Democratic educational leadership in contemporary times

Gale, T. and Densmore, K. (2003) Democratic educational leadership in contemporary times. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 6(2), pp. 119-136. (doi: 10.1080/13603120304819)

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Abstract

This article seeks to identify the economic and social conditions confronting officially designated education leaders and to set out the parameters for how they might respond. Specifically, it suggests that education leaders are currently faced with changing bases of social cohesion, changing instruments of (economic) control and changing forms of organisation. Informed by these changing conditions and by a recognitive view of social justice (Young 1990; Gale and Densmore 2000), the article makes a case for educational leadership that is characterised by distinctly democratic directions and influences. In particular, democratic leaders are seen as those that enable the formation of social, learning and culturally responsive public educational institutions, in part by enabling contextuallyspecific struggles to determine what is needed, and by developing a politically informed commitment to justice for all.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gale, Professor Trevor
Authors: Gale, T., and Densmore, K.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Education
Journal Name:International Journal of Leadership in Education
Publisher:Routledge
ISSN:1360-3124
ISSN (Online):1464-5092

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