Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Charisma, a term re-introduced by sociologist Max Weber during the mid-19 th century, continues to capture the interest of scholars and laymen ever-increasingly.While Weber described charisma as a certain quality of individuals due to which they are deemed exceptional, in current usage the term has been applied rather loosely to individuals as well as inanimate objects.In so doing, charisma has lost the exceptionality that constitutes its essence.In what appears to be an extension of the trait theory of leadership, charisma has become a function of traits, skills, behaviors, situations, relationships, etc.; and there is no coherence regarding what comprises an appropriate combination of charismatic attributes.It is contended that the use of attributes in defining and measuring charisma has resulted in a male-centric approach whereby it has become common practice to designate men with charisma.Women, very rarely, have been called charismatic.This study explored the usage of the term charisma in contemporary literature.Specifically, the goal was to determine the frequency with which men and women are termed charismatic, whether the attributes used to describe charismatic leaders are masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral and if the use of specific attributes leads to gender biases in the scholarship.A related aim was to decipher if contemporary scholarship belies Weber's exposition of charisma.Content analysis was used to answer the questions posed in this study.The results indicate that contemporary charismatic have been lost without their understanding.To my brother-in-law Sandeep for his support and encouragement.To my nephew, Shriyans, who means the world to me.To Rachna for always being there for me, a true friend, rather family; and finally, to my husband, Manish, whose patience during the final stages of the program is immensely appreciated.
Author: Shilpika Devarachetty
Institution: University of Akron
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W174205399