A few days ago in my Diversity and Inequalities class we did an activity where we were to answer the question 'I am ____' Which is relatively easy to do right? What is the first thing that comes to your mind? Once you keep thinking about it just make a list of whatever fulfills it and makes it a true statement.
The point of the activity was that the first thing that you write down is often considered what sociologists call your Master Status. Here is the definition we were given in class 'Master Status is usually gender, but whatever comes to your mind first when asked to answer 'I am ___' its a status that dominates the others and because it dominates the others it determines our general position in life.' Interesting. My professor then proceeded to tell us that white males usually start listing.. I guess random things, but that any type of minority (in the US) lists that first. For example, the chances of a woman listing herself as a women first are higher than something else, or a black person to say they were black before anything else, etc. Also very interesting. So honestly, my first answer to the I am question was that I am a Christian, and I didn't think anything of it.. thats just what I thought of first. But upon hearing the definition of master status and what other people usually considered their master statuses, I thought something was wrong. Why isn't Christian all Christian's master status? Shouldn't the first thing, the top priority, the master status, be to the Body of Christ? I'm not trying to undermine minorities and how that is important and affects their view of the world. And I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what it is like to grow up and be something other than a white male. Maybe in some ways it is easier for me to put Christian first.. but Christianity should transcend gender, race, and even nationality. Our first loyalties and priorities should be to the Body of Christ, and to what God is calling you to do in the world. Being a Christian should put you in an out-group. Christians are called to be in the world yet not of it. Obviously what that actually looks like can be an overwhelming task- and even different for different people. But simply put, I think that it should mean that Christians need to try to see the world as Christ does and imitate Him. What are we doing as a Church to make the world stop and go what the crap? Shouldn't the status that dominates all the others and determine our position in life be that of a Christian?
The point of the activity was that the first thing that you write down is often considered what sociologists call your Master Status. Here is the definition we were given in class 'Master Status is usually gender, but whatever comes to your mind first when asked to answer 'I am ___' its a status that dominates the others and because it dominates the others it determines our general position in life.' Interesting. My professor then proceeded to tell us that white males usually start listing.. I guess random things, but that any type of minority (in the US) lists that first. For example, the chances of a woman listing herself as a women first are higher than something else, or a black person to say they were black before anything else, etc. Also very interesting. So honestly, my first answer to the I am question was that I am a Christian, and I didn't think anything of it.. thats just what I thought of first. But upon hearing the definition of master status and what other people usually considered their master statuses, I thought something was wrong. Why isn't Christian all Christian's master status? Shouldn't the first thing, the top priority, the master status, be to the Body of Christ? I'm not trying to undermine minorities and how that is important and affects their view of the world. And I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what it is like to grow up and be something other than a white male. Maybe in some ways it is easier for me to put Christian first.. but Christianity should transcend gender, race, and even nationality. Our first loyalties and priorities should be to the Body of Christ, and to what God is calling you to do in the world. Being a Christian should put you in an out-group. Christians are called to be in the world yet not of it. Obviously what that actually looks like can be an overwhelming task- and even different for different people. But simply put, I think that it should mean that Christians need to try to see the world as Christ does and imitate Him. What are we doing as a Church to make the world stop and go what the crap? Shouldn't the status that dominates all the others and determine our position in life be that of a Christian?
