Pierre Bourdieu For Diversity, Equity, And Social Justice In Educational Leadership

Date: 15 September 2024 Course/Module: EDUCATIONAL THEORY B: PERSPECTIVES OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Week/Session: Week 3 Topic/Activity: Appropriating Pierre Bourdieu for diversity, equity, and social justice in educational leadership This week the recommended articles draw insights into culturally responsive leadership. This approach to leadership looks at this through the lens of Bourdieu’s framework of habitus, field, and capital. These are essential for creating school environments that are inclusive and equitable in diverse settings. Key Insights from the Week’s Readings/Viewing From this week’s readings, the key takeaway has been applying Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, field, and capital in educational leadership where schools are

(Hampden-Thompson, 2012) As educational leaders strive to be culturally sensitive, they need to address the diverse needs of the communities they serve, where cultural capital plays an influential role in students' success. Furthermore, there is a need for context-aware leadership in schools as they encounter social and economic challenges and the reason for this is so that leaders can engage with social and political factors of the school communities (Spillane, Hallet, & Diamond, 2023) Personal and professional reflections in historical, social, political, cultural, and geographical contexts Vassallo (2015) advocates for culturally responsive leadership, and my journey relates very well to it as my journey in education aims to address the diversity of our student needs within our school setting. I started in a township school that was underdeveloped and catered for mostly one cultural group; this was mainly because of the setting in which it is based. However, I later moved to a well-resourced school in an urbanized area that catered to multiple cultural

My personal and professional identities have been valuable as they help with navigating my roles and understanding what factors play a role in my actions and leadership within my educational environment. According to Vassallo, (2015), Habitus describes the deeply rooted attitudes and dispositions that people have which are a result of their upbringing, experiences, and social surroundings. My habitus is therefore a result of my upbringing, which includes being in an underdeveloped township school and later moving to developed schools which has made me understand the lack of opportunities in other areas and has also built in me the resilience to overcome barriers. This upbringing has also played the role of an encourager to take up the role of leadership in Head of STEM and ICT where I prioritize creating opportunities for my students who are from a background that is like my initial one. My experience in the developed schools allowed me to grow my understanding of educational potential when one has educational resources as support for their educational