Defining Social Justice Leadership by

History

parashar_devika — 2019-03-31 20:48:58 UTC

Social justice leaders incorporate history into their practice. For "leadership necessarily includes an understanding of historical and social causation, of power wielding and political power" (Shields, 2010, p. 567).

Changemakers

parashar_devika — 2019-03-31 20:50:14 UTC

Transformative leadership is "concerned with end-values, such as liberty, justice, equality" (Shields, 2010, p. 564).

parashar_devika — 2019-03-31 20:50:40 UTC

The Outside World -- Affirmative Action

parashar_devika — 2019-03-31 20:51:42 UTC

The Outside World -- Feminism

parashar_devika — 2019-03-31 21:19:29 UTC

“So now the perception is, yes, women are here to stay. And when I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the supreme court]? And I say when there are nine, people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Courage

parashar_devika — 2019-04-01 17:02:11 UTC

Social justice leadership first and foremost is about courage. The foundations of transformative leadership lies in the "critique and promise" of a school system (Shields, 2010, p. 563). Transformative leaders must take a stand, take a leap of faith, and promise stakeholders results that may not be achieved. Social justice leaders must lead with "tension and challenge" that requires moral courage and activism (Shields, 2010, p. 563). The role of the social justice leader doesn't begin and end in the classroom. Schools are intrinsically connected to the outside world and leaders must demonstrate that connection -- must incorporate the changes of the outside world that deeply effect students.

What is social justice leadership?

parashar_devika — 2019-04-01 17:04:54 UTC

A social justice leadership is transformative leadership, which can be defined as, "[beginning] with questions of justice and democracy; it critiques inequitable practices and offers the promise not only of greater individual achievement but of a better life lived in common with others" (Shields, 2010, p. 559).

The Outside World -- Gun Control

parashar_devika — 2019-04-01 17:44:50 UTC

Networked Social Justice

parashar_devika — 2019-04-01 18:11:28 UTC

Organized social justice is the key to change. Regardless of race, color, disability, or sexuality, everyone has the ability to organize. This key element of social justice leadership "is a pragmatic step as a school leader" (Scanlan & Theoharris, p. 8). Social justice leaders cannot work alone.

Example of a Social Justice Leader

parashar_devika — 2019-04-01 18:26:11 UTC

In this video clip from Stand and Deliver, Mr. Escalante pushes back against principals, teachers and students. He encourages "ganas" or desire to better schools and lives. Mr. Escalante is a transformative leader. He "[works] towards social justice... and [strives] to counteract biased and marginalizing forces that reproduce social and political inequity" (Cooper, p. 174). He works to break the cycle of bias against students, and students against themselves.

parashar_devika — 2024-09-26 02:53:26 UTC