Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory?

Stevenson, Howard

Abstract

This article presents research relating to the experiences of union and community-based campaigns that have sought to challenge the establishment of academy and free schools in England. Such schools are removed from local government control and are seen as a defining element of the neoliberal restructuring of public education. The research draws on social-movement literature, and particularly mobilization theory, to better understand the dynamics of such campaigns and the contexts in which they can either thrive or wither. In the article, I argue that mobilization theory provides a useful framework for such analysis but that it fails to adequately reflect the importance of individual agency and the role of leadership at a local level. Leadership of such campaigns is often assumed by individuals reluctantly, and often defies traditional descriptions of “leadership,” but must be recognized if mobilization theory is to avoid being overly deterministic.

Citation

Stevenson, H. (2016). Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory?. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 15(1), 67-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 12, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jun 16, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 16, 2017
• Journal: Leadership and Policy in Schools
• Print ISSN: 1570-0763
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-5043
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 67-90
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/771042
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Leadership and Policy in Schools on 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403