Constituting Norms and the Formal Organization of American Churches

Emphasis is placed on the importance of analyzing organizational structure and behavior in terms of environmental variables, and this research employs environmental variables drawn from the normative order of the surrounding society. The concept of “constituting norms” is used to identify those norms which are central to the society's conception of appropriate organizational forms. Several constituting norms associated with American society are identified, and their impact on the formal organization of American churches is demonstrated. This paper concludes with the formulation of several propositions which specify many conditions in which religious organizations should be most and least susceptible to pressures from constituting norms

Geography · Political science · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Religion and Society Interactions