Although the origins of self-help groups can be traced back to early history, the self-help movement as we know it today began almost 50 years ago. Approximately 15 million Americans currently belong to about 500,000 different self-help groups. Adults in transition are likely to seek both formal and informal sources of help when faced with…

This report details findings of the Intergovernmental Relations and Human Resources Subcommittee concerning the strengths and weaknesses of current and proposed Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) work programs for promoting self-sufficiency among poor women; the role of support services such as day care; successful innovations in State…

Traces the history of self-help in the African American community, with emphasis on services and programs for children. Claims that the traditions of self-help are very much alive in the African American community, and are manifest in a range of activities. Illustrates contemporary models of self-help from the example of one adoption agency. (MOK)

Over the past six to eight years the Center for Occupational and Professional Assessment at the Educational Testing Service has conducted many efforts in the area of professional self-testing to identify individual strengths and weaknesses as well as to determine what professionals learn from exposure to new information. The results of these…

The task of graduating educationally disadvantaged students from an institution of higher learning is difficult. This difficulty is compounded because the special needs of these students are largely ignored by the institutions they attend. As a result, a disproportionate number of these students experience early failures. With the help of academic…

This paper adopts a Christian perspective in a self-reflexive analysis of Steven Covey and his popular self-help book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." It opens by giving a brief overview of the author, describes his guiding idea of "principle-centered learning," and then discusses the book's spiritual foundations.…

This article considers how liberatory theory (related to critical theory, postmodern thought, and constructivism) can be applied to debates in special education. Liberatory pedagogies encourage oppressed peoples to define for themselves their situations and to define actions that will be liberating. (Author/DB)

Describes the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the political arena, as well as in development and public welfare roles. Traces the recent history of grassroots efforts to solve social problems in Latin America. NGOs can strengthen institution building and influence national policymaking. (KS)

Since most black communities in South Africa have been made powerless because of race and poverty, there is a pressing need to empower the individuals of such communities to take charge of their own destinies, especially in the area of early childhood education and care (educare). Current educare projects are often completely or partially…

Discusses the growth of university programs aimed at bridging the transition of women from home to the labor force or to further education and training in the United States. (SK)

Analysis of Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) organizational literature shows women's articulation of and responses to the problems of codependence from the 1950s to the 1980s. Progressive appropriation of feminist ideals, a critique of the family, and a disease-based model of family dysfunction characterize understanding of…

It is the right and responsibility of every community to take charge of the provision of preschool educare for its children. Many dispossessed communities in South Africa have lacked the skills necessary to organize and manage educare projects and schools. Many current educare projects are often completely or partially controlled by organizations…

Blacks have spent much time and energy "filling other people's pockets" (as Margaret Walker has said) but have not addressed the needs of their own community. Black communities are in a state of deterioration for which the treatment must be self-help. In this paper the example of an unhealthy organism is used as a metaphor for prescribing a cure…

The paper reviews current efforts in early identification and provision of services to the hearing impaired in Pakistan and discusses possible strategies over the next 10 years in rural areas which currently offer no services. Needs in the area of preschool identification and intervention are identified and include proper assessment, appropriate…

There is a pressing need to empower the individuals of dispossessed communities in South Africa to take charge of their own destinies, especially in the area of early childhood education and care (educare). Current educare projects are often completely or partially controlled by organizations or people outside of the community. A prime task of…