A Nexus of Eyes: The Praxis of Chaplaincy in One Faith Based Educational System Through Emerging Emic Perspectives

Abstract

Internationally chaplaincy as a whole, and school based chaplaincy in particular, is morphing into new forms within emerging national uncertainties, and cultural diversity. Drawing on their work in Ireland, King and Norman (2009) believe that the role of school chaplains everywhere needs to be carefully realigned and rethought. This paper seeks in part to address this situation, unpacking the initial ‘emic-journey’ of a three year multi-case study research agenda that seeks to holistically investigate how key stakeholders in three faith based schools understand the role and practice of school chaplains. In this instance, the stakeholders included administrators, chaplains and students. The multi-case study approach and the stratified sets of respondents were deemed to be the best ‘goodness of fit’ as Parekh’s (2000) axiom clearly states an understanding that one group’s place within an organisation needs to be considered not in isolation, but as intersecting forces that act as a “locus of identity.”