When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership

Sydney D. Richardson

doi:10.29333/ajqr/15167

Sydney D. Richardson ¹ ^*

More Detail

AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 87-108

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

OPEN ACCESS 951 Views 582 Downloads

Download Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

Community leadership has been studied for decades, yet more still needs to be understood about its development among members of an area. While scholars can investigate phenomena from various methodologies and disciplines, there are other methodologies that can help researchers delve deeper into understanding a concept such as this. Narrative case study research with an emphasis on counter-narratives and embodiment is one way to understand community leadership. Through this single holistic narrative case study, I examined how community leadership developed in a low-income and segregated community. The findings of this study focus on four main areas: (1) care work with subthemes such as community leadership among church members and community members, (2) entrepreneurship, and (3) embodiment of the counter-narrative. The insights from this article serve as a way for scholars to identify the emergence of counter-narratives, as well as ways in which counter-narratives can help others learn about community leadership.

Keywords: Community leadership, counter-narratives, embodiment, narrative case study

References

Abramovitz, M. (2001). Learning from the history of poor and working-class women’s activism. The Annals of the American Academic of Political and Social Science, 577, 118–130. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1049827
Andrews, M. (2021). Quality indicators in narrative research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 353-368. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769241
Audi, R. (2010) Epistemology: A contemporary introduction to the theory of knowledge (3rd. ed.). Routledge.
Belenky, M., Clinchy, B., Goldberger, N., & Tarule, J, (1997). Women’s ways of knowing: The development of self, voice, and mind. Basic Books.
Bodner, G. M. (1986). Constructivism: A theory of knowledge. Journal of Chemical Education, 63(10), 827–919. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed063p873
Bonjean, C. M., & Olson, D. M. (1964). Community leadership: Directions of research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 9(3), 278–300. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2391442
Bono, J. E., Shen, W., & Snyder, M. (2010). Fostering integrative community leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(2), 324–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.01.010
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019) Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2014). Do role models matter? An investigation of role
modeling as an antecedent of perceived ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 122, 587-598.
Buchholz, B. A., DeHart, J., & Moorman, G. (2020). Digital citizenship during a global pandemic: Moving beyond digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 64(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1076
Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & quantity, 56(3), 1391-1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y
Calhoun-Brown, A. (2000). Upon this rock: The Black church, nonviolence, and the civil rights movement. Political Science and Politics, 33(2), 168–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/420886
Collins, P. (2000, August 17). Remembering a time gone by. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2000-08-17/ed-1/seq-1/
Coly, B., Kellam, N., Maitra, D., & Boklage, A. (2024). Narrative smoothing in the wild: A pack-based approach to co-constructing narratives for analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 23, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241230416
Cruise, S. (2011). Reynoldstown: Race, blight, disease, highway construction and the transformation of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Master’s thesis, North Carolina State University). http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/7117
DeSouza, F., Parker, C. B., Spearman-McCarthy, E. V., Duncan, G. N., & Black, R. M. M. (2021). Coping with racism: A perspective of COVID-19 church closures on the mental health of African Americans. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8, 7–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00887-4
Dickens, D. D., Womack, V. Y., & Dimes, T. (2019). Managing hypervisibility: An exploration of theory and research on identity shifting strategies in the workplace among Black women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.10.008
Dirkx, J. M. (2008). The meaning and role of emotions in adult learning. New directions for
adult and continuing education, 2008(120), 7-18.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.311
Dodgson, J. E. (2019). Reflexivity in qualitative research. Journal of human lactation, 35(2), 220-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419830990
