The author shows how a sample of parish clergy of the (Anglican) Church in Wales draw upon social resources to describe their parishes. An analysis of the written accounts of 17 clergy in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon shows that the language that they use to produce these descriptions is rooted in the socio-economic structure of Wales and in the occupational culture and historical traditions of Welsh Anglican clergy. Categories such as “housing” and “community” are prominent among ways of “seeing” the parish. The research forms a part of a larger study of clergy's experiences of poverty and social deprivation in everyday parish ministry.
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