The Power of Competing Narratives in Rural School Politics

• In Event: State and Local Politics of School Reform

Abstract

This grounded theory study explains the influence of micro community context on rural school-community conflict through exploration of such discord in a rural district and community during a collective bargaining dispute from 2005 to 2009. The theory showcases the ways in which opposing coalitions consolidate political power through the propagation of competing hegemonic narratives of the local community. The paper concludes with implications for rural district leaders and future research in rural education politics.

Author

• Erin McHenry-Sorber, Wilkes University