Queering educational leadership from the inside out

Abstract

This article draws from poststructuralist, feminist and identity‐based political foundations of queer theory to construct a conceptual lens which complements other critical, anti‐oppression frameworks. It reveals some of the internal struggles in the field of queer studies, describes the social context for issues related to sexuality in North American schools and identifies queer theory's potential practical and theoretical contribution to educational leadership in terms of demystifying leadership, critical dialogue and structural support. Queer theory's as yet unrealized potential contribution to the field of educational administration lies in its implicit challenge to normative structures and its embodiment of the physical and emotional elements of schooling that are so often hidden by a mask of mandated rationality.

Notes

1. A complete history of sexuality and gender as shaping forces in education is beyond the scope of this article. Historical studies on educational leadership and sexuality in the US and UK (Blount 2003; Fraynd and Capper 2003; Koschoreck 2003; Lugg 2003a, 2003b; Lugg and Koschoreck 2003; Myers 2002; Sears 1993) reveal heterosexist forces in schools and set the stage for an application of queer theory to the practice of educational leadership.

2. By focusing on queer theory and educational leadership without interviewing individuals who have been marginalized by discriminatory laws, policies, and social trends, I am guilty of a similar omission. At the same time, I would argue that by developing a conceptual framework for educational administrators and critical educational leadership theorists on the basis of activists' struggles, I am acting with concern for sexually‐minoritized individuals working and learning within the education system.

3. Men and women who behave in ways that do not meet cultural norms of masculinity and femininity are frequently placed at increased risk for homophobic harassment whether or not they experience same sex attraction.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cindy Rottmann

Cindy Rottmann is a Ph.D. student in Educational Administration at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include critical educational leadership, teacher unionism, and equity‐based teacher education.