Dorothy Day can be described as one of the most influential Catholic social activists throughout the early to mid-twentieth century. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised by both parents. She moved to different towns like Oakland and New York throughout her childhood due to the nature of her father’s work. Dorothy recognized her passion for social justice and activism from the time she was young. She had strong beliefs about various social issues like pacifism and women’s suffrage. This paper examines Dorothy Day’s life by analyzing her development from adolescence, young adulthood, and middle age through Erikson’s, Kohlberg’s, and Fowler’s theories of development. Further analysis is made on her struggle with pacifism and Catholicism, her moral dilemma with the issue of pacifism, and her role with the community.
Development Stages
Dorothy’s development can be analyzed by considering the theories of development by Erikson, Kohlberg, and Fowler. Erikson observed that personality develops through eight stages from infancy to adulthood. Erikson’s stages that can be applied to Dorothy’s life are stage 5 of identity vs. confusion, stage 6 of intimacy vs. isolation, and stage 7 of Intimacy vs. Isolation. The identity vs. confusion took place between 12 and 18 years and took place before Dorothy joined the University. Day demonstrated identity by determining who she was, what she wanted to work as, and how she fits in society from an early age. She attended church from an early age, studied catechism, and became baptized and confirmed in 1911 at fourteen years (Day, 1952, p.31). Day knew that she wanted to be identified as a Christian, and it influenced her later involvement in the Catholic church. She learned about individual action in the Christian community and developed an identity as someone that would help the poor. Day demonstrated intimacy vs. isolation when she got married but later separated and later decided to share life by working for the underprivileged. She experienced isolation when she had a man but was not inclined towards marriage. She later separated after having a daughter at 29 years. Day experienced intimacy by helping the poor and being involved in the community. Day experienced the stage of generativity vs. stagnation stage by engaging in generativity through community charities and establishing the Catholic Worker Movement and Catholic Worker newspaper.
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Kohlberg identified various moral development stages; pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. The stages applicable to Day include stage 4 of Law-and-Order Orientation, stage 5 of social-contract orientation, and stage 6 of universal-ethical-principle orientation. Law-and-order orientation applied to Day during her adolescent age, where she identified religion as the basis of moral reasoning and observed an obligation to uphold religious laws and rules. She experienced social-contract orientation when she started working as a news reporter and became increasingly interested in social justice issues (Day, 1952, p.66). Day experienced the Universal-Ethical-Principal orientation by focusing on individual acts like establishing the Catholic Worker Movement because she perceived that it was right to do so.
Fowler identified stages of the development of one’s faith by showing how one’s belief systems change as one develops through life. The faith-development stages that can be applied to Day include stage 3 – the synthetic-conventional faith, stage 4 – individuative-reflective faith, and stage 5 – conjunctive faith. Day experienced the synthetic-conventional faith when identified with the Catholic religious institution, belief system, and authority. She experienced growth in a personal religion and spiritual identity. She then experienced the individuative-reflective faith by taking personal responsibility for her beliefs and feelings and experiencing angst regarding helping the needy. Day often struggled with why the Catholic church was not actively involved in helping the needy (Day, 1952, p.296). She experienced the conjunctive faith through a mid-life crisis by moving beyond conventional religious beliefs, standing against the Catholic church for its beliefs in just wars, and having strong beliefs in pacifism.
Dorothy Day’s Struggle with Catholicism
Day identified herself as a Christian but had multiple challenges and struggles with Catholicism. One of the main areas that she did not agree with was the Catholic beliefs in just wars. The Catholic Church had established two sets of criteria for justifying war. The first one was the right to go to war, and the second one was the right conduct when engaging in warfare. Day went against the belief system of having just wars. She strongly identified herself as a pacifist and held the belief that war and violence are unjustifiable and that all disputes should be resolved through peaceful measures (Day, 1952, p.99). Day and other Catholic pacifists observed that getting into World War II could not be justified due to the destructive nature of wars, especially with the development of nuclear technologies. Her pacifist beliefs led to a controversial position with the Catholic Church that proposed just wars. Day’s stance in pacifism led to the circulation of the Catholic Worker magazine declining by over 100,000 (Day, 1952, p.207). Day was also involved in serving the less fortunate rather than searching for approval among the clerics. She was not hesitant to criticize the Catholic hierarchy for not doing enough on social justice issues like engaging in nonviolence and workers’ rights.
One of the issues that I have had related to my spirituality and religion is the fact that religion is overly based on a patriarchal system. Most conservative Christian churches believe that only men are permitted to have ruling positions in the church. The observation is that a God-honoring society will prefer male leadership both in the church and the civil spheres. Religion is also highly patriarchal because God is observed as masculine. There are specific general roles for the man and the woman where the husband is regarded as the head of the household and is the family leader, provider, and protector. The modern culture has increasingly changed, and women today hold various leadership positions. However, the church still holds various beliefs that promote patriarchy, and this can lead to various issues with modern culture.
Ethical/Moral Dilemmas and Social Justice Issues
Day’s stand on various social issues was based on the Catholic Worker Movement. The movement began through the spreading of the Catholic Worker newspaper. She later advanced her social justice issues by focusing on social activism among those of lower socioeconomic status. Day led the movement towards establishing a “House of Hospitality” within the slums of New York City (Day, 1952, p.242). She established a series of farms where the poor could live together as a community. The movement later spread to other cities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. There were more than 30 Catholic Worker communities established by the year 1941, and 185 such communities exist in different parts of the world today (Wright, 2018). Day’s social justice philosophy was based on a commitment to the idea of charity before justice.
The social justice issue that I find myself concerned with is the issue of racial injustice. The issue of racial injustice has been a major topic in the United States, and its impact can be found in businesses, media, education, and law enforcement. The killing of George Floyd led to massive Black Lives Matter protests as many people observed that racial injustices were largely present in the United States. Racial injustice can have long-term consequences and devastating impacts on the physical and mental health of many people. The minority population goes through so much pain due to multiple racial injustice issues.
Day’s involvement with the community
Day made the statement about enduring long loneliness but finding a solution in love that comes from the community. The meaning of the statement is that Day felt lost and lonely. Many people today are lost by feeling disconnected. The long loneliness can also come from a sense of spiritual emptiness. Day then observed that the solution to feeling lonely and lost could come from experiencing love and being involved in the community. Experiencing love in the community will rekindle a connection with others. The community was important to Day as she engaged in various efforts and endeavors that would help the poor. Community involved moving beyond the basic community of family but combining private and communal property (Day, 1952, p.253). Day served the community through the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality that established itself as a place for homeless men and women. The movement grew from becoming a house of hospitality but to serving others through soup kitchens, bread lines, and experimenting with farming communities.
Conclusion
Dorothy Day’s life and work were examined by considering the development stages and her role in various social injustice issues. Day was actively interested in religion when growing up. Her religious interests transformed her beliefs and changed her views on various issues like serving the poor and pacifism. Her pacifist perspective contradicted the Catholic beliefs, leading to multiple conflicts. Day is today remembered for her active involvement in various social justice issues like pacifism and helping the homeless and poor. One of the key lessons from Day’s life is the need to stand up for one’s beliefs even when they seem unpopular or could go against established institutions. Another lesson is that actively participating in various social justice issues can result in a change that goes on for several years.
References
Day, D. (1952). The long loneliness . Harper.
Wright, T. (2018). Dorothy Day: An introduction to her life and thought . Ignatius Press.
