How Women Leaders Resist Socialization to Old Norms

An investigation examined the way in which specific women were selected for and inducted into school leadership. Each had graduated from a newly designed preparation program built around state and national standards, focused on teaching and learning as the central role of schools, and committed to collaborative approaches as the best way to achieve shared goals. Pressures on women to conform to traditional norms for school leaders as they entered school leadership were examined. The investigation also explored any impact that gender-associated leadership preferences had on their socialization. A multiple case study approach was selected and data sources used were primary and naturalistic in nature (statements, documents, and observations). The 15 students in the study graduated with clear ideas about leadership and their preferences for leadership style. They had studied the concept of socialization and knew that during their transition into leadership they would encounter both explicit and implicit expectations fo