Burke, Peter J. & Reitzes, Donald C. (1991). An identity theory approach to commitment. Social Psychology Quarterly. 54(3), 239-251.
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This text briefly describes what the article is about:
"In this paper we review three different conceptions of commitment that tie the person in various ways to lines of action (Becker 1960, 1964), to organizations (Kanter 1968, 1972), and to role partners (Stryker 1968, 1980). We then consider an identity-based understanding of commitment implicit in the work of Foote (1951). This approach which draws on identity theory and affect control theory leads to a more unified understanding of commitment. Commitment, from this perspective, does not link a person to consistent behavior, other individuals, or organizations. Instead it may be viewed as linking a person to a stable set of self-meanings (identity). That connection, in turn, produces apparent ties to actions, organizations, and persons." (p. 239-241).
This theory, of course, will get flushed out in the course of the article. I don't know that the Vienna mission would be entirely comfortable with this approach to things, because it would want to be the center of the universe, so to speak. It would not want the identity to start with the individual, I don't think. Having the individual be the most central risks the individual coming up with ideas and conclusions different than the mission, as I did, and that's the last think the mission could tolerate, as I experienced, although that's oversimplifying my situation, I think.
There are a lot of other interesting nuggets along the way in this article, though, that should provide a jumping board for thoughts about the Vienna mission.
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"Kanter uses social action theory to generate three dimensions of commitment. Instrumental commitment refers to the material benefits (food, clothing, shelter, goods, and services) to which individuals have access as a result of their membership in a community. Affective commitment focuses on the positive cathectic feelings that bind members to a community and generate gratifications stemming from involvement with all the members. Moral commitment identifies the evaluative orientations that provide members with a sense of self-worth and with community pride and confidence in the values and goals of their community." (p. 240)Members of the Vienna mission met needs in all areas, although "material needs" would probably have mostly been of the services types like moving heavy objects and the like. The affective aspect was very important, even crucial as a security issue, because a disgruntled member could wander off and say something to the wrong person or lash out or spread his/her dissatisfaction to others. So affect was very important. But it was also (generally) very sincere, I think, and not artificial or shallow. I say generally because I think sometimes it felt to me that it could be used to in a syrupy way to try to sugar coat something, like by the military chaplain/H.R. director.
So material benefits were just something they did for each other, affect was deemed critical by the administration, but moral commitment didn't really have a place, oddly enough, in the mission. That is to say, missionaries undoubtedly had moral commitment, but my experience there was that the mission didn't really care about that and in fact had to actually twist your morals to accept their view of what was required for security, which basically is a life of deception. So if you come to Vienna as a conservative Evangelical Christian missionary with high moral commitment, they have to make you agree to a life of deception for the sake of security. Which is to say, they want to take your moral commitment down a notch or two.. or three... or... Somehow they do it, even to theologians. It didn't work with me so they say I have culture shock. At least I still have my moral commitment. What about you guys? [That's directed to any Vienna mission missionaries who might be reading this.]
So I guess out of these three I'd have to say that the mission valued affect the most.
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The next portion of the text I'd like to comment on is too long and I have to go to physical therapy in a while, so I'll have to put it off til the next post.