Leaders’ Orientations to Diversity: Two Cases from Education

Abstract

This article explores two case colleges in England to consider how context, conceptualisation, orientation and action interact in relation to diversity issues in leadership. Focus group and individual interview data are analysed. Context is perceived as influential in shaping concepts and action. In one case, the diversity and socio-economic disadvantage of the community create a perceived imperative to address diversity, resulting in multiple conceptions of diversity and systemic action. In the second case, the context of a perceived homogeneous community interacts with an equal opportunities conceptualization of diversity to justify little or no action. A tentative theoretical model is suggested to frame further enquiry.

Refusing Relevance: School Administrator Resistance to Offering Professional Development Addressing LGBTQ Issues in Schools

“…J. M. Marshall and Theoharis (2007) argue that educational leadership graduate students "tend to define 'diversity' simply as non-White racial and ethnic identity, failing to recognize their own White racial identity, and failing to recognize other diversity such as social class, religion, ability/ disability, or sexual orientation" (p. 1). Similarly, Lumby's (2009) research exposes the wide disparities in school leaders' beliefs about diversity, and she addresses how community demographics and educational leaders' conceptualizations of what diversity is come to bear in how they understand and address diversity in their schools. In multiple research sites, school leaders perceived diversity "as evident in the proportion of people in the community who are visibly different in terms of skin color" (p. 432), family structure, or educational background.…”

“…Participants in empirical studies on social justice leaders (Kose, 2009; Theoharis, 2007, 2008) modeled implementation of equity-focused leadership, but these administrators were understood to be the exception, not the norm. Participants in studies on school leaders’ interpretations of school diversity issues (Aveling, 2007; Lumby, 2009; Ryan, 2003) offer insight to the range of possibilities for how school leaders define diversity and determine whether or not diversity is present or relevant in their respective school contexts. These studies, in particular, highlight the tendency to conceptualize diversity work in terms of visible differences or individualized cases of abnormal identities or needs, rather than in terms of systemic marginalization or inequitable distributions of power.…”

Insider Stories: Tensions, Resistances, and Missed Opportunities in State LGBT-Inclusive Anti-bullying Policy

“…Expansion of school diversity efforts and amendments to school policy often come at the direction of school leaders who tend to "define 'diversity' simply as non-White racial and ethnic identity…failing to recognize other [types of] diversity such as social class, religion, ability/disability, or sexual orientation" (Marshall and Theoharis 2007, p. 1). When diversity is not visible, school leaders perceive work to support diverse students as not relevant to their particular school context (Lumby 2009). "This becomes a problematic cycle:…”

Looking for the women in Baron and Taylor's (1969)Educational administration and the social sciences

“…Once this special edition is published, the group of women writers who have cited Baron and Taylor's (1969) book will include contributors who also write about gender and educational leadership: Jacky Lumby as a single author (Lumby 2006(Lumby , 2009a(Lumby , 2009b(Lumby , 2009c(Lumby , 2011(Lumby , 2013 and co-author (Morrison et al 2006, Lumby and Coleman 2007, Morrison et al 2007, Morrison and Lumby 2009, Lumby and Morrison 2010, Heystek and Lumby 2011, Lumby and Azaola 2011, Lumby and Heystek 2012, Eugenie Samier (see Samier 2000, Samier et al 2006, Samier and Schmidt 2009, 2010 and Kay Fuller (see Fuller 2009Fuller , 2010Fuller , 2013). …”