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Research Article Global Media Journal 2016 Vol.14 No.26:27 ISSN 1550-7521 Born into Brothels: The Strife of One Woman to Get the Children Out of the Brothels in India: An Analysis of the Leadership Theories and Traits Payal Cascio* Lafayette Educational Foundations and Leadership, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA *Corresponding author: Payal Cascio, Lafayette Educational Foundations and Leadership, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA, Tel: 3374821000, E-mail: [email protected] Received date: Apr 28, 2016; Accepted date: Jun 14, 2016; Published date: Jun 24, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Cascio P. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. directed by British photojournalist Zana Briski and a U.S. film editor Ross Kauffman and was shot in 2004. The initial Abstract playback music and visuals of this documentary quickly transport the viewer into a different realm of reality. It is a This study utilizes the implications of the various reality that is hard to fathom for a westerner, who take for leadership theoretical models that are reflected granted certain everyday necessities like running water, throughout this award winning documentary "Born into electricity, and most importantly, free education as a basic Brothels," especially in the demeanor of its director Zana right of all children. This however is not the case in all Briski, and its varied characters who are involved in the countries. Education in India is a privilege and is not a making of this Oscar winning documentary. It makes an mandatory right of all children. The film is shot in the city of analogy between the six different leadership models that Calcutta now known as Kolkata which is the capital of the state are analyzed in this study to the leadership traits and skills of West Bengal in India. It is a state that has produced that are displayed by the characters of this documentary. profound national leaders and political activists in India, As the documentary progresses the readers get a sense of how this film is characterized by a sense of strife and the people of high caliber and dignity; nevertheless, it is also unconditional dedication of Zana, to pursue her dream notoriously known for its sprawling slums, red light districts against all odds and to just get the children who are born and the depleting state of its once beautiful structures. Briski, into the brothels of Calcutta, India out of there. The the director expresses her interest in studying the lives of the personalities of the children are varied and cheerful, and children of these brothels, children who are born into these speak to the viewer at a personal level. The various seedy, dingy and hopeless conditions, through the lens of her leadership theories that are discussed in this review camera and the cameras that she hands to each one of the transpire to highlight all those traits and skills of the children that she has selected for the purpose of this director and the children that are frequently mentioned in documentary, to get an idea of what their lives are like, and most theoretical constructs of leadership. It adds a the lives of the other children that are born and being raised in realistic perspective to the otherwise purely theoretical these brothels and by these brothels. Briski’s goal in the implications of the theories defined. It demarcates the making of this documentary is to get the children out of the mechanisms of organizational and structural changes that brothels through formal education. are needed to provide an impetus to a stagnant situation. Zana's efforts to bring the plight of these children to a This narrative documentary follows the lives of certain global pedestal are remarkable and commendable. The children who were born to prostitutes in Sonagachi district, display of the various leadership constructs that play out and is an insightful piece of work that is thought provoking and as the film unfolds validate her skills and traits as they reflective of so many factors in our own lives. The girls imply to the enrichment of research in the field of featured are Suchitra, Tapasi, Shanti, Puja and Kochi, and the education, leadership and mass communication. boys are Gour, Manik, and Avijit. Zana Briski, the director shadows these children through their daily lives and tasks that seem daunting for children of such young age. Keywords: Child education; Leadership theory; Situational model; Cross cultural approach; Servant Significance and application to the leadership Leadership; Team leadership analysis Introduction Author chose this film for review because it sits close to my heart at a personal level. “Born into Brothels,” is an Oscar winning documentary that Author is an Indian by origin and as a young girl growing up begins with the sights and sounds of the congested, murky and in India author often heard stories of these children in the chaotic streets of Calcutta’s Sonagachi red light district. It is brothels by my parents as being the unfortunate ones to be This article is available from: globalmediajournal.com 1 Global Media Journal 2016 ISSN 1550-7521 Vol.14 No.26:27 born in such deplorable conditions. These children are not too is a perfect fit for the trait approach leadership style as she far from the public eye in India and are very much a part of the displays all the attributes that define this approach. Author Indian socio-economic system. However, what makes this find Puja Mukherjee to fit within the trait leadership model as documentary noteworthy is the level of intimacy that is used well. She is one of the girls in the film and a daughter of a to investigate the daily lives of these children. It explores their prostitute to be an extrovert, confident and receptive to the perspectives on various issues that affect their existence; it is a lives of the other children around her and is able to clearly kaleidoscope of their emotions, concerns and most of all their articulate her thoughts and provide feedback on what she distinctive personalities. Zana Briski, the director of this film thinks of her friends. Puja Mukherjee is also another girl, 10 exhibits a variety of leadership styles throughout the movie, years of age who seems to have a bit more than the rest of the sometimes you notice some elements overlapping in the children in the brothel. Nevertheless, her future rests in the various styles that are displayed by her and especially as brothel too as is perceived by the director, since both her situations and her surroundings change. mother and grandmother are in prostitution. She seems to be the most expressive and outspoken of the group of children. Body She is opinionated about her friends but has the best intentions for all. These traits in my view fall within the range With respect to the theoretical framework of the leadership of the trait leadership approach. theories, author will attempt to connect the director’s personality which is Zana Briski’s disposition as it evolves and Skills approach transforms into the various leadership roles as the film progresses. Even the children have idiosyncrasies that can be In his classic work on managerial skills, Mintzberg [6] listed identified in some leadership theoretical models, starting with specific interpersonal skills (i.e. the ability to establish and the: maintain social networks; the ability to deal with subordinates; the ability to empathize with top-level leaders) as critical for Trait approach managerial effectiveness. Even earlier than 1973, scholars scrutinized the role of broad interpersonal skills, such as Primary leadership scientific research tradition focused on empathy, social skills, and tact, in predicting leadership traits that were understood to be inherent or transmissible emergence and effectiveness (see Bass, for a review). qualities of the individual [1]. No doubt influenced by Galton’s Managers, executives, and human resources professionals [2] work, most early researchers measured leader traits to be clearly understand the importance of strong interpersonal unquestionable properties that were present at the birth of a skills. A common theoretical framework linking psychological future leader. This viewpoint shifted in the first half of the 20th and social skills with leadership efficacy is essential to guide century to take into account all relatively enduring qualities research and the valuation and training and development of that distinguished leaders from non-leaders [3]. Stogdill’s [4] organizational leaders. review cited confidence in judgment, speech fluency, Under the skills approach, Zana Briski perfectly interpersonal skills, and administrative abilities as stable amalgamates the human skill element in her line of work as leader qualities. the leader of the pact in Sonagachi. The human skills approach The trait approach in leadership applies the inherent is a leadership style that is described at length in Northouse’s qualities of an individual that are acknowledged to be dynamic book on leadership as a way to channelize one’s leadership in being viewed as a leader; namely, intelligence, self- abilities by establishing a sense of worth and trust among your confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability [5]. The subjects; by providing them assistance and giving them a sense most fitting person for this role in the film is the director of empowerment, this approach also focusses on the leader’s herself, Zana Briski. It is only the trait leadership approach that ability to be sensitive to the values, morals and customs of the encompasses and identifies all the key elements that define environment they are practicing in. As is evident in the film, Zana’s personality, namely intelligence, determination, Zana is well-trusted by the children, they are all fond of her integrity and self confidence in Zana’s personality.

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