as the statuses she held as a mom, a wife and an employee and she had to balance performing the roles that went to those statuses simultaneously.

Samantha: "Yeah, I mean it is hard and it's good not to sugarcoat it is there, it's challenging. It, uh, it's sometimes hard to meet everyone needs…I felt like I learned a lot and I also got to see really great examples of how women love and cared for each other and help take care of each other and meet each other's needs because I simply could not do it.  When I was the president, I was working part time. I have three kids. I mean, I just didn't have time to take care of everyone. So, I had great people who helped me. And just the fact that the women are so dedicated to helping each other and when they know of a need, they just go fill it. They don't, they don't have to like call me and say, oh, so and so is sick. Well usually, they would call me and tell me, oh, so and so is sick. I took her dinner, or you know, I visited her in the hospital. I just want to do, to know, you know, it was not that they needed me to say, hey, could you do this thing? They were already doing it, you know."

 

            Rachel talked about being called as a President, which in the group refers to being assigned or asked to perform a particular status and the norms rules and duties that would mean performing her role. She knew that part of it meant finding out exactly how many women were in her group and who they were and who still wanted to be a

part of it. Like many organizations, there are some members who attend and some who don't, so she called every single one in order to perform her role.

Rachel: "When they first called me to the Respite Sisters Presidency, they give you this big old binder and they tell you to read it. Um, I read most of it. Not all of it, but I read most of it. Um, I took a day and I went through all of the people on our list and I just called every single phone number on that list, see if they were interested in coming to church or if they were kind of not interested in coming to church. It was, it was a lot of work." Interviewer: "Every single one? Woah." Rachel: "Every single one. And there were a lot of people that said, oh no, this is my daughter. She doesn't live here anymore. She lives here, but I don't have her address. So, you can't like forward it to her. Um, so there were a lot of people that didn't answer. There were a lot of people that were like, no, like, I don't live here anymore, or no, I'm married. Um, but there were some people that were kind of like, wow, I can't believe you guys still have me on list. So it was, it was nice, and it was, it was really eye opening to see how many people are actually in the ward that were supposed to be in and that weren't coming to church. So, it was nice to be a part of that and to create activities and to do lessons and to provide information for those sisters that may have needed a little extra help."

 

            Definition of the Situation:

When working with such a large organization I wondered how each member of the group could define things in the same way, or if even different countries or communities could define it differently. According to Lauren the first step in creating that social cohesion is that they have set guidelines in place in organizing structure and lesson content. However, it was the flexibility in meeting individual and cultural needs that I found most interesting.

Lauren: "Yeah, that's a great question. Well, we do have general guidelines for everyone throughout the organization in the world on how they should be run, that there is always a respite sisters president and her counselors and a secretary. And with that we're, there's also guidelines of that you should plan activities every few weeks or months depending on your situation, depending on your community needs. And we're also, there's also guidelines about what topics should be discussed and when. So those are, those are kind of general, but you also have a lot of freedom to, you know, to find the needs for your, the women that you are working with and how you can best serve them. What activities would best benefit them, what lessons would best benefit them and how often they need that because some women may need to meet more often than others. So it's, so you do have freedom, but we, we have guidelines to make sure that it's not totally different so that if I went to another country, for example, I would know that respite sisters would be set up the same way. They would have the same function, the same purpose."

 

            Samantha shared how people in the organization may have differing viewpoints, they share a common thread of religious ideology that creates social cohesion within the group.

Samantha: "Well, the nice thing is we have some pretty like clear cut shared values because it's based, it's a religious organization. Everyone who's there is somehow connected to that religion, whether they're a member or learning more about it or whatever. So they, so we tend to have like an underlying basis of shared religion. It was shared religious views and beliefs. But then of course everyone's different. Everyone's had different life experiences. So they're, you know, not, people don't have to be of the same political view or…" Interviewer: Okay. Mmhmm. Samantha: "You don't have the same philosophy on so many things, child rearing, education and what have you. So, I think what we have to do is come together on the things that we share in common and then be open and accepting to other lifestyles or different ways of doing things or philosophies because we definitely are not all on the same page. And that's just part of having the large group, you know, the diversity makes it nice. I think it's a great place to hear other points of view, learn things, you know, you might learn something you didn't know or learn about something you're interested in trying. I think you can broaden your horizon, broaden your perspective by learning more about differing philosophies or viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them."

