Women's Representation in Leadership Theory Textbooks Used in Education Courses
Loading...
Can’t use the file because of accessibility barriers? Contact us with the title of the item, permanent link, and specifics of your accommodation need.
Date
2020-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
[Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University
Permanent Link
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which women and women’s
experiences with leadership theories and their construction are represented and made visible
within leadership theory textbooks. Since the early 20th century, leadership theories have been
developed and studied to explain the characteristics and practices of effective leaders. The study
of leadership has continued to the present day, and concepts of leadership are used across
disciplines, including education. However, from their inception, leadership theories have often
excluded women and have been found to represent the experiences of white, middle class,
heterosexual men in leadership positions. Leadership theories as a canon are taught at the
graduate level in leadership-focused courses, including in educational leadership programs.
From the perspective of critical discourse analysis, in which discourse is both constitutive and
constituted, discourse in leadership theory is both constituted by and constitutive of leadership
practice. As such, how, where, when, and in what ways women are represented in theory
matters, as it produces particular constructions of what it means to be a woman-leader in a
practical setting. As women continue to be under-represented in educational leadership
positions, it is worth investigating the ways in which women are represented in the teaching of
leadership through leadership theories.
Through this study, the following research questions were addressed: (1) To what extent
through frequency are women represented in leadership theory textbooks? and (2) Through
discourse, in what ways are the experiences of women in relationship to leadership theories made
visible within leadership theory textbooks? Data was drawn from three popular leadership theory textbooks in the education field and analyzed through frequency analysis and critical discourse
analysis. This dissertation focused specifically on charismatic and transformational leadership,
as these are the most popular leadership theories cited in modern educational leadership
scholarship. Findings from this study provide further insights into the discourse of leadership and
can help inform local-level policy relating to leadership theory curriculum.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, School of Education, 2020
Keywords
critical discourse analysis, leadership, educational leadership
Citation
Journal
DOI
Link(s) to data and video for this item
Relation
Rights
Type
Doctoral Dissertation