Leadership for Social Change: Learning from the Perspectives of Latina/Chicana Activist Educators

Abstract

Literature in leadership studies is devoid of knowledge about the unique ways that Latina/Chicana educators engage as leaders, activists, and agents for change. Women's studies, ethnic studies, and Chicana feminist studies alert us to the complex role that social context and the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity/race, and class play in the development of educators’ leadership approaches. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven Latina/Chicana educators in the border region of San Diego County. A grounded theory approach was used to discover how their activism developed and influenced their views of leadership. Findings showed the critical role of education as sites of struggle and possibility in the evolution of activists’ identities and social justice leanings.