Advancing Women in Leadership Journal
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Advancing Social Justice: Women’s Work
Get PDFAs women achieve positions of influence and participate in policy decisions, they have opportunities to open up access to knowledge and resources to those with less power. Women from all levels of the social hierarchy, not just those with official status positions, have a role in social justice leadership. As social justice leaders, women work to alter the undemocratic culture and structure of institutions and society, improving the lives of those who have been marginalized or oppressed.
Theory and practice, advocacy and action to counter injustice have emerged from civil rights, feminist, postmodern, critical, multicultural, queer, postcolonial, and other movements. Grounded in these movements, social justice leaders strive for critique rather than conformity, compassion rather than competition, democracy rather than bureaucracy, polyphony rather than silencing, inclusion rather than exclusion, liberation rather than domination, action for change rather than inaction that preserves inequity.
With that view of social justice we selected articles for this special edition of Advancing Women in Leadership. These articles are only a few of the many that wait to be told about social injustices, the individuals who are its victims, and those who refuse to be held captive to its hegemony. More importantly, they reflect only a few of those that reveal hopeful stories of justice, hard choices, and profound acts of courage.
In the encouragement of advancing women in leadership for social justice, we present the following manuscripts
Preface
Get PDFSeveral years ago while chairing a committee for the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), the committee charge was to research and determine what constitutes a multicultural leader. We examined research on the issue, we queried members throughout the organization, and we debated data continuously in meetings. As one might imagine then, this exchange of information among committee members who represent various diversity, our interactions with others who represent their own uniqueness, enjoined and brought to the surface many other important questions
Career Experiences of Women Working in Paralympic Sport Organizations Internationally
Get PDFThe purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and understand the career factors considered important for women working in leadership positions in the Paralympic Movement. This study relied on in-depth interviews and demographic information as the primary means of collecting data. Formal semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants who have worked in leadership positions in the Paralympic Movement for a minimum of 5 years. The three parts of the interview were (a) personal life history including demographics and career path, (b) career experiences including the most/least enjoyable and greatest challenges as a woman working in the Paralympic Movement, and (c) career aspirations and career advice. The results provide insight into the career challenges and work climate for women working in Paralympic sport.Keywords: Women , Paralympic sport, Social Role Theor
The Road Less Traveled: Career Trajectories of Six Women Presidents in Higher Education
Get PDFMost research on the career pathways of women presidents has been dedicated to the traditional career path and the paucity of women in positions leading to a four-year college or university presidency. This leaves little research on women who achieved the position by following a nontraditional trajectory. This qualitative study explores the career trajectories of six women presidents who described their journeys to the highest leadership position as "nontraditional" or "unusual." Using Bateson\u27s (1989) concepts of improvisation and adaption to examine their professional and personal experiences, the presidents unveil they were responsive to new opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges leading to their presidencies. Their backgrounds led them to develop an understanding and appreciation of institutional and organizational practices and cultures, community relations, campus relations, and a sensitivity to the importance of relationship building with an array of stakeholders. The study concludes by discussing the necessity of considering broader career frameworks to identify and increase the number of potential women candidates for the presidency. Keywords: women presidents, career trajectories, higher education, women\u27s leadership
The Influence of Motherhood on STEM Women Academics\u27 Perceptions of Organizational Support, Mentoring and Networking
Get PDFThe lack of women in senior positions in STEM within higher education is an ongoing concern. Identifying the barriers that STEM women face to progress their careers remains an important area of research. While previous studies have explored some of challenges associated with the gendered culture within higher education, less is known about the additional barriers faced by women with children. Using a survey of STEM women in the UK this study examines the influence motherhood has on women\u27s perceptions of organisational support, mentoring and networking and identifies that STEM women with children are found to have less opportunity to engage with mentoring or to benefit from formal or informal networks within the institution. The findings have significant implications for the career progression of women with children and suggest that review of HR policy and practice to facilitate greater organisational support and in particular mentoring and networking requires the institution to take a far more proactive approach. Keywords: Women, STEM, networking, higher education.
Adjusting to A New Society: A Study of Educated Chinese Women\u27s Acculturation in the United States
Get PDFMeeting the challenge of adjusting to a new culture and social life from a professional to a housewife places a great deal of pressure on these educated Chinese women. They have strong desires and motivation to continue their professions, but have not obtained the support necessary accomplish their goals. As housewives, their social circle is very limited, which leads to isolation in the host culture.
Education and Women\u27s Resiliency: Exploring the Experiences of Successful Women from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Get PDFWhile some research has explored the needs of minority women, very little research has focused on women who have faced other disadvantages beyond those associated with minority status.
Black Women in Academe: Progress But No Parity
Get PDFMany women who have been mentored by male scholars that are intellectually demanding, have been told to cut back on some of the time they devote to teaching and service in order to concentrate on research. While well meaning and possibly appropriate, this masculine perspective mirrors sexist attitudes that are prevalent both within and outside the academy.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Exploring the Experiences of Female College Student Leaders
Get PDFThis qualitative study explored a small sample of female college students\u27 perceptions of their experiences in leadership positions. Specifically the researcher examined the women\u27s leadership styles and the factors that influenced how they lead. Additionally, the researcher focused on how gender may relate to the women\u27s experiences. Basic interpretive and descriptive qualitative research methods were employed. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews, a focus group, and participant journals. Participants included four female students at a medium-sized, religiously affiliated private university who held significant leadership roles in student organizations. Results revealed that the participants employed either a relationship-oriented, task-oriented, or hybrid approach to leading. Additional themes emerged around influences on the women\u27s approaches to leadership, with particular emphasis on the role of the larger environment in impacting students\u27 leadership behaviors, and the role gender plays in their leadership experiences. This study can provide insight into the landscape of young women\u27s leadership today and help begin to fill the research gap that currently exists about college student women holding formal leadership roles and how to support these leaders
Representation of Women in Top Educational Management and Leadership Positions in Kenya
Get PDFThe purpose of the study was to investigate factors causing under representation of women in top educational management and leadership positions at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Kenya. Descriptive survey design, utilizing quantitative and qualitative approach was used in the study. Stratified random sampling was used to categorize the target population of 161 educational personnel by level of management and gender. Simple random sampling was then used to get a study sample of 76 officers. Questionnaire and interview guide were used to gather information from the respondents. Analysis of staff returns documents was done to get the numerical representation of the personnel by gender. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency distribution, mean scores, and standard deviations. The findings showed that 33.3 percent and 32.1 percent of top and middle management positions respectively were held by women. In terms of professional qualifications, 55 percent and 51.5 percent of M.Ed and B.Ed holders respectively, were women. Both male and female genders were rated "˜high\u27 in possession of skills and personality characteristics the respondents considered important for top educational management and leadership positions. Organizational factors were the strongest barriers for women in ascending to top educational management and leadership positions. This was followed by socio-cultural and the least were individual factors. Strategies to improve the representation of women in top educational management and leadership therefore focused on the girl child in school, women themselves, society, government policies, the Education Act and the country\u27s constitutio