Revealing white supremacy culture in an organization that supports queer and trans youth
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management
ISSN: 1746-5648
Article publication date: 31 October 2023
Issue publication date: 7 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to illustrate how white supremacy culture can be produced within nonprofit organizations with a mandate to serve marginalized communities and provide practical suggestions for preventing oppression.
Design/methodology/approach
The site of inquiry was a nonprofit organization in south central Texas that provides social support to queer and trans youth. Through critical ethnography, the researchers evaluated the organization's processes and structure (including hierarchy, decision-making, fundraising and interactions between leaders, partners and affected groups) to explore how the organization perpetuated attributes of white supremacy culture.
Findings
Data reveal that the organization alienates the youth, volunteers and employees through defensiveness, fear of open conflict, paternalism, perfectionism and power-hoarding.
Originality/value
A dearth of research focuses on how white supremacy culture manifests in organizations serving marginalized communities. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on a nonprofit organization in central Texas that supports queer and trans youth. The authors offer recommendations for addressing white supremacy culture in organizations and suggest future research opportunities.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the thorough and beneficial feedback provided by Dr Jelena Todić on this manuscript. Also, this project was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through grant UL1 TR002645. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. The IIMS Community Engagement Small Project Grants program, with the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, made this award possible.
Since acceptance of this article, the following author(s) have updated their affiliations: M. Candace Christensen is at the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Citation
Christensen, M.C., Elías, M.V., Alcocer, É. and Vicente, S. (2023), "Revealing white supremacy culture in an organization that supports queer and trans youth", Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 326-349. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-05-2022-2349
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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