Educational leaders may bring to their praxis values that are based on their dominant-culture's values and assumptions. Whether they provide leadership to educators or students, leaders in intercultural contexts act as passive transmitters of the dominant leadership cultures and practices. The book Leadership and Intercultural Dynamics argues the moral and social imperative of ceasing the imposition of the Anglo-American perspective on non-white educational leaders in the USA and across the globe. Advocating for social justice in school systems, it explains the criticality of understanding the perspectives of other cultures in developing educational leaders. Editors John Collard and Anthony H. Normore present a collection of studies and reflective stories about the experiences of educational leaders in diverse cultural settings. From lessons learned from these experiences, this literary work successfully illustrates that the application of western leadership theory and discourse is limited and is misplaced if imposed on non-dominant cultures.
Collard and Normore are careful to emphasize that their proposition applies to both the intercultural and multicultural settings. Intercultural means western teachers or administrators in international settings; multicultural means students with diverse cultural backgrounds in the classrooms within the dominant society. By sharing the work of several social scientists in various parts of the world, the editors successfully take the reader on a global leadership journey. Through historical backgrounds and descriptions of “other” non-dominant cultures, such as those of the Innus of Northeast Canada, Maoris of New Zealand and Tongans of Africa, the chapters in the book successfully show the influence of culture on how students learn and on how educational professionals lead organizations. The examination of the demographics and actual experiences of the Latino and Native American populations in the USA, as well as the Muslims in British schools, result in similar findings concerning the relationships between culture, cultural sensitivities, learning and leadership.
Intercultural theory is presented in this work as the preferred approach to understanding the similarities and differences between cultures because it is predicated on the concept that culture involves a dynamic process rather than a static reality. This conception of cultures is especially appropriate to the contemporary world that has experienced rapid globalization. The book also presents the concept of borderlands, which Collard defines as (p. 27) “the intersections where identities and interests interact with multiple others” as a source of subcultures that also require closer investigation. Collard suggests (p. 37) that as “research methodology, intercultural research advances social justice because it does not employ the ‘privileged, objective stance from which we can draw portraits of others’”.
Leadership in educational systems entails having a heightened awareness of social justice and the equity issues that impede the intellectual and social development of students. Those in positions of authority must therefore be (p. 17) “first and foremost reflective learners who can read and respond to changing and complex cultural realities”. Normore (p. 63) posits that scholars and practitioners have the obligation to implement leadership development programs that “promote opportunities for critical reflection, leadership praxis, and develop critical and cultural relevant pedagogy related to social justice”. While Collard and Normore are optimistic in their stance that educational leadership will be successful in providing culturally intelligent leadership programs, they do not hide the very real challenges experienced by those mediating intercultural education systems. For example, Faircloth and Tippeconnic, III discuss in Chapter Four the difficulty in building intellectual and human capital in the field of educational leadership, while having to create and maintain a balance between western and Indian beliefs, customs, and practices. Respect and acceptance of the value systems of the “others” are the fundamental requirements to being able to integrate them into the mainstream society.
The discourse on multiculturalism is relevant to the shift observed in the student population of the USA. That is, there is a rapid increase in the number of Hispanic students nationwide. Scholars such as Leon and Nevarez (2007) have raised the concern that the number of Hispanic university administrators is disproportionately small in relation to the size of the Hispanic population these universities serve. Through their research, they know about the various opportunities for professional development in the field of education for the Latino/a population and how these programs will help elevate the confidence level of the Hispanics. This is the point where Collard and Normore’s (2009) work become especially relevant. Each of the chapters of their book addresses the role of the dominant culture in developing the leadership potential of the “other”. The theme of the influence of the dominant culture's values and assumptions on other cultures’ values on the delivery of education, and thus the learning process, is clearly contained in every chapter of the book.
The book has also clearly argued against the traditional approach to education, which is the mere transmission of concepts to students. In this respect, it can be asserted that the theoretical approach to learning and education evident all throughout the book is constructivism. The book shows how self-reflective and collaborative approaches in training programs enable teachers and school administrators to recognize the historical framework and values from which learners and leaders of learners from other cultures come. Through this recognition of the others’ perspectives, educational leaders are better able to eliminate the marginalization of those in the borderlands.
The editors’ perspective on learning and leadership is significantly influenced by Foucault's (1975/2010) philosophy on power and knowledge and use of language in exerting power and Dewey's (1938) progressive approach to education. The Foucauldian perspective on normativity also informs the authors of each of the book chapters of how the omnipresent dominant culture embedded in intercultural and multicultural school settings can oppress those outside this culture. At the same time, normativity can also explain how members of the non-dominant culture can unconsciously exert power by resisting the imposed norms. Reflecting Dewey's (1938, p. 35) stance on leadership, the book points out to the readers the following responsibility: “A primary responsibility of educators is that they not only be aware of the general principle of the shaping of actual experience by environing conditions, but that they also recognize in the concrete what surroundings are conducive to having experiences that lead to growth.” The use of the language of the dominant culture while neglecting to incorporate the other culture's language in educational settings is also a powerful force in exerting domination in school systems. Whether this is the language written in school charters or spoken in classrooms by faculty and staff members, it influences the learning and educational leadership dynamics. More importantly, language institutionalizes and, thus perpetuates, the power that is exerted over the “other”. This is where the educational process begins to break down.
The book includes recommendations of research methodologies that are appropriate to the examination of learning and leadership within an intercultural context. This technique of educating the reader about the methodology used in the study is followed through by the majority of the authors of the individual chapters. And where there are limitations to the study, the authors point out these limitations to the reader as well. This approach provides the reader a realistic sense of what changes are possible in the learning and leadership experience of educational leaders, and to what degree short- or long-term changes can be achieved.
The book is an excellent introduction to individuals who wish to delve into educational leadership. The stories told about how the culture of educational leaders influences the delivery of education and hence learning experience, effectively illustrate the need to contextualize leadership. Of particular interest to students in the USA, this book includes an examination of the factors that affect the success of the fast growing Hispanic population in the country. Providing historical background of the site of the educational leadership being examined and explanations of the methodologies used for evaluation makes the work very readable to budding social scientists, educators, and educational administrators. The interesting accounts of the various cultural educational leadership experiences, combined with the clarity in the manner the investigations are written, make it an easy and inspiring reading. This work will benefit advanced students not only of education and leadership but also of the various social sciences, including anthropology and ethnic studies.