Erdmann, A., & Potthoff, S. (2023). Decision criteria for the ethically reflected choice of a member check method in qualitative research: A proposal for discussion. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231177664
Estefan, A., Caine, C., & Clandinin, D. J. (2016). At the intersection of narrative inquiry and professional education. Narrative Works, 6(1), 15–37. https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/nw6_1art01
Evans, S. D. (2012). Community leadership. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 3(3), 1–6. https://www.gjcpp.org/pdfs/2012-001-final-20120515.pdf
Family holds annual reunion. (1994, September 15). The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/1994-09-15/ed-1/seq-9/#words=pond+Pond
Farmer, L. (2009, February). Residents of historic Pond hold annual get-together. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2009-02-26/ed-1/seq-53/#words=pond+Pond
Fisher, K., & Robbins, C. R. (2015). Embodied leadership: Moving from leader competencies to leadership practices. Leadership, 11(3), 281–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715014522680
Gambrell, K. (2016). Lakota women leaders: Getting things done quietly. Leadership, 12(3), 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715015608234
Gislason, M. K., Morgana, V. S., Mitchell-Foster, K., & Parkes, M. W. (2018). Voices from the landscape: Storytelling as emergent counter-narratives and collective action from northern BC watersheds. Health and Place, 54, 191–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.08.024
Goris, E. D., Schutte, D. L., Rivard, J. L., & Schutte, B. C. (2015). Community leader perceptions of the health needs of older adults. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(5), 599–618. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945914530046
Gray, I. H. (1991) History of the pond. https://www.amazon.com/Pond-Oxford-Scientific-Films/dp/026220049X
Grocke, C. L., Eversole, R., & Hawkins, C. J. (2022). The influence of place attachment on community leadership and place management. Journal of Place Management and Development, 15(3), 298–315. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-11-2020-0118
Henriques, E., Schmidt, C., Pascoe, R., Liss, K., & Begun, S. (2022). Counter-narratives of structural oppressions, stigma and resistance, and reproductive and sexual health among youth experiencing homelessness, Qualitative Health Research, 32(10), 1447–1463. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221110694
Hickson, H. (2016). Becoming a critical narrativist: Using critical reflection and narrative inquiry as research methodology. Qualitative Social Work, 15(3), 380–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325015617344
Innovation Quarter (2022, April 20). The rich history of Black-owned business in Winston-Salem. Innovation Quarter. https://www.innovationquarter.com/articles/winston-salem-black-business-history/
Judson, S. (2020). “We’re walking proud and talking loud because we’re the new Black Joes!” Community leadership and tenants rights in Asheville’s 1968 rent strike. Journal of Urban History, 46(4), 816–835. https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144219834256
Kang, S., & Froehlich, W. (2021). Divided community project academy initiative case study #3: The Ohio State University Press.
Knights, D. (2021). Challenging humanist leadership: Toward an embodied, ethical, and effective neo-humanist, enlightenment approach. Leadership, 17(6), 674–692. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715021993641
Kumar, A. (2011). Towards Realist Constructivism: Implications for teaching & training. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 46(3), 523–535. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41149468
Lamm, K. W., Carter, H. S., Lamm, A. J., & Lindsey, A. B. (2017). Community leadership: A theory-based model. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(3), 118–133. https://typeset.io/pdf/community-leadership-a-theory-based-model-l4mvf84edf.pdf
Lechuga-Pena, S., & Lechuga, C. E. (2018). Xicanisma/o and education: Counter storytelling and narratives to inform Latina/o student success. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 33(3), 300–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109917747633
Lind, C. J., & Ekwerike, O. (2022). Orientations toward community leadership. Leadership, 18(4), 520–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427150221085134
Liu, P., & Han, A. (2023). How does community leadership contribute to rural environmental governance? Evidence from Shanghai villages. Rural Sociology, 88(3), 856–894. https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.12504
Lobe, B., Morgan, D. L., & Hoffman, K. (2022). A systematic comparison of in-person and video-based online interviewing. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221127068
Luck, T. (2011, August 11). Pond Giants make a splash. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2011-08-11/ed-1/seq-11/#words=POND+Pond
MacLean, N. (1999). The hidden history of affirmative action: Working women’s struggles in the 1970s and the gender of class. Feminist Studies, 25(1), 43–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/3216670
