Inserting Inclusivity and Social Justice into Conceptualizations of Leadership for Early Childhood: Theoretical Anchors and Postfoundational Pedagogies for Inspiring Provocations in the Field

Abstract

This chapter aims to articulate the historical barriers that have limited leadership capacity building within the early childhood profession including the marginalizing effects resulting from the use of corporate literature to inform the fi eld’s production of the construct of leadership. Variations in more contemporary discussions of leadership are presented and highlight the fi eld’s expansion beyond traditional business models towards relational and fi eld- oriented constructs. An argument is made that conceptualizations of leadership must continue to be expanded in order to bring visibility to the leadership activities that have too long remained in the shadows of public discourse and to keep the fi eld’s collective gaze on the expressed purposes of our leadership work as fi ghting for social justice and equity in society. Through a tripartite discussion of conceptual anchors, postmodern pedagogies, and contextualized narratives of work in the fi eld, a window is provided into one graduate program’s work to author new ideas about leadership for early childhood.