Critically Oriented and Postmodern Perspectives: Sorting Out the Differences and Applications for Practice

The purpose of this article is three-fold: (a) to locate and describe several aspects of what the author terms critically oriented theories, which in addition to critical theory and feminist theory include critical race theory and queer theory; (b) to describe more fully poststructural perspectives including critical pragmatism and feminist poststructuralism; and (c) to identify key questions from each perspective that can help persons in the field of educational administration think about and respond to research and specific leadership situations in ways that push beyond traditional approaches. This article challenges the assumption that some critically oriented perspectives and postmodern perspectives have little utility for administrator practice. The author offers teaching suggestions to stimulate further conversation about making critical and postmodern ideas more accessible to educational leaders. In so doing, these ideas can lend support to leaders who wish to cocreate inclusive school communities.