Professing Educational Leadership: Conceptions of Power

Abstract

This article focuses on power, its conception, and its enactment during decision making. Its purpose is to lay the groundwork for the intentional infusion into educational leadership preparation programs of classroom experiences that develop, encourage, and support leaders who attend to social justice issues while making decisions related to children. The article begins with a discussion of two modern conceptions of power and a mixed version of the two, followed by an exploration of the relationship between conceptions of power and the enactment of power in decision making. The second part of the article is in the form of a case that has been designed to draw attention to some of the difficulties administrators encounter when they try to understand and use power with others rather than over others. The case study is based on actual events that have occurred in public school settings. The final part of the article contains a self-reflective experience designed to facilitate the exploration of an individual's conceptualization of the term power.

Leadership and diversity: theory and research

“…Whiteness is one of the most salient characteristics in conferring power, reflecting a long history where skin colour determines inequities in 'the distribution of income, property, and power' (Simpson 2008, 141). Maleness also confers power (Blackmore 1999;Brunner 2002;Coleman 2002;Shakeshaft 1989). The significance of Whiteness and gender is largely absent in mainstream writing on leadership theory, both in relation to its impact on staff and on learners.…”

The Journey Toward Transformational Learning in a Statewide Doctoral Program

“…The conception and use of power is then juxtaposed against common theoretical trajectories of definitions and uses of power. These activities are based on emergent empirical evidence that suggest a relationship exists between the way superintendents define power and the way they wield power (Brunner, 1998(Brunner, , 2002. That is, superintendents who give definitions of power synonymous with authority, control, and/or domination tend to wield power in their school district in a top-down and authoritative manner.…”

“…That is, superintendents who give definitions of power synonymous with authority, control, and/or domination tend to wield power in their school district in a top-down and authoritative manner. Yet, superintendents who give definitions of power that are synonymous with shared power or collaboration, tend to empower and collaborate with others more naturally (Brunner, 2002). Several other activities were used to enable students to reflect (anonymously) on the way their group members' define and use power and how power may be affecting the dynamics of the group.…”

Tidal Wave: A University’s Response to Transformational Learning Objectives

“…This variant of power in educational settings suggests that those in leadership roles, who have acquired power should not use their power to dominate, control others, oppress others, or take a singular role in decision making (Brunner, 2002a, 2002b; Fowler, 2000). Wielding power this way only serves to perpetuate and perhaps even steepen an organization’s’ hierarchical structure, thicken its bureaucracy and thus perpetuate processes in which those who hold the power, maintain their power (Brunner, 2002, 2002b; Starratt, 1995). In society, power and culture is extricable and may differ from one country to another making it sometimes problematic for those visiting other cultures or dealing with cultural differences within an organization (Capper & Young, 2006).…”