DPLS 745: Ethics and Leadership Studies

Expected Competencies:

  1. Ethical Frameworks in Leadership: Ability to analyze and apply major ethical theories—deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics—to leadership contexts.

  2. Historical and Philosophical Contextualization: Skill in evaluating how classical, modern, and post-modern thinkers influence ethical leadership paradigms.

  3. Critical Engagement with Ethical Issues: Capacity to explore contemporary moral problems through an ethical lens and engage in philosophical argumentation.

  4. Integration of Ethics and Metaphysics: Understanding of how ethical inquiry connects with metaphysical assumptions about human nature, community, and ultimate purpose.

  5. Philosophical Communication: Proficiency in articulating and defending ethical positions through oral presentations, peer discussions, and scholarly writing.

Achieved Competencies:

  1. Ethical Theory Application: I examined the role of maternal gatekeeping through the lens of social ethics and gender theory, showing its impact on family dynamics and broader societal norms.

  2. Philosophical Analysis of Narrative: My presentation on J.R.R. Tolkien’s On Fairy-Stories explored metaphysical themes of recovery, escape, and consolation, tying them into ethical leadership, narrative formation, and hope.

  3. Socratic Engagement: Participated in philosophical dialogues rooted in the works of Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Marx, and Held, engaging both sympathetically and critically with their positions.

  4. Metaphysical Ethics: Explored how personal and communal ethics are shaped by deeper metaphysical commitments—especially in relation to Indigenous, Christian, and feminist frameworks.

  5. Scholarly Writing: Developed a peer-reviewed paper connecting ethical theory to a contemporary issue (maternal gatekeeping), incorporating both classical moral frameworks and feminist ethics.

Applied Competencies:

  1. Oral Presentation on Tolkien’s On Fairy-Stories: Presented a 40-minute lecture and guided discussion on the moral and metaphysical dimensions of Tolkien’s essay. I focused on the role of fantasy in ethical leadership and the cultivation of imagination as a moral skill.

  2. Contemporary Moral Inquiry: My final paper, Maternal Gatekeeping as a Contemporary Moral Issue, explored how gendered power dynamics in parenting shape ethical responsibilities and social expectations in the home. I argued for a more equitable distribution of parenting authority informed by relational ethics.

  3. Ethics in Practice: Engaged with cross-cultural perspectives on leadership, including Indigenous teachings and Black theology, integrating ethical insight into my broader leadership praxis.

Artifact Inclusion:

1. Tolkien Presentation: The Ethics of Enchantment
An oral presentation and lecture on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy-Stories.” This work examined the ethical and metaphysical implications of fantasy literature in leadership and the human condition, particularly the redemptive elements of narrative.

2. Final Paper: Maternal Gatekeeping as a Contemporary Moral Issue
This academic paper addresses maternal gatekeeping—defined as behaviors by mothers that restrict paternal involvement—as a socially constructed ethical issue. Drawing from feminist ethics, virtue theory, and relational ethics, I argued for dismantling rigid parental roles to foster more just and equitable family systems.

References:

Allen, S. M., & Hawkins, A. J. (1999). Maternal gatekeeping: Mothers' beliefs and behaviors that inhibit greater father involvement in family work. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(1), 199–212.

Altenburger, L. E., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Lang, S. N., Bower, D. J., & Kamp Dush, C. M. (2018). Associations between maternal gatekeeping and fathers’ parenting quality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(3), 843–853.

Aristotle. (n.d.). Nicomachean ethics (W.D. Ross, Trans.). Digireads.com.

Held, V. (2006). The ethics of care: Personal, political, and global. Oxford University Press.

Kant, I. (1785). Grounding for the metaphysics of morals.

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism.

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1947). On Fairy-Stories. In Tree and Leaf. Allen & Unwin.

West, C. (1993). Race matters. Beacon Press.

Wendell Berry. (1977). The whole horse. The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture.

Keywords:

Ethics, maternal gatekeeping, narrative ethics, feminist theory, Tolkien, fairy stories, relational leadership, metaphysics, deontology, virtue ethics, moral responsibility.