Sociology of Leadership
Reclaiming the Sociological Study of Leadership
Michael Fraleigh, Ph.D.
Bryant University
Presented at the 105th American Sociological Association Meetings
August 14-17, 2010
Hilton Atlanta and Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Atlanta, Georgia
Reclaiming the Sociological Study of Leadership
Abstract
Sociology's long tradition of examining the intersection between individual and group behavior suggests an obvious line of inquiry into the nature of leadership in both formal and informal settings. Indeed, sociological studies from 1935 through mid-century created a solid foundation for a distinctive, sociological approach. Surprisingly, that promise has yet to be fulfilled; sociology has instead often stood on the sidelines as more individual-centered disciplines such as psychology, communication, and management have engaged in serious theoretical and empirical research into leadership. This paper provides a summary overview of early sociological research into leadership as a social phenomenon, and calls for a renewed focus on the sociological study of leadership.
Reclaiming the Sociological Study of Leadership
Part I: Missed Opportunities
A quick survey of interest in leadership amongst today's high schools turns out not to be so quick after all: type the phrase "high school student leadership" into a search engine and you will get more than 100,000 hits. And this emphasis finds a ready audience among America's adolescents. In a survey of high school students reported by Gilgorich (1993), a whopping 25 percent of respondents considered themselves in the top 1 percent of leaders, and virtually all considered themselves average or above. We can smile at this youthful naiveté, but we should also expect that a good number of these teenagers, once they arrive at college, will be eager to have their leadership skills formally acknowledged through college leadership courses duly completed and officially stamped on their academic transcripts. And some, too, will seek out
Michael Fraleigh, Ph.D.
Bryant University
Presented at the 105th American Sociological Association Meetings
August 14-17, 2010
Hilton Atlanta and Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Atlanta, Georgia
Reclaiming the Sociological Study of Leadership
Abstract
Sociology's long tradition of examining the intersection between individual and group behavior suggests an obvious line of inquiry into the nature of leadership in both formal and informal settings. Indeed, sociological studies from 1935 through mid-century created a solid foundation for a distinctive, sociological approach. Surprisingly, that promise has yet to be fulfilled; sociology has instead often stood on the sidelines as more individual-centered disciplines such as psychology, communication, and management have engaged in serious theoretical and empirical research into leadership. This paper provides a summary overview of early sociological research into leadership as a social phenomenon, and calls for a renewed focus on the sociological study of leadership.
Reclaiming the Sociological Study of Leadership
Part I: Missed Opportunities
A quick survey of interest in leadership amongst today's high schools turns out not to be so quick after all: type the phrase "high school student leadership" into a search engine and you will get more than 100,000 hits. And this emphasis finds a ready audience among America's adolescents. In a survey of high school students reported by Gilgorich (1993), a whopping 25 percent of respondents considered themselves in the top 1 percent of leaders, and virtually all considered themselves average or above. We can smile at this youthful naiveté, but we should also expect that a good number of these teenagers, once they arrive at college, will be eager to have their leadership skills formally acknowledged through college leadership courses duly completed and officially stamped on their academic transcripts. And some, too, will seek out
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