Discourse on Leadership and Gender Awareness in Higher Education Publications: A View through the Lens of Feminist Phase Theory

Abstract

Using Feminist Phase Theory (FPT) as our analytical framework, we studied the status of gender awareness and influence in higher education leadership development trends in four premier higher education journals for the years 2008, 2011, and 2014. Our analysis was accomplished through the review of articles and book reviews published in two US and two international journals: Higher Education (Netherlands), Higher Education Quarterly (UK), Journal of Higher Education (US), and The Review of Higher Education (US). Study results indicated progress toward a multifocal set of perspectives in which gender was not an issue; rather other concerns such as social justice or diversity were the focus. Data also indicated that while gender was no longer a specific focus of the literature, it was still an underlying concern. Gender and leadership are still being examined, intentionally or not. An additional finding revealed through the study of these journals is a lack of research about leadership in higher education, particularly in the US. A focus on understanding leadership does not appear to be a priority among this higher education community.