 

 

            I learned from Rachel that it can be challenging to get things done in an organization that is so large with different opinions and ideas of what should be done. One example was being part of an activities planning committee. While she had the idea that it would be a very simple activity, it became more outlandish and they had more food than anyone could possibly eat because her vision of the activity was much different than others.

Rachel: "I thought would be really good for planning and, and I tried to bring that into it and it turned out to be, yeah, sure. We, we made everybody's plan and we, we decided that we're going to stick to a budget and then the day of the activity came and everybody said, oh no, we're going to do this, this and this. And they changed the activity. Yeah. So I dunno, I came from a family that if you didn't eat what was given to you for dinner, then you didn't eat. Like that's totally fine". Interviewer: "mmhmm yeah." Rachel: "You didn't have three or four different options as to what you wanted to eat." Interviewer: "Yeah." Rachel: "So to me I walked in and they had like, cause we were supposed to be like a Taco bar. So we had tacos and we had tortillas and we had chips and we had meat and we had beans and rice. And then the day of the activity we had, we had Tacos, we had tostadas, we had chips, we had tortillas, we had four different kinds of meat. We had Nacho cheese, we had salad stuff. And I was just like, I walked in and I was just like, what in the world happened? Yeah. From the day that we planned the activity to today, it was a lot of people not wanting to participate. Not, not that they didn't want to participate, but they didn't want to listen to what the plan was. They just did their own thing. We had so many leftovers. It was ridiculous."

Diagnosis:

            I found it to be extremely important to use Diagnosis as a node because when one is trying to truly find the core beliefs of a group, it is often found by asking what problem needs to be solved. In one source I found on twitter, a question was posed to a female leader asking how she dealt "with male church leaders who seemed a little dismissive." The female president of Respite Sisters addressed this question and added that she too had felt that at times. True to any women's organization, there are issues of gender that must be addressed that even the members' own husbands do not seem to truly understand.

"She had heard "how important women are," the woman wrote, "but that has not been my experience." One was especially difficult, she said. Whenever she attended a meeting with him, she would walk out "seething." "I would be angry the whole way home," Bingham recalled, and, arriving at her house, walk in "and slam my purse on the counter." Her husband would say, "Another purse-slammer meeting, huh?""

 

            In an open session discussion, women posed their concerns about what they may be feeling. Many women spoke out about being depressed and not always feeling like they belong. Even a well-intentioned group of women whom I truly believe are trying their best to make sure others feel included, often fall short and forget to address the concerns of those who may not be in the majority.

 

"Another questioner asked about feeling like an outsider as she faced infertility in a church that emphasizes motherhood and wondering about all the others who don't feel there's a place for them — being single, divorced or LGBTQ. "Everyone wants to belong," Cordon said. "Our Heavenly Father puts us in families for a reason.""

            Another common thread on social media was that of women who feel overwhelmed by their many responsibilities and duties. This comment came from a pregnant mother of three boys who is president of an organization for girls 12-18. She asked for suggestions, feedback and perhaps just support for how to "balance both her parental and religious responsibilities."

""I feel overwhelmed and fatigued. … I happily could sleep for four years," the letter writer quipped. There is a "natural tension between the ideals of the gospel and the realities of life," said one leader, who urged the woman not to compare herself to others and to let the Holy Spirit prompt her to know what to do."

Prognosis:

            After finding what clearly seemed to be problems that members of my group were facing, I was eager to find solution-based problem solving ideas to see what members were doing in order to make things better for both members of the group as well as people outside their group. What seemed to be unique about this group was that all solutions tended to be service based. While the struggles seemed to be personal problems, the solutions seemed focused on serving others. As an example, they run a ministering program.

"Ministering is learning of and attending to others' needs. It is doing the Lord's work. When we minister, we are representing Jesus Christ and acting as His agents to watch over, lift, and strengthen those around us. This can be done in a variety of ways. Reach out to them in person; by phone, text message, or social media; or even with a letter. Get to know them. Learn about their lives, relationships, and circumstances. By doing so, you'll be able to anticipate their needs and either meet those needs yourself or call on your ward leadership to access additional resources."

