Work practices, normative control and ascetic responsibilization in Cistercian monasteries

Abstract

How is work organized and experienced in monasteries? Based on a multi-sited, qualitative case study of Cistercian monasteries in France, this article brings an archetypal setting of normative control into the purview of sociological research on work and organization. It reveals a tension between the hierarchical organization of work and the ideology of all forms of work as “services” of equal importance and shows how the ideology affects the experiences of member differently depending on their position. Whereas those who feel recognized become spokespersons, less privileged members are not only discontent, but this experience also constitutes a failure to obey “gladly.” Because members have chosen to enter a monastery, it is up to them to reach a state of acceptance regardless of the work position they have. The notion of ascetic responsibilization conceptualizes the mechanism behind this reasoning, which serves to maintain a status quo in monastic power relations.