I Look To You: Religious Leaders as Social Support in the Management of Uncertainty within the African-American Community

CCI Auditorium, 321 Communications Building

African-Americans continue to show stronger relationships between spirituality, worship, and daily life. When faced with uncertainty in life, these individuals may look to their religious leadership as a tool for social support and guidance in decision-making. This study uses Uncertainty Management Theory as a framework to look at the relationship between these individuals and their religious leaders. Credibility will also be measured to see if religious leadership can be perceived as credible when dealing with issues that are not based in faith and worship. The importance of this study is seen in understanding how African-Americans are able to cope with uncertainty, and to what extent their faith and church attendance plays in that coping.