When globalization causes cultural conflict: Leadership in the context of an Egyptian/American school

There is ongoing debate about the benefits and dangers of globalization in education, yet it is not always clear how these dynamics manifest at the school level. Moreover, it is often unclear how leaders shape or respond to these dynamics in their day-to-day practice. This case highlights issues related to school culture and globalization as a means of illustrating the potential for leadership to positively and/or negatively influence educational processes and outcomes. More specifically, it examines various ways that globalization shapes cultural interactions in an American International School in Cairo, Egypt. Situating the case in this context allows students to learn about schooling as practiced in an under-studied educational setting, thereby teaching students both about cultural conflict and a part of the world with which they may not be familiar.