Education Leadership as ‘Capital’ for a Diverse School Setting: Understanding the Dynamics of Social and Symbolic Capital as Exemplars of Successful Leadership Strategies

Abstract

Dynamics of social and symbolic capital within diverse school settings affect how stakeholders (i.e., administrators, teachers, parents, students) influence, interpret, and/or implement the complex demands of education leadership. Educational leadership, as simultaneously possessing both constant and fluid tendencies, is fundamental to establishing benchmarks to successfully impact the educational experience. Having the requisite social and symbolic capital serves as a conduit for accessing quality networks as well as the signification of having gained reputable, legitimate schooling experiences. Notwithstanding, the transferability of those forms of capital provides the venue for K-12 administration to ‘teach effectively’ and ‘lead responsibly’ within leadership contexts, particularly given this era of accountability. The intersection of the theoretical (teaching) and applied (leading) functions of educational leadership lends a democratic model for managing the resulting politics and generating leadership strategies as representative of social and symbolic capital.

Citation

Bartee, R.D. (2007), "Education Leadership as ‘Capital’ for a Diverse School Setting: Understanding the Dynamics of Social and Symbolic Capital as Exemplars of Successful Leadership Strategies", Donahoo, S. and Hunter, R.C. (Ed.) Teaching Leaders to Lead Teachers (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 179-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3660(07)10011-1