SOCIALISATION AND COMMUNICATION OF WOMEN SCHOOL MANAGERS: A RURAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This article is based on the findings of a qualitative study that was conducted at a rural secondary school in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The aim of the study was to explore the communication strategies of a woman principal given that socialisation into gender positions is considered a major influential factor. The school was identified by means of reputational sampling. The article endeavours to show through the findings of the study that rural women educational managers’ communication relationship with the teachers can be largely marked by "respect" grounded in their traditional customs. Although socialised into a particular style of communication, their communicative behaviours also result from the context in which they grew and in which they find themselves, one common to all principals, males or females. They are able to use both feminine and masculine styles of communication and succeed in their management. Therefore, communication can be improved by combining both feminine and masculine styles of talking.