Massoud, M. F. (2022). The price of positionality: assessing the benefits and burdens of self
identification in research methods. Journal of Law and Society, 49, S64-S86. https://doi.org/10.1111/jols.12372
Maxwell, C., & Sonn, C. (2020). The performative is political: Using counter-storytelling through theater to create spaces for implicated witnessing. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(1–2), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12493
Maylor, U., Roberts, L., Linton, K., & Arday, J. (2021). Race and educational leadership: The influence of research methods and critical theorising in understanding representation, roles and ethnic disparities. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(4), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211022770
Maylor, U. (2020). Black supplementary school leaders: Community leadership strategies for successful schools. Management in Education, 34(4), 132–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020620949543
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Wiley & Sons.
Merriweather Hunn, L. R., Guy, T. C., & Manglitz, E. (2006). Who can speak for whom? Using counter-storytelling to challenge racial hegemony [Conference presentation]. Adult Education Research Conference, Minneapolis, MN, United States. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2006/papers/32
Miles, J. (2019) Historical silences and the enduring power of counter storytelling. Curriculum Inquiry, 49(3), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2019.1633735
Miller, R., Liu, K., & Ball, A. F. (2020). Critical counter-narrative as transformative methodology for educational equity. Review of Research in Education, 44(1), 269–300. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20908501
Moore, C. M. (1988). The anatomy, roles and history of community leadership organizations. National Civic Review, 77(6), 502–515. https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4100770602
Nicholson, V., Bratu, A., McClean, A. R., Jawanda, S., Aran, N., Hilstrom, K., Hennie, E., Cardinal, C., Benson, E., Beaver, K., Benoit, A. C., Hogg, B., & Jaworsky, D. (2021). Indigenizing our research: Indigenous community leader in HIV epidemiology research. International Journal of Population Data Science, 6(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v6i1.1386
Nieto-Valdivieso, Y. F. (2022). Women as embodied infrastructures: Self-led organisations sustaining the lives of female victims of conflict-related sexual violence in Colombia. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 17(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423166221100428
Norkunas, M. K. (2004). Narratives of resistance and the consequences of resistance. Journal of Folklore Research, 41(2), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1353/jfr.2005.0009
Nguyen, A. W. (2018). African American elders, mental health, and the role of the church. Journal of American Society on Aging, 42(2), 61–67. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26556362
O’Connor, K. (2022). Constructivism, curriculum and the knowledge question: Tensions and challenges for higher education. Studies In Higher Education, 47(2), 412–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1750585
Oppermann, L. E. (1994). Winston-Salem’s African American neighborhoods: 1870-1950. Architectural and planning reports. Forsyth County Joint Historic Properties Commission. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/winston-salems-african-american-neighborhoods-1870-1950-architectural-and-planning-report/378672
Parker, C., Scott, S., & Geddes, A. (2019). Snowball sampling. In P. Atkinson, S. Delamont, A. Cernat, J. W. Sakshaug, & R. A. Williams (Eds.), SAGE research methods Foundations. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526421036831710
Peasgood, T., Bourke, M., Devlin, N, Rowen, D., Yang, Y, & Dalziel, K. (2023). Randomized comparison of online interviews versus face-to-face interviews to value health states. Social Science & Medicine, 323, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115818
Pruysers, S., Blais, J., & Chen, P.G. (2019). Who makes a good citizen? The role of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 146, 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.04.007
Quintela Do Carmo, G., Vinuesa, V., Dembélé, M., & Ayotte-Beaudet, J. P. (2024). Going beyond adaptation: An integrative review and ethical considerations of semi-structured interviews with elementary-aged children. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241247474
Richardson, S. D. (2023a). Making the entrepreneurial transition: Stories of women entre-employees. Palgrave MacMillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29211-8
Richardson, S. D. (2023b). Higher education leaders as entre-employees: A narrative study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 7(3), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/13222
Ridzi, F., & Prior, T. (2023). Community leadership through conversations and coordination: The role of local surveys in community foundation-run community indicators projects. International Journal of Community Well-Being, 6, 127–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-020-00098-z
