MA Community Psychology Theses
Date of Award
8-1-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Psychology, MA
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Bryant Carlson
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to explore the sense of community Blacks feel within predominately White congregations, and the ways those feelings may be tied to Black congregants’ racial identities. Research has primarily focused on predominately Black churches and the way these institutions affect Black congregants’ sense of community and racial identity. In this paper, the role the church has played in Black lives will be explained and sense of community and racial identity will be defined and discussed. The historical context of the Black church will be used in the evaluation of predominately White churches in order to assess how sense of community and racial identity operate within a racially integrated congregation.