Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory?
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 restru...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2016
|
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42861/ |
| _version_ | 1848796586929291264 |
|---|---|
| author | Stevenson, Howard |
| author_facet | Stevenson, Howard |
| author_sort | Stevenson, Howard |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:50:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-42861 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:50:21Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-428612020-05-04T17:29:11Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42861/ Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? Stevenson, Howard 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. Taylor & Francis 2016-02-01 Article PeerReviewed Stevenson, Howard (2016) Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? Leadership and Policy in Schools, 15 (1). pp. 67-90. ISSN 1744-5043 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403 doi:10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403 doi:10.1080/15700763.2015.1071403 |
| spellingShingle | Stevenson, Howard Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title | Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title_full | Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title_fullStr | Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title_short | Challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| title_sort | challenging school reform from below: is leadership the missing link in mobilization theory? |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42861/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42861/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42861/ |