 

            This type of service extends internationally. I was able to attend a Respite Sisters event where we made menstruation kits for women and girls in Tanzania. I was excited

to find further information about efforts by the organization to help refugees. In a world in great turmoil and political division, maybe the answer truly is to extend a hand to others if things are ever going to get better.

"In response to the recent refugee crisis in Europe, the Church has also made an initial donation of $5 million and a commitment of $5 million more to help displaced families. The Church has been working for decades to help refugees in many parts of the world. For example, [they] have provided aid to refugees in the Middle East for more than a decade, giving hundreds of thousands of blankets as well as clothes, emergency medical supplies, food and other resources to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria."

 

            As for solutions dealing with gender stereotypes and oppression, Respite Sisters empower each other and have specific guidelines about being equal partners with their husbands. They strive to view themselves as equals and not subservient. However, in evaluating the sources that provided a history of this organization it seems that in some regard this has changed and become more of an emphasis than it was in decades past.

"While the father is the leader in the home, "his wife is his most important companion, partner, and counselor" (Family Guidebook [1999], 2). A husband and wife must work together to strengthen their family and teach their children the principles of the gospel. By fulfilling her role as counselor to her husband, a woman can reinforce her husband's position as head of the home and encourage greater family unity."

Agency: (Success Stories)

            If there is one thing that women of the Respite Sister's are good at, it is sharing success stories. Women of the organization have many examples of supporting, helping, and showing love to one another which is really what this group is all about. One of these such stories happened just the other week. A woman and her family experienced a housefire and were in despite need of household items and clothing.

Within minutes there was flurry of replies on Facebook (names of the women have been changed.)

Member 2: I'll go through my closet. I have some stuff that'll fit the 14 year-old girl.

Member 3:  I have some boy clothes!

Member 4:  I have clothes for the person listed as "female"

Member 5: I can do a couple of gift cards -

Member 6: I am currently going through all my stuff. I will save the things that are the right sizes for the girls. Also have some items they might want? Let me know what they are looking for.

Member 1: Kim said they lost everything, so any basic items will be helpful. Feel free to coordinate with her regarding any items or questions 555-555-5555.

Member 3: ok thank you

Member 7: gift cards would be such an amazing thing . That would be good. I also will look through my stuff. I also told our pres katy to see if anyone could help.

Member 8: I have clothes for boy and girl in my car. I'll be in town Thursday.

Member 9: I will start collecting items

Member 1: I know many of you have been in touch with Kim. If you have items to donate, and have not yet contacted Kim, please do so 555-555-5555. THANK YOU ALL!!"

 

 

            This next success story came from a woman who had benefited from such acts of service and sacrifice. This story comes from a middle-aged woman who grew up in Argentina, although at the time of the story she was just a little girl who did not understand what was being done for her until her mother explained it to her much later in life. At the time Cece was not a member of this women's organization. Maria, the person who was serving her in the story, was. Cece, the receiver of the service, now fills a role in the highest leadership of the group.

""You see, Cece," my mom said, "Maria and her family didn't have a lot of resources, and each week she had to choose between paying for the bus to take her and her four children to Primary or buying the ingredients to make a chocolate cake for her Primary class. She always chose the chocolate cake over the bus, and she and her children walked more than two miles [3 km], each way, regardless of the weather, so that she could give the children she taught a delicious cake."

            These stories go back to the beginning of the organization in the 1800's, when many of the members of the group were heavily persecuted and driven out of towns in the Eastern United States. Members of the organization trekked west to uncharted territory and faced incredible physical, mental, and emotional difficulties. Yet, there are many, many stories that are shared frequently among members of the group of their courage, determination, faith and success. Here is just one.

"As members established homes in the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding settlements, formal meetings for women gradually emerged. A Female Council of Health was established in 1851. On January 24, 1854, in response to a leader's call to the members to assist neighboring Native Americans, women from several Salt Lake City wards decided to organize "a society of females for the purpose of making clothing for Indian women and children."

            Motivation:

            The motivation behind such acts comes from the group's value system: how they define themselves and what continues to motivate them in the things that they care about. I believe much of this information can be found in their mission statement that clearly states who they are and what their purpose is in doing what they think they should do. As a religious organization, it is not surprising that much of their motivation comes from a belief in God.

