Deborah Whitehead, affiliate professor of non secular research, explores connections between entrepreneurship, gender and faith amongst Mormons
It’s no accident that multi-level-marketing schemes are broadly adopted in Mormon communities, that are tight-knit, entrepreneurial and well-trained, via missionary work, for gross sales.
That’s the conclusion of Deborah Whitehead, affiliate professor of non secular research on the College of Colorado Boulder, who has written an article not too long ago printed within the journal Mormon Research Evaluate that traces the hyperlinks between “startup tradition, multi-level advertising and marketing, Mormonism and entrepreneurship.
Whereas Whitehead cites LuLaRoe, a billion-dollar multi-level advertising and marketing (or MLM) firm launched in 2013 as a major instance of this enterprise mannequin, she additionally focuses on a basic examination of the connections between Latter Day Saints (LDS) theology and the “self-starter” mindset intently related to the multi-level-marketing enterprise mannequin.
Deborah Whitehead has been an affiliate professor of non secular research on the College of Colorado since 2007.
The Federal Commerce Fee defines multi-level advertising and marketing as “companies that contain promoting merchandise to household and buddies and recruiting different folks to do the identical.” With Utah’s excessive focus of MLMs making it the “unofficial world capital of multi-level advertising and marketing,” Whitehead connects LDS church tradition and self-reliance.
“Missionary coaching interprets nicely into direct gross sales,” Whitehead writes, noting that missionaries carry out door-to-door “gross sales” pitches and may face up to rejection. She additionally notes that LDS theology doesn’t demonize social media when used as a software for “spreading the ‘excellent news’ a couple of product.”
“LDS communities are typically tight-knit and shut, so when someone is passionate a couple of product, it is going to be simpler to enter these circles and promote it,” Whitehead says. “This additionally applies to other forms of media messaging or getting different folks concerned in what you are promoting.”
“One factor I discovered attention-grabbing concerning the ladies in LuLaRoe is that many wished issues not only for themselves, but in addition for his or her households. They wished to be entrepreneurs, as a result of they contemplate it a part of their divinely ordained roles as wives and moms to care for his or her youngsters, and working a enterprise from your property permits them to attain their monetary targets whereas nonetheless being a stay-at-home mother,” Whitehead says, underscoring the hyperlink between theology, gender and entrepreneurship.
For instance, Whitehead particulars a second from the childhood of DeAnne Stidham, one of many founders of LuLaRoe, by which Stidham’s mom returned from work and commenced throwing money to her youngsters whereas exclaiming, “Mother did this for you!”
This episode might be seen as each fulfilling these “divine roles,” but in addition a technique to “justify a mom’s absence from her youngsters whereas working outdoors of the house,” Whitehead writes, noting that distant MLM work is marketed as an answer to this drawback.
Whereas LuLaRoe showcased a very damaging aspect of the monetization of non secular values and entrepreneurship, Whitehead says it may be a constructive factor, particularly in reference to running a blog: “Mormon ladies have used running a blog to showcase their inventive and sensible expertise, and lots of blogs about vogue, stitching, cooking and even resourceful meals storage strategies have change into massively standard and profitable.”
Whereas there could be a comfy partnership between Mormonism and capitalism—it isn’t the one technique to interpret these conditions … From one other perspective, when understood accurately, this theology is meant to maintain capitalism in examine—you’re employed laborious for your self and your loved ones, however you don’t exploit different folks.”
“Whereas there could be a comfy partnership between Mormonism and capitalism—it isn’t the one technique to interpret these conditions,” Whitehead says. “From one other perspective, when understood accurately, this theology is meant to maintain capitalism in examine—you’re employed laborious for your self and your loved ones, however you don’t exploit different folks.”
Whitehead’s curiosity in non secular tradition in america goes past startups and MLMs: “Over the past 12 years, I’ve developed a specific curiosity in faith, media and tradition, and inside that broad space I focus primarily on present-day U.S. faith and representations of gender,” Whitehead says.
“I’ve written items on evangelical ladies and mommy running a blog, emergency meals storage, and varied different intersections of faith, gender and digital media.”
Meantime, Whitehead is engaged on one other article about LuLaRoe, this time specializing in “the company feminism that may be a giant a part of the corporate’s rhetoric.” She can be engaged on a ebook about evangelical Christians and digital media, which is beneath contract with Routledge.
