Harris, DeborahHamilton, Scott2012-07-162012-07-162012-07Hamilton, S. (2012). <i>Avoiding merchants of morality: A qualitative study of professional ministers' relationship toward their idealized role</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.https://hdl.handle.net/10877/4232The professional minister is often expected to be the embodiment of the ideals of his or her community and perform to other expectations of their congregation. This and other roles could be considered idealized roles because of their unique social construction. Utilizing in depth interviews with fourteen current and former professional ministers of the Assemblies of God denomination, this qualitative study explores the relationship that an individual may have with their performance of an idealized role. This study that is guided by the framework of Dramaturgical Sociology developed by Erving Goffman and presented in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959) and other works. The men that participated in this study offered their perspectives and experiences on how they related to the demands of their position and how their idealized role can impact the interpersonal relationships they have with their own families and members of their community.Text67 pages1 file (.pdf)enGoffmanPresentation of Self in Everyday LifeDramaturgyIdealized performancePastorSelfIdentity (Psychology)Role expectationSocial psychologyInterpersonal relationsThesis