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A Case Study Exploration of the Symbolic Leadership of Jean Byers Sampson : Civil Rights Activist and Educator

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A Case Study Exploration of the Symbolic Leadership of Jean Byers Sampson : Civil Rights Activist and Educator University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2002 A case study exploration of the symbolic leadership of Jean Byers Sampson : civil rights activist and educator Vincent Michael Pellegrino University of Tennessee Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Pellegrino, Vincent Michael, "A case study exploration of the symbolic leadership of Jean Byers Sampson : civil rights activist and educator. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2002. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/6353 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Vincent Michael Pellegrino entitled "A case study exploration of the symbolic leadership of Jean Byers Sampson : civil rights activist and educator." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Education, with a major in Educational Administration. Mary Jane Connelly, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Lloyd Davis, Dan Quarles, John Ray Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Vincent Michael Pellegrino entitled "A Case Study Exploration of the Symbolic Leadership of Jean Byers Sampson: Civil Rights Activist and Educator." I have examined the final paper copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment for the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education, with a major in Educational Administration and Policy Studies. We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: (Z I&" Accepted for the Coun · · A Case Study Exploration of the Symbolic Leadership of Jean Byers Sampson: Civil Rights Activist and Educator A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Education Degree The University of Tennessee Vincent Michael Pellegrino December 2002 Copyright © 2002 by Vincent Michael Pellegrino All rights reserved 11 Dedication To my wife, Marcy. Her love and compassion supported me through the writing of this dissertation. To my sons, Jacob and Jonah. You played and worded beside me. You were a source of wonder and delight. To my mother, Geraldine "Geri" Theresa Pellegrino. You nurtured my interest in writing and encouraged my love of learning. To my friend, John Guerry, Esq. Your steadfast leadership and friendship was the inspiration for this work. It is from you I learned the values of justice and leadership. 111 Acknowledgments I most gratefully acknowledge all those who have given generously of their time and talents to assist and support me in this study. Thanks especially to the family, friends and former colleagues of Jean Byers Sampson who opened the doors for my research. I wish to thank my committee members: Dr. Mary Jane Connelly, Associate Professor, Department oflnstructional Technology, Curriculum, and Evaluation, College of Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, my dissertation chair; Dr. Lloyd Davis, Guerry Professor of Education, College of Education and Applied Professional Studies, Education Graduate Studies Division, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; Dr. Dan Quarles, Director, Department of Instructional Technology, curriculum and Evaluation, College of Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Dr. John Ray, Professor, Department of Instructional Technology, Curriculum, and Evaluation, College of Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville who have been patient and wonderfully helpful in this undertaking. With this dissertation, I honor the memory of Jean Byers Sampson, who left a remarkable record of leadership service. lV Abstract A literature review of leadership revealed that symbols are strategies for understanding and acting. Humans possess knowledge symbolically. Symbols are the starting point for all intellectual and expression. Symbolic leadership, therefore, refers to the idea that symbols can be identified from within the language and actions of leaders. Tierney (1989) identified six symbolic categories from the language of a leader: metaphorical, physical, communicative, structural, personification and ideational. Tierney theorized that symbols were given their meaning from the context in which they resided. Utilizing Tierney's theory, this exploratory study examined archived, documents, artifacts and interview data for the role symbols and symbolic context played in the life of a leader. A within-case analysis of the life of Jean Byers Sampson, civil rights activist and educator was undertaken to explore the questions: what were the symbolic forms and contextual surroundings of her leadership? The findings indicate: an important part of the meaning of Jean Byers Sampson's symbols of leadership was derived for the larger context in which the symbols were used; Jean Byers Sampson's leadership and values were likely to recur when similar contextual conditions arose; Jean Byers Sampson's use of symbols and values were meant to induce action or agreement in others and, therefore Tierney's theory can be supported. What emerges significantly from this study, is that by examining the context for symbolic leadership, one can understand how the collection of symbols Jean Byers Sampson, either inherited or invented, connected her leadership to the institutions she served. V Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: Introduction ............................................... 1 Background of the Problem ........................................ 1 Statement of the Problem .......................................... 4 Statement of Purpose .............................................. 5 Theoretical Framework ............................................ 5 Propositions of the Case Study ...................................... 7 Single Case Description ........................................... 8 Research Questions .............................................. 10 Need for the Case Study .......................................... 11 Significance of the Case Study ..................................... 12 Limitations ..................................................... 13 Delimitations .................................................... 13 Definitions ...................................................... 13 Organization of the Case Study .................................... 14 CHAPTER 2: Review of the Literature .................................... 16 Symbolic Theory ................................................ 16 Perspectives of Leadership ........................................ 23 Symbolic Perspectives of Leadership ................................ 29 Tierney's Symbolic Leadership Theory .............................. 30 CHAPTER 3: Methods of Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation ........ 39 Introduction .................................................... 39 Qualitative Research ............................................. 40 Interpretive Line of Inquiry ....................................... 42 Case Study Method .............................................. 44 Unit of Analysis: Rationale for Selecting a Single Case ................ 46 Data Collection Procedures ........................................ 47 Gaining Entry to the Research Relationship .......................... 48 Archival Records ................................................ 50 Documents ..................................................... 51 Physical Artifacts ................................................ 52 Interviews ...................................................... 53 Data Analysis: Coding and Organizing Data ......................... 55 Data Interpretation .............................................. 58 Experience, Values and Biases of the Researcher ...................... 59 CHAPTER 4: Data Analysis ............................................. 63 Analytical Design ................................................ 63 Data Sources Used for Formulating Codes ........................... 65 Archived Records ................................................ 66 Documents ..................................................... 66 Vl Physical Artifacts ................................................ 66 Interviews ..................................................... 67 Coding Categories ............................................... 68 A Case Report of the Research Findings of Symbolic Leadership of Jean Byers Sampson ....................................... 71 The Lowest of the Low: Working with the NAACP 1946- 1947 ......... 76 A Study of the Negro in Military Service Working with the NAACP 1946-1947 ........................................ 80 Working with the Maine Branch of NAACP 1946-1962 ................ 83 Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Catalyst 1962-1970 ............... 93 Resist or Resign: The University of Maine System Board of Trustees 1965-1985 ........................................ 112 Motion With Form: Maine Civil Liberties Union: 1968 - 1993
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