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THE MANIFESTATION OF THE NEOLIBERAL DISCOURSES IN THE LEADERSHIP PRACTISES OF HEADMASTERS IN RURAL SCHOOLS. Japie Spies. What ?. T his research addresses the question: “how the neo-liberal discourses manifest in leadership practises of headmasters in rural schools.”. Why ?.
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THE MANIFESTATION OF THE NEOLIBERAL DISCOURSES IN THE LEADERSHIP PRACTISES OF HEADMASTERS IN RURAL SCHOOLS Japie Spies
What? • This research addresses the question: “how the neo-liberal discourses manifest in leadership practises of headmasters in rural schools.”
Why? • The powerful neo-liberal discourse puts exceptional demands on leadership practises in schools. • The role of headmaster are being redefined in struggles over policy and practice.
HOW? • I focus on how the neo-liberal discourses manifest in the leadership practises of the headmaster in rural schools: • This paper investigates the inter relationships between policy, leadership and governance in schools • and how it manifests in the leadership practices in schools. • The focus is on how leadership identities and practices are produced and shaped through discourses on policy and governance in schools • And how leadership practices can respond to such policy and governance discourses.
HOW? • It focuses on Foucault’s concept of governmentality • and the critical angle it provides for an analysis of neo-liberalism, • and the application of the conceptual lenses of field, habitus, economics and practice of Bourdieu • Using : Phenomenology as research design • An approach which attempts to understand the hidden meanings and the essence of an experience together with how participants (headmasters) make sense of these (Grbrich 2007:84)
HOW? • And Constructivism: As Theoretical Paradigm • (Nature of reality) • The world is constructed and experienced by people (headmasters) in their interactions with each other and with wider social systems (rural schools) • (Nature of knowledge) • Knowledge is about the way in which people (Headmasters of rural schools) make meaning in their lives, not just that they make meaning, but what meaning they make
The Neo-liberal discourses Neo-liberalism is a theory (Harvey 2006:145): • “human well-being can best be advanced by entrepreneurial freedoms within an framework of private property rights, individual liberty, free markets and free trade. • The role of the state • Markets • State interventions in markets must be kept to a bare minimum (Harvey 2006: 145).
The naturalising effect of neo-liberalism • became part of the way of thinking and the logic (Read 2009:25). • Established as a global set of rules. • dominant force in forming education through policy (Rizvi & Lingard 2009:22) • produces policy that is based on five values: the individual, freedom of choice, market security, laissez faire and minimal government (Larner 2000:7)
Neo liberalism as governmentality • Foucault’s notion of governmentality addresses both the practices, and the rationale by which these practices appear ‘normal’. • In looking at the modern state, Foucault developed the terms ‘biopower’ and ‘biopolitics’ (Foucault 1991: 73). • biopolitical governmentality includes al forms of control measures of individuals were they are regulated according to the rules of maximum economy. (Hamman 2009:41)
The Headmaster: habitus, field, practice and capital • I use Bourdieu’s work to think of the interplay between the practices of headmasters, each with a particular habitus, working across a number of fields with different power structures, hierarchies of influence, and logics of practice. • Rawole & Lingard (2008:730) suggest that when Bourdieu talks of practice, he indicates three interconnected associations, namely: • the carrying out of a activity, • the naming of a process and • to differentiate from theories about practice
Findings of my research • The decentralized decision-making powers that the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 delegates to schools manifest in different ways in the different rural schools in one town: • The effective functioning of School Governing Body (SGB), depends on the social- and culture economics of the members of the body. • Section 20 gave basic management powers to all schools, and schools that had the capacity to manage their own budgets were given additional Section 21 capacity. • The practice of school fee relief puts a lot of pressure on Section 21 schools.
Findings of my research • Schools did acquire more decentralized decision-making powers. • There is an increase in the use of evaluation and quality control measures. • Schools (headmasters) have to organize themselves according to targets, indicators and evaluations and are held accountable for the results. • The headmasters make use of a variety of practice practice to cope. • As a result of school choice there is a lot of pressure on X model C schools in rural areas.
Created: 2011/02/22 12:08:29 AM (Super) • Codes (3): [SKOOLHOOF AGTERGROND] [SKOOLHOOF ONDERVINDING] [SKOOLHOOF OPLEIDING] • Quotation(s): 13 • ______________________________________________________________________ • P 2: O1:SH1:SV:LS:JS:M:O - 2:32 [Ekwil met u geselsooruself...] (134:135) (Super) • Codes: [SKOOLHOOF AGTERGROND - Family: SKOOLHOOF PERSOON] • No memos • Die eerstejaarhetek dit reggekrydatek in Oudshoornkon begin. My liefde vir musiekhetgemaakdatek , omdatOudtshoorn-kollegenieMusiekhetnie, het dit gemaakdatekoorgeplaas is na Bellville kollege toe. en daarhetek my musiekuitgelewe. En hierkomek toe in aanraking met my hoof - hydoen toe syderdejaar. Hysoek toe 'n Musiek-onderwyser. En ekdoenaansoek. Daaijaarhetek net aansoekgedoen vir die een pos en ekkryhomook toe. En dit is waarek tans is vanaf 1983. • P 2: O1:SH1:SV:LS:JS:M:O - 2:34 [So u het in 1983 hier begin. W..] (137:139) (Super) • Codes: [SKOOLHOOF ONDERVINDING - Family: SKOOLHOOF PERSOON] • No memos • So u het in 1983 hier begin. Wanneerhet u skoolhoofgeword? • Ekhet begin waarneem 11 Oktober 1996 en is amptelikaangestel 1 Januarie 1998. • So dit is so 13 jaargelede.
Code Families • HU: HU1 • File: [C:\Users\Spies\Desktop\HU1.hpr6] • Edited by: Super • Date/Time: 2011/03/12 05:24:13 AM • ___________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: FINANSIES • Created: 2011/02/21 11:12:28 PM (Super) • Codes (7): [FINANSIES FONDSINSAM] [FINANSIES SKOOLGELDE] [FINANSIES STAAT] [OUERS EKONOMIESE KAPITAAL] [SHOOF UITDAG FINANSIES] [SHOOF VAARDIG FINASIES] [SKOOL FINANSIES] • Quotation(s): 18 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: GEBOUE EN TERREIN • Created: 2011/02/21 11:13:05 PM (Super) • Codes (3): [SKOOL FISIESE BEHOEFTES] [SKOOL GEBOUE] [SKOOL TERREIN] • Quotation(s): 15 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: KAPITAAL EKONOMIES • Created: 2011/02/21 11:16:40 PM (Super) • Codes (8): [FINANSIES FONDSINSAM] [FINANSIES SKOOLGELDE] [FINANSIES STAAT] [OUERS EKONOMIESE KAPITAAL] [OUERS INKOMSTE] [SHOOF UITDAG FINANSIES] [SHOOF VAARDIG FINASIES] [SKOOL FINANSIES] • Quotation(s): 24 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: KAPITAAL KULTUREEL • Created: 2011/02/21 11:16:57 PM (Super) • Codes (5): [LEERDERS GEL/GES] [OUERS GELETTERDHEIDVLAK] [OUERS KULTURELE KAPITAAL] [PERS SKOOL OPLEIDING] [SKOOLHOOF OPLEIDING] • Quotation(s): 16 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: KAPITAAL SOSIAAL • Created: 2011/02/21 11:17:11 PM (Super) • Codes (1): [OUERS SOSIALE KAPITAAL] • Quotation(s): 0 • ______________________________________________________________________