IS THE LAND OF OZ AN ALIEN NATION - A SOCIOPOLITICAL STUDY OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONFLICT

This interpretive case study examines the political thinking underpinn ing the strategies and counterstrategies used by administrators and Bl ack leaders engaged in a political struggle over the fate of seven Bla ck youths who protested against unfair treatment in their suburban hig h school Using the framework of political analysis developed by Bachar ach and Mundell, this case study reveals the opposing logics of action , or underlying belief systems, that informed both administrative and community responses throughout this protest. This case study reveals t hat midlevel administrators acting out of an allegiance to, and belief in, orthodox images of administration face a paradox in diverse and c hanging school communities; the more these administrators aligned with images of effective administration as bureaucratic control, the more ineffective they became in interpreting and responding to a politicall y savvy interest group not subject to administrative authority.