A Sociocultural Position of Women in Leadership: Reflections from Four School Principals’ Lived Vulnerable Experiences

Abstract

This article investigated the dynamic interaction between the leadership styles of four school principals, their vulnerability, and the interconnected relationships they share. Traditionally, patriarchal social expectations have compelled women to prioritise family responsibilities, often in tension with their career pursuits. This study investigates how women in leadership effectively lead schools despite facing their vulnerable position. In the 21st century, women leaders face challenging management duties. They have stakeholders who regard them as ignorant of leadership matters. Social role theory was applied to foreground this study. The social role theory widely highlights how gender stereotypes are often linked to the gender division of labour that characterised patriarchal society. Coupled with the theory mentioned above, a qualitative interpretive paradigm with phenomenology as a framework enhanced this mode of inquiry, and through individual face-to-face interviews, this paper explored the lived experiences of female school principals. Thematic analysis of the data revealed the resilience of these school principals and the empowerment potential of vulnerability as a management and coping strategy. This paper also offers practical solutions based on the implications of being a woman regarding the vulnerable identity within the leadership role in education spaces.