Insider-Outsiders: Integration and Exclusion Experiences of Religious Nonadherent Faculty Members

Abstract

Over the past several decades, research on faculty work life has shed new light on inclusion and exclusion experiences of traditionally underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, and contingent employment faculty. This study expands on this prior research by investigating a unique segment of faculty members: those whose marginal status is conferred upon them because they are not part of their employing institution's dominant religio-cultural tradition or affiliation. These insider-outsider faculty members are often unaware of the implications of this new status, which is added to the common challenges of socialization and integration. Through the narrative accounts of participants, this study identifies categories of inclusion and exclusion, highlights practices that welcome and alienate such faculty members, and explores the organizational and interpersonal implications of this complex element of faculty identity.