Female clergy and attractiveness: Impact of social context on both gender and pastoral identity

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how certain attractive female clergy experienced the profound social influence of context (Aube & Koestner, 1992; Spence, 1993; Ricciardelli & Williams, 1995; Spence & Hall, 1996) on two critical aspects of identity, namely their identities as attractive females (relating to gender identity) and their pastoral identities (as Christian ministers). Previous research has suggested that attractiveness is generally an asset across social and occupational contexts for both males and females. Few studies have indicated that attractiveness can be a disadvantage for females in jobs that are traditionally male sex-typed. Because previous research has focused only on secular contexts, this study investigated how certain professional women in their particular religious contexts experienced their attractiveness and if it was judged an asset or a disadvantage.; This project is a phenomenological study which used qualitative research methods to do in-depth interviews with ten ordained, Mainline, Protestant women whom the researcher initially identified as meeting a set of research-based criteria for attractiveness. Upon receiving the informed consent of potential interviewees, their appropriateness for this study was corroborated by external raters. Participants responded to a standardized, open-ended, in-depth interview. The data analysis process included coding and analyzing verbatim, audio-taped, interview transcriptions and a review of initial data results by participants.; The results of this study suggest that in the ongoing process of identity construction (Stryker & Burke, 2000; Phillips & Hardy, 2002), the attractive female clergy interviewees faced distinctive challenges in their respective religious contexts. Specifically, interviewees experienced that their attractiveness was perceived as both a hindrance and distraction from their effectiveness as pastors. Moreover, results showed that participants responded to reported discriminatory treatment by de-emphasizing their femininity, sexuality, bodies, dress, and/or personalities.; This research reveals the need for further study of the tacit, social, contextual, and theological expectations that affect both women's gender and pastoral identities. Future research in a variety of religious contexts would shed more light on the social constructions of identity and would have deep implications for pastoral formation.