Ropo, A., Sauer, E., & Salovaara, P. (2013). Embodiment of leadership through material place. Leadership, 9(3), 378–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715013485858
Schoch, K. (2020). Case study research. In G. J. Burkholder, K. A. Cox, L. M. Crawford, & J. Hitchcock (Eds.), Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner (pp. 245–258). SAGE Publications.
Schoenberg, N. E., Bowling, B., Cardarelli, K., Feltner, F., Mudd-Martin, G., Surratt, H. L., & Kern, P. A. (2021). The community leadership institute of Kentucky (CLIK): A collaborative workforce and leadership development program. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 15(1), 95–105. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2021.0009
Solorzano, D. G. & Yosso, T. J. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education research. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 23–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/107780040200800103
Sonday, A., Ramugongo, E., & Kathard, H. (2020) Case study and narrative inquiry as merged methodologies: A critical narrative perspective. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920937880
Strawser, C. (2021). Community foundations as community leaders: The role of community leadership in creating change. The Foundation Review, 13(3), 10. https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1580
Swaim, R. D. (2008). Standing on the promises that cannot fail: Evaluating the Black church’s ability to promote community activism among African-Americans in the present day context. Journal of African American Studies, 12, 401–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-008-9058-1
Szelwach, C. (2020). Embodied leadership: Skills for the fourth industrial revolution. Body Studies, 2(6), 53–65. https://bodystudiesjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/6-Embodied-Leadership.pdf
Tew, C. P. (2013). Ramkat ramblings: As downtown Winston creeps East it must embrace East Winston. Winston Watchman. https://www.winstonwatchman.com/ramkat-downtown-winston-east-winston/
Verleye, K. (2019). Designing, writing-up and reviewing case study research: An equifinality perspective. Journal of Service Management, 30(5), 549–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2019-0257
Villalobos, C., Morel, M. J., & Treviño, E. (2021). What is a “Good Citizen”? A systematic literature review. In E. Treviño, D. Carrasco, E. Claes, & K. J. Kennedy (Eds.), Good citizenship for the next generation (pp. 13–32). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75746-5_2
Waite, R., McKinney, N., Smith-Glasgow, M. E., & Meloy, F. A. (2014). The embodiment of authentic leadership. Journal of Professional Nursing, 30(4), 282–291. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2013.11.004
Walker, K. (2006, May 25). Marker unveiled in the heart of historic Pond community. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2006-05-25/ed-1/seq-15/#words=pond+Pond+Pond%27s
Walker, K. (2007, February 22). Marker salutes The Pond’s place in history. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2007-02-22/ed-1/seq-48/#words=pond+Pond+Pond%27s
Walker, K. (2012, February 23). A swan song for The Pond. The Chronicle. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042324/2012-02-23/ed-1/seq-28/#words=pond+Pond+Pond%27s
Wituk, S., Ealey, S., Clark, M. J., Heiny, P., & Meissen, G. (2005). Community development through community leadership programs: Insights from a statewide community leadership initiative. Journal of the Community Development Society, 36(2), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330509490177
Wu, V. C. S. (2021). Community leadership as multi-dimensional capacities: A conceptual framework and preliminary findings for community foundations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 32(1), 29–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21467
Zhu, G. (2023). Educate your heart before your mind: The counter-narratives of one African American female teacher’s asset-equity-and justice-oriented pedagogy in one urban school. Urban Education, 58(6), 1151–1179. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085920902244

Citation

Richardson, S. D. (2024). When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(4), 87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

Richardson, S. D. (2024). When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(4), pp. 87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

Richardson SD. When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(4), 87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

Richardson, Sydney D.. "When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2024 8 no. 4 (2024): 87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

Richardson, Sydney D. "When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 8, no. 4, 2024, pp. 87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167

Richardson SD. When Participants Embody the Answer: A Narrative Case Study of Community Leadership. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(4):87-108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/15167