‘Color‐blind’ and ‘color‐conscious’ leadership: A case study of desegregated suburban schools in the USA

The Colorblind, Multicultural, and Polycultural Ideological Approaches to Improving Intergroup Attitudes and Relations

“…In its most generic form, colorblindness suggests ignoring or avoiding discussion of group categories. Although this seems to be a laudable goal of intergroup relations, ignoring or avoiding discussion of group categories has been found to have negative consequences for cognitive performance, intergroup interactions, and effective school administrating (e.g., see Apfelbaum, Pauker, Ambady, Sommers, & Norton, 2008; Mabokela & Madsen, 2005; Norton, Sommers, Apfelbaum, Pura, & Ariely, 2006). This form of colorblindness is therefore unlikely desirable, or even possible in a world in which racial and ethnic group categories are important and affect people's life experiences.…”

‘The Other Within’: race/gender disruptions to the professional learning of white educational leaders

“…It may mean publicly confronting what it means to be white rather than relying on the Other to be change agents or to voice how their experiences may differ from the dominant. It is less about seeking to explain the position of the other for them, and more about getting beyond viewing the other as a 'visibly fixed and embodied image' that is flat and mono-dimensional (Mabokela and Madsen 2005). Leadership may mean providing a safe talking space for racial groups, one that reduces access of whites to the experience of the other, as dialogue cannot be separated out from structural and cultural inequalities that are, in turn, felt and expressed through silence (Jones 2003).…”

“…Resistance occurs when leaders do not see race or issues of difference as an issue in mono-cultural schools whether Anglo, Muslim or Black. A dominant rationale for ignoring race is the colour-blind argument that 'we treat everyone the same, and do not notice their colour or sex' (Mabokela and Madsen 2005). But just as women wish to be seen as women and do not seek some idealised androgynous existence, so too people of colour do not wish to ignore their colour, as it is part of their individual and collective identity (Kendall 2006).…”

A Comparison of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Principal Leadership

“…Suburban principals face challenges associated with predominantly White faculties who lack awareness of minority cultural differences, resulting in deficit views regarding minority students' learning and behavior differences (2005Chaney & De Gennaro, 2005Howard, 2007;Mabokela & Madsen,). These challenges have been exacerbated by rapid growth of English language learner populations in many suburban districts (Field, 2008;Howard, 2007).…”

“…Again, challenges faced by campuses may account for differences. Perhaps suburban principals at AA campuses exhibited Judgment (functional domain) to address myriad challenges associated with student demographics changes (Field, 2008;Howard, 2007;Mabokela & Madsen, 2005). Likewise, altering instruction to meet diverse learning needs may explain why suburban principals at E schools were rated highest in Instructional Management.…”