CHURCHES ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: THE SPACES BETWEEN DISCOURSE & IDENTITY _____________________________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri _____________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctorate of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by KENDRA LYNN YODER Dr. Mary Jo Neitz, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2013 © Copyright by Kendra Yoder 2013 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled CHURCHES ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: THE SPACES BETWEEN DISCOURSE AND IDENTITY presented by Kendra Lynn Yoder, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Mary Jo Neitz Professor Joan Hermsen Professor Tola Olu Pearce Professor Heather Carver DEDICATION Completing this project would not have been possible without major support from my family and community. It takes a village to raise a child (or three in my case) and it also takes a village to support a scholar/teacher/mother of three young children writing her dissertation. I dedicate this dissertation to all of you who encouraged and supported me along the way. To my parents, Kermit and Sharon Yoder, Tim and Suzanne Lind, I could not have done this without you. To Karen and Keith Yoder and my siblings and their families, I am eternally grateful for your friendship and support. To Laura Hacquard and my friends from the University of Missouri Women‟s Center and RSVP office, your vision for creating a more just world continues to inspire my life‟s work. I am also grateful to the steady support and enthusiasm of my Wednesday night supper group and Southside Fellowship community. Thank you Suzanne Ehst, Kari Fortna, and Jessica King for inspiring me across the decades. Also, thank you to Kim Gage Ryan, Mary Jo Neitz, Jane Lavender and Hudson Lavender Giles for being my Columbia family. Finally and ultimately, I dedicate this work to my partner, David Lind, and my children Desmond, Amari and Adele. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mentor and advisor, Mary Jo Neitz. I have never enjoyed the learning process as much as when I was in her graduate seminars and student groups. There are no words to adequately capture the profound influence she has had on my scholarship and life‟s work. I am forever grateful. I am also indebted to my graduate school colleagues (too many to name) including members of the Feminist Research Group, the Culture Group and the Sociology of Religion graduate group. Along with Mary Jo, I am also grateful to Joan Hermsen, Amy Wilkins, Heather Carver and Joel Hartman, for recognizing my potential and strengths and for pushing me to develop my voice and vision for my scholarship. I would also like to thank Nancy Nason-Clark for inviting me to be a part of the RAVE project. This dissertation project began with the invitation to join the RAVE team. In addition to Nancy, I would also like to thank my RAVE colleagues Barbara Fisher- Townsend , Steve McMullin, Lanette Ruff, and Catherine Holtmann for including me in the development of RAVE. Finally, this particular dissertation project would not have been possible without the amazing vision and synergy of the TREE founding group. To Kim Gage Ryan, Elaine Lawless, Heather Carver, Emilie Rollie, Debra Mason, Peggy Baum and Kim Webb, I am so proud to have been a part of this dynamic group of scholar/activist/ practitioners. I also want to thank all of the TREE participants who engaged in this project and inspired your faith communities to open up dialogue about the DV/SA. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................ vi ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Chapter Organization 2. MAINSTREAMING THE MOVEMENT .............................................................13 The Shelter Movement: The Legacy of Second Wave Feminist Organizing Development of the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Timing Matters: DV/SA Collaboration & Outreach in Columbia, Missouri 3. EMBODYING THE SPACES BETWEEN: THEORY & METHOD ..................30 Observations from the Field Reflexivity and Methodology The Spaces Between Methods and Data Collection 4. TELLING LOCAL STORIES ...............................................................................63 TREE Synergy Religion and Violence E-Learning (RAVE) Troubling Violence: A Performance Project (TVPP) 5. OPENING DOORS FOR DIALOGUE………………………………………….85 Organizational Frameworks iii TREE Recruitment Pyramids, Performances & “One Kick-Ass 10 Minute Sermon” Community Resource People Reflection and Connection 6. TALKING ACROSS DIFFERENCE ..................................................................116 Who prays? Troubling Talk 7. CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………………….125 APPENDIX 1. 2008 HEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN NON-TRADITIONAL SETTINGS ....129 2. MISSOURI FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH INTERIM REPORTS .................133 3. DESCRIPTIONS OF PARTICIPATING CONGREGATIONS .........................162 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................170 VITA ................................................................................................................................173 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. TREE Trained Groups ...........................................................................................87 2. TREE Format & Content .......................................................................................99 3. TREE Networks & Collaboration ........................................................................102 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1. CORP Center on Religion and the Professions 2. CCR Coordinated Community Response 3. DOVE Columbia Police Domestic Violence Enforcement Unit 4. HNTS Health Interventions in Non-Traditional Settings 5. MCADSV Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence 6. MFH Missouri Foundation for Health 7. MOU Memorandum of Understanding 8. RAVE Religion and Violence E-Learning 9. SA/DV Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence 10. TREE Teen Relationship Education & Empowerment 11. TVPP Troubling Violence Performance Project 12. VAW Violence Against Women 13. VAWA Violence Against Women Act vi CHURCHES ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: THE SPACES BETWEEN DISCOURSE AND IDENTITY Kendra Lynn Yoder Dr. Mary Jo Neitz, Dissertation Supervisor ABSTRACT Religious communities have historically treated domestic violence as a non-issue, or as a private matter best kept within families. However, research shows that rates of domestic violence within religious groups are reported at similar rates to the general public (Cunradi, Caetano, & Schafer, 2002). Religious women who are trying to get help are more apt to turn to their religious leaders for assistance and advice than to secular service providers. Additionally, religious leaders report feeling underprepared to respond to survivors but are hesitant to utilize local service providers due to their affiliations with grassroots feminist organizing and movements (Nason-Clark, 1997). As domestic violence gains more legitimacy as a social issue and as both shelter workers and church leaders become more diverse, what possibilities arise for collaboration and dialogue across changing institutional discourses and identities? I develop this central line of inquiry in a two year grant funded community project and case study that resourced religious communities with domestic and sexual violence education and prevention tools for youth programming. vii