A Female Leadership Career in the Catholic Church: Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler

As Mayrhofer et al. (2007) write, “[C]areers are located at the intersection of societal history and individual biography” (Mayrhofer et al., 2007, p.217; Grandjean, 1981). In this chapter, we aim to explore this very intersection through the career of Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler, the current president of Caritas Austria. Her career is situated at an interesting intersection between organized Catholic religiosity and its charitable function, which has a long history and tradition on the one hand, and modern social work and care organizations on the other. This specific social position offers particularly valuable insights into how careers are shaped by the interplay of the rules of a career field and the particular career actor, especially in a field where secular and religious values coexist, creating a dynamic interplay of professional and religious norms. Focusing on Tödtling-Musenbichler’s career transitions leading from a theology student to the leadership of Austria’s biggest Christian social work organizations, we aim to uncover how this dual positioning shapes her trajectory and creates a certain (dis)continuity that gives her career its pattern.