Women scholar-leaders: Experiences, viewpoints, and voices
Date of Award
1995
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
The need for leaders in higher education has been characterized as a crisis. To meet the need for leaders, a larger definition of leadership is needed--one which recognizes that women as well as men may be leaders. The problem of this study was to examine the accomplishments, values, philosophies, and other qualities which have distinguished selected women in the discipline of rhetoric and writing in higher education and to differentiate those elements which have made them leaders. Four scholar-leaders were chosen as participants for their demonstrated leadership in the discipline. In a descriptive, qualitative study, information was gathered through one-on-one interviews with participants, a roundtable interview of the four participants together, and participants' written responses to a Participant Profile questionnaire. A cycle of action, integration, and satisfaction (leading back to action) was found consistently among the participants. The participants demonstrated a bias for action which appeared to derive from a desire for challenge, a creative restlessness, and a strong sense of responsibility. Their action orientation was realized through integration, or balance, of commitment to self and commitment to others, courage and humane values, and independence and collaboration. To complete the cycle, the participants appeared to find satisfaction in their accomplishments (perhaps especially in enabling others to grow and accomplish) and such satisfaction, in turn, fueled their bias for action.
Recommended Citation
Crisp, Sally Chandler, "Women scholar-leaders: Experiences, viewpoints, and voices" (1995). Theses and Dissertations. 2.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/2
