Abstract
This research investigated youth leadership experiences of adolescent girls who participated in a comprehensive feminist-based leadership program. This qualitative study utilized a grounded theory approach to understand changes that occurred in 10 female adolescent participants. The words of the participants revealed that initially they viewed leadership in traditional terms and were hesitant to identify themselves as leaders or to see themselves included within their concepts of leadership. Following the program their view of leadership expanded and diversified in a manner that allowed for inclusion of themselves within it. They spoke with greater strength and confidence and felt better positioned and inspired to act as leaders. Participants identified having examples of women leaders, adopting multiple concepts of leadership, and participating in an environment of mutual respect and trust as factors that contributed to their expanded conceptualization.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bowen, W. G., & Bok, D. (1995). Lives if the graduates of Central Park East Elementary School: Where have they gone? What did they really learn? New York: NCREST, Teachers College, Columbia University.
Bowling, S. W., Zimmerman, T. S., & Daniels, K. C. (2000). ‘Empower’: A feminist consciousness-raising curriculum for adolescent women. Journal of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy, 10, 3–28.
Brown, L. M. (1998). Performing femininities: Listening to white working-class girls in rural Maine. Journal of Social Issues, 53, 683–701.
Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women’s psychology and girl’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Catelli, L. (1996). Bottom of the ninth: Girls, physical education, and literature. In K. E. Vandergrift (Ed.), Ways of knowing (pp. 361–397). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Chin, J. L. (2004). 2003 Division 35 presidential address: Feminist leadership: Feminist visions and diverse voices. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 1–5.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Denmark, F. L. (1999). Enhancing the development of adolescent girls. In N. G. Johnson, M. C. Roberts, & J. Worell (Eds.), Beyond appearance: A new look at adolescent girls (pp. 377–404). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Eagly, A. H. (2007). Female leadership advantage and disadvantage: Resolving the contradictions. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 1–12.
Eagly, A. H., & Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C. (2001). The leadership styles of men and women. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 781–797.
Eagly, A. H., & Johnson, B. T. (1990). Gender stereotypes and dimensions of effective leadership behavior. Sex Roles, 23, 413–419.
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109, 573–598.
Erkut, S., Fields, J., Sing, R., & Marx, F. (1996). Diversity in girls’ experiences: Feeling good about who you are. In B. J. R. Leadbeater & N. Way (Eds.), Urban girls: Resisting stereotypes, creating identities (pp. 53–64). New York, NY: New York University Press.
Fine, M., Burns, A., Payne, Y. A., & Torre, M. E. (2004). Civic lessons: The color and class of betrayal. Teachers College Record, 106, 2193–2223.
Flanagan, C. A., Bowes, J. M., Jonsson, B., Csapo, B., & Sheblanova, E. (1998). Ties that bind: Correlates of adolescents’ civic commitments in seven countries. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 457–475.
Flanagan, C. A., & Sherrod, L. R. (1998). Youth political development: An introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 447–456.
Fordham, S. (1993). “Those loud black girls”: (Black) women, silence, and gender “passing” in the Academy. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 24, 3–32.
Gilligan, C. (1990). Teaching Shakespeare’s sister. In C. Gilligan, N. Lyons, & T. Hanmer (Eds.), Making connections: The relational worlds of adolescent girls at Emma Willard School (pp. 6–29). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gilligan, C. (1993a). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Gilligan, C. (1993b). Joining the resistance: Psychology, politics, girls, and women. In L. Weis & M. Fine (Eds.), Beyond silenced voices: Class, race, and gender in United States schools (pp. 143–168). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Greenwood, & Levin, (2000). Reconstructing the relationships between universities and society through action research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 85–106). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Harding, S. (1987). Feminism and methodology. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Hollander, E. P. (1986). On the central role of leadership processes. International Review of Applied Psychology, 35, 39–52.
Holliday, R., Letherby, G., Mann, L., Ramsay, K., & Reynolds, G. (1993). Room of our own: An alternative to academic isolation. In M. Kennedy, C. Lubelska, & V. Walsh (Eds.), Making connections: Women’s studies, women’s movements, women’s lives (pp. 180–194). London, England: Taylor and Francis.
Killeen, L. A., López-Zafra, E., & Eagly, A. H. (2006). Envisioning oneself as a leader: Comparisons of women in Spain and the United States. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 312–322.
Leadbeater, B. J. R. & Way, N. (Eds.). Urban girls: Resisting stereotypes, creating identities. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
MacPherson, P., & Fine, M. (1995). Hungry for an us: Adolescent girls and adult women negotiating territories of race, gender, class and difference. Feminism and Psychology, 5, 181–200.
Madriz, E. (2000). Focus groups in feminist research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 835–850). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Metz, E., McLellan, J., & Youniss, J. (2003). Types of voluntary service and adolescents’ civic development. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18, 188–203.
Morse, J. (1994). Designing funded qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 220–235). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mumford, M. D., O’Connor, J., Clifton, T. C., Connelly, M. S., & Zaccaro, S. J. (1993). Background data constructs as predictors of leadership behavior. Human Performance, 6, 151–195.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2002). Gender differences in depression. In I. H. Gotlib & C. Hammen (Eds.), Handbook of depression (pp. 492–509). New York: Guilford.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Girgus, J. S., & Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Sex differences in depression and explanatory style in children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 233–246.
Northouse, P. G. (2004). Leadership: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving ophelia: Saving the selves of adolescent girls. New York, NY: Putnam.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1994). Grounded theory methodology: An overview. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 273–285). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Taylor, J. M., Gilligan, C., & Sullivan, A. M. (1995). Between voice and silence: Women and girls, race and relationship. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Van Linden, J. A., & Fertman, C. I. (1998). Youth leadership: A guide to understanding leadership development in adolescents. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Ward, J. V. (1996). Raising resisters: The role of truth telling in the psychological development of African American girls. In B. J. R. Leadbeater & N. Way (Eds.), Urban girls: Resisting stereotypes, creating identities (pp. 85–99). New York, NY: New York University Press.
Yates, M., & Youniss, J. (1998). Community service and political identity development in adolescents. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 495–512.
Yoder, J. D. (2001). Making leadership work more effectively for women. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 815–828.
Zaccaro, S. J. (2007). Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American Psychologist, 62, 6–16.
Zacharatos, A., Barling, J., & Kelloway, K. E. (2001). Development and effects of transformational leadership in adolescents. Leadership Quarterly, 11, 211–226.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the important contributions of Beth Douthirt Cohen and Cecilia Clarke of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project to the development of this research. We also thank Carol J. Nemeroff, Lisa Rubin, Nancy Felipe Russo, Meleeka Anjuli Burt, Vanessa Cardona, Kristy Livesey, and the participants of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project for their important assistance. Additional information about the leadership organization can be found at www.sadienash.org.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoyt, M.A., Kennedy, C.L. Leadership and Adolescent Girls: A Qualitative Study of Leadership Development. Am J Community Psychol 42, 203–219 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-008-9206-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-008-9206-8