Words Matter : Social Justice and Policy Discourses in Higher Education

Higher education leaders interface with a myriad of stakeholders, including policymakers. The language that leaders use to frame problems and solutions matters. We draw on postmodern paradigms in this chapter to consider the critical role discourse plays in shaping higher education policy problems and solutions. Given a world of higher education policy where discourses of efficiency, economics, competition and pursuits of prestige and excellence dominate, a postmodern paradigm provides higher education administrators a revolutionary leadership approach to espouse for just and equitable policies in their daily practices. In this chapter, we seek to start a dialogue aimed at answering the following questions: How can higher education administrators, who espouse for just and equitable policies either internal or external to the institution, consider discourse analytic frameworks when interfacing with policymakers and other critical stakeholders? Additionally, what leadership practices can administrators adopt that align with their social justice beliefs?