Micropolitics+of+Education

Title: Micropolitics of Education

Submitted by: Julia Ballenger Alternate Names: Interpersonal Politics, School Site Politics, Power Relations, Small Organizational Politics

Iannaccone (1975) was the first to coin the phrase micropolitics of education, which he described as the politics that takes place in and around schools. The focus of micropolitics was on “the interaction and political ideologies of social systems of teachers, administrators, and pupils within school buildings” (Iannaccone, 1975 p. 43). Other researchers have since defined micropolitics as the strategic use of power by individuals and groups in organizations to achieve preferred outcomes (Bacharach & Lawler, 1980; Ball, 1987; Blasé, 1989, 1991a; Hoyle, 1986; Pfeffer, 1981). Still other researchers incorporated concepts from the political science literature as a means of organizational analysis such as polity, power, influence, authority allocation of scarce yet valued resources, dominant coalitions, etc. (Bacharach & Lawler, 1980; Cyert & March, 1963; Marshall & Scribner, 1991; Mintzberg, 1983; Morgan, 1986; Pfeffer, 1981, 1992; Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978). As the population becomes more diverse and resources more limited, people with different values and ideologies find themselves scrambling for these limited yet valuable resources. Micropolitics is often the currency through which these scare resources are obtained (Owens, 2006).


 * Theory References: **

Bacharach, S. B., & Lawler, E. J. (1980//). Power and Politics in Organizations: The Social Psychology of Conflict, Coalitions, and Bargaining//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ball, S. J. (1987). //The Micropolitics of the school: Towards a Theory of School Organization.// London: Methuen.

Cyert, R. M., & March, J. G. (1963). //A Behavioral Theory of the Firm//. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Hoyle, E. (1986). //The Politics of School Management//. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Iannaccone, L. (1975). //Education policy systems: A Study Guide for Educational Administrators//. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Nova University Press.

Marshall, C., & Scribner, J. (1991). It’s all political. //Education and Urban Society//, 23(4). 347-355.

Mintzberg, H. (1983). //Power in and Around Organizations.// Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Morgan, G. (1986//). Images of Organization//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.


 * References applying the framework: **

Blasé, J.J. (1989). The micropolitics of the school: The everyday political orientation of teachers toward open principals. Educational //Administration Quarterly, 25(4)//, 377-407.

Blasé, J. J. (1991a). //The Politics of Life in Schools: Power, Conflict, and Cooperation//. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Johnson, B. L. (2001). Micropolitical dynamics of education interests: A view from within. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from []

Johnson, B. L. (2003). Those nagging headaches: Perennial issues and tensions in the politics of education field. //Educational Administration Quarterly, 39 (1)//, 41-67.

Malen, B. (1995). The micropolitics of education: Mapping the multiple dimensions of power relations in school polities. // Journal of Education Policy , 9 (5),// 147 - 167

Salo, P. (2008). Decision-making as a struggle and a play. //Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 35(4)// London: Sage.

Scribner & D. H. Layton (Eds.), //The Study of Education Politics// (pp. 147-168). Washington, D.C: Falmer.