This article extends the authors' earlier work (Young & Muller 2013) exploring the concept of 'powerful knowledge'. It first examines some of the origins of the concept and goes on to a brief consideration of how sociology, political theory and economics have traditionally represented 'power' and 'knowledge'. Two key senses of power are…

Several authors have suggested that the contract between the university and society formulated in the nineteenth century is breaking down, and a new relation between knowledge and society is being installed. This paper investigates what is at stake in this shift by re-visiting the roots of disciplinary knowledge, examining Durkheim's social…

Background: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the "Yes You Can!" ("YYC") curriculum on sexual knowledge and behavioral intent of program participants. Methods: Participants included students ages 10-14 from schools in a northeast US urban area. "Yes You Can!" program lessons were designed to…

In this paper, following some brief introductory remarks, I provide a context to this Symposium by presenting a brief autobiographical account explaining how I became involved in curriculum theory and the idea of a knowledge-led curriculum and how I was led to write the paper under discussion. I then make brief comments on each of the six papers…

A study identified correlates of selected beliefs about drugs, personal drug use, and expected drug use among kindergarten children. As part of a state-wide drug education project, 112 kindergarten children from 5 elementary schools were individually interviewed. Analysis of the data indicated significant relationships between personal use of…

Examined fourth graders' tobacco attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge and investigated the validity and reliability of the survey instrument. Results indicated a positive relationship between attitude and behavior, and gender differences were significant. High numbers of students had already tried tobacco. The survey instrument was comprehensive…

Examined the relationship between self-esteem and sexual behavior and intended sexual behavior among Hispanic middle school students. Student surveys indicated that higher home self-esteem significantly related to reduced likelihood of participation in sexual intercourse (ever) and reduced intent to participate. Higher school self-esteem related…

Examined the effect of the "Sex Can Wait" curriculum series on students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexuality. Surveys of students in intervention schools and schools with traditional sex-education programs indicated that at the elementary and middle school level, the intervention program produced greater gains, but in high…

Examined the effects of an abstinence education curriculum on outcomes among upper elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. Surveys of intervention and comparison students indicated that the curriculum had positively influenced knowledge, self-efficacy, and outlook (but not attitudes) among elementary students. There were no…

The article examines the results from an 18-month follow-up evaluation of an abstinence education curriculum series. Participants were students from 15 school districts recruited to participate in the project. The intervention was the Sex Can Wait curriculum series, consisting of upper elementary, middle school, and high school components. The…

Evaluated the effectiveness of an upper elementary, abstinence-based, sexuality education curriculum on students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to sexuality. Pre- and postintervention surveys of students in intervention and control groups indicated that intervention students had higher scores on knowledge and life skills and reported…