"The purpose of Respite Sisters is to help prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they: Increase faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement; Strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and Work in unity to help those in need."

            Much of who they are has been stated previously because who they are is primarily based on what they do and what they pride themselves on. It is also where

they have come from and where they are now. I have repeated several times over the course of my research that this is an international organization but it has continued to grow and flourish. You do not have to take my word for it. It is clear by the last sentence in this next quote that this really defines them.

"The Respite Sisters is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ. It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has approximately 7.1 million members in over 188 countries and territories. The Respite Sisters is often referred to by the church and others as "one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world.""

            As a Christian organization, much of who they are is defined by being followers of Jesus Christ. As a women's group, they look to women of the past as role models and heroines. There is no worshiping of such women, unlike in other religions, such as praying to the virgin Mary. It is clear that they esteem such women and seek to be like those faithful women in the past, who's example continues to motivate those in the present.

"RS women embrace their heritage as female disciples of Jesus Christ. They consider it an important mission to reach out to those in need and to care for the best interests of their families, congregations and broader communities."

Identity: (Who we are)

            I am woman, hear me roar! I love that my group is entirely composed of women from the ages of 18 to 108. And they seek to lift and empower one another. This is most essential to their identity. This provides very important social cohesion and solidarity, as well as unique challenges and hardships. They draw strength and joy in the relationships they cultivate with one another and have a strong sense of who they are.

"RS women draw strength and inspiration from their identity: they understand themselves to be daughters of God with a purpose in life, and they strive to cultivate the attributes of divinity—such as holiness, wisdom and charity—within themselves. They honor their bodies and minds as sacred gifts, rejecting anything that demeans them. They seek to fulfill their potential and their capacity for joy through worship, study, service and earnest efforts to live a Christ-centered life. They believe that by divine design, women and men experience the most growth, joy and fulfillment together, not in isolation. Through collaborative and unique efforts, they each provide indispensable contributions at home, at church and in the community."

Essential to what makes this group of women stand out is their emphasis on the family. These are women who not only want to be mothers, but they want to be great at it, as they share ideas and experiences to help one another strengthen their families, even in a world that has shifting social values where such ideologies may not be seen as acceptable or, at the very least, not as preferable.

"We Seek Spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families and homes. Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood. Delight in service and good works. Love life and learning. Stand for truth and Righteousness. Sustain the Priesthood as the authority of God on Earth. Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation."

            To this group, it is not so much what others may think of them that defines who they are, it is about what they believe God thinks of them. Regardless of one's stance on religion, how one defines oneself is essential for healthy self-esteem as well as being an important aspect of group cohesion and social solidarity. This is a group that is clear on who they are and what they stand for.

"We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity."

Conclusion:

            I found that the women of my group react, dress and present themselves differently based upon how the group interprets the definition of the situation. I attempted to observe my group as a Martian, which was personally very difficult as I am regularly a convert of the group. However, I was able to observe and learn more information about my group. I was able to apply theory through the observation of how members of my group interacted. I was then able to analyze the data through NVIVO. This research was very interesting and enjoyable. I was able to bring full circle the sociological imagination in my everyday situations and that is something that I will take with me.

            This was an amazing opportunity to get to know more about a group that I already care so much about. It was an honor for me to hear personal stories and experiences from women of this group of why it is so important to them. I think this will build on friendships that I have already made and strength new ones. I am so interested in my group; I would enjoy any future opportunities to work with them or to do further research about them in the future because the work they are doing is so important. I can honestly say I love my group now, even more than I did before.

            No group is perfect. It is true that despite the best intentions and well worded mission statements, it is hard for imperfect people who often make mistakes to be together without disagreement or conflict at some point. Despite the best efforts, there may be women of this organization who feel alone and disconnected as stated in the Diagnosis node. However, this is a group where they can go and talk about that. Someone could say "I feel overwhelmed" without facing judgement. It is a safe place for women to go to be heard and connect with others in a similar situation, and that is pretty amazing. Through my content analysis, I found consistency with both what I was told and with what I was able to observe, in comparison to the information I was able to gather from many different resources.

 

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