Decolonizing Benevolence: Can Faith Leaders Move the Mark Toward Equity to Create an Alternative to the White Savior Complex?

Abstract

This ethnographic research project identifies and explores the limiting ideology of the White Savior Complex to open pathways to develop and promote improved practices at individual, relational, and organizational levels. This qualitative research advances the narratives on how organizational leaders can identify, recognize, and dismantle systems of oppression by decolonizing benevolence assistance to individuals and communities seeking philanthropic support. Faith leaders were interviewed from two separate case study sites, both located in a midwestern city. This dissertation examines some of the language, themes, and conceptual frameworks behind how leaders can dismantle White Supremacy and hierarchical power structures in Christian benevolence assistance. By using grounded theory, this project contributes to scholarship on the development of new tools and strategies for how leaders undo racism, promote justice, and co-create equitable practices. At the individual level, findings suggest WSC is not unique to those who identify as White. Whiteness is a mindset that prescribes to toxic ideologies that reinforce power differentials. BIPOC can also find themselves maintaining hierarchical helping relationships that reinforce toxic charitable models. Racial deconstruction requires the development of new paradigms, ideas, and language. Transformative leaders must commit to the continuous development of critical consciousness by challenging dominant norms and power structures. At a relational level, findings suggest leaders are not bound to a role, therefore, transformational leaders must be willing to move outside of hierarchical structures to consciously shift and share power with others. Collaborative approaches to social service delivery, such as collaborative notetaking, can enhance ways to build trust and transparency. Effective liberatory leadership also requires an intersectional lens, which looks at people as individuals and uses person-centered language. At an organizational level, findings suggest the mission and values can compete with economic value. Organizational support networks build collective wisdom, rather than relying on one person to be a “savior.” Liberatory practices require intersectional analysis that trickles up and down power structures. The results of the study contributed to the development of a model that can be used as best practices for decolonizing work across all levels. This research adds to both theory and practice for scholars and practitioners.