Informal socio-educational leadership and its expression through Chinese cinema

The term "leadership" has been infused with different understandings by "Eastern" and "Western" culture. East Asian thinking generally links the idea of "leader" (lingdao) to rank or position, while Western scholarship tends to accept the idea that leaders may emerge and act within less formal contexts or structures. At the same time, much of East Asian history and literature, particularly that from China, highlights the non-formal contributions of individual citizens in pursuit of social goals and social change. In other words, "informal leaders" apparently exist within the Chinese social context, but without benefit of being labeled lingdao. Using contemporary Chinese popular films to illustrate the practice of informal leadership, this study seeks to derive and justify a definition of "leadership" that is robust with respect to differing "Eastern" and "Western" cultural understandings.;Based on inductive context analysis of a sample of Chinese fictional, non- fictional, and documentary films highlighting issues of educational practice and policy, this study explores the extent to which these cinematic texts: (1) depict or suggest "Western" understandings of leadership and (2) serve as a discursive medium of social change. Five emerging themes were then identified across a variety of Chinese educational settings which frame the practice of leadership in terms of the mobilization of collective volition, aimed at social change, and independent from formal rank or position.;The significance of the study lies in its potential sociolinguistic impact on the recognition and acceptance of "bottom up" or "grass roots" leadership within C hina and other East Asian nations. More specifically, this study aims to promote new understandings and discussions of school reform and teacher leadership.