This article explores the pedagogical potential of closely reading and writing hardboiled detective fiction in a Canadian secondary English Language Arts classroom. Grounded in narrative theory and co-taught with a local high-school teacher, the unit focused on the cynical narration and stylistic elements of authors like Raymond Chandler and…

Can verse mediate between the educational institution and the wider community of which it is a part? Utilising a case study of a specific taught module, this essay considers whether the performance of poetry as an experiential learning activity has a role to play in the emerging concept of the university as an anchor institution, a term that…

Anchor movements rest on the premise that people- and place-based initiatives can be mutually reinforcing. The community development movement, however, has been haunted for years by the people-place dilemma -- the idea that efforts to help people harm efforts to uplift places and vice versa. Most of the literature on the anchor strategy has…

Many minorities in Boston (Massachusetts) do not feel part of the entire community because the city does not work for people in minority groups in fundamental ways. This report analyzes the content and consequences of Boston's many contradictions and the challenges these contradictions pose for the city's three major communities of color: Blacks,…

Presents a conception of the origins of genocide and mass killing, as illustrated by the Holocaust and violence in the former Yugoslavia, and relates these experiences to youth violence in the face of difficult living experiences in the United States, stressing the role of unfulfilled or frustrated human needs. (SLD)

Although not every American is touched directly by violence, it is hard for anyone to escape the problems of violent crime completely. This book, designed for the education of young readers, discusses violence and explores reactions to it. It is stressed that violence is not a new problem in the United States or in the world, but rather a…

Homelessness affects people of all backgrounds, races, and religions. Whether the number of homeless people is 300,000 or 3 million, as some estimates claim, there are too many people in America who struggle to find shelter daily, making homelessness one of the most serious problems facing the nation today. This discussion, designed for the…

This document presents a systematic, comparative review of three reports: (1) "Community Consultation on Prostitution in British Columbia: Overview of Results" (released in March 1996 by the Ministry of the Attorney General in British Columbia); (2) "Children Involved in Prostitution" (from Alberta in January 1997); and (3)…

Fear can produce behavior that is indistinguishable from racism. The best way to reduce real or imagined racism is to reduce the African-American crime rate to equal that of whites. This will require an enormous commitment to the problems of the innercity. (SLD)

The Aspen Domestic Strategy Group exists to encourage a search for common ground on the nation's social challenges by bringing together leaders of diverse views and backgrounds. It is not expected to produce legislative proposals but rather a continuing conversation to shape a more coherent approach to domestic needs. (SLD)

What is known about gangs is reviewed and the information is brought up to date. The book covers reported changes in the structure and crime patterns of gangs, their age, ethnic, and gender characteristics, and their spread into almost all corners of the United States. The early chapters consider four issues that are major concerns in…

The magnitude of societal violence, issues surrounding organizational and scientific approaches to its control, emerging strategies that promise to advance knowledge of its causes, and the relationships between socioeconomic factors and interpersonal violence are reviewed. An agenda for public and science policy, professional practice, and basic…

Recent American educational research focuses on the differences between urban and nonurban schools. Ideas such as "inner city" are taken as self-evident and are imposed as a way to achieve a more just and equitable national system of schooling. The urban environment is singled out as violent. This essay takes the position that the…

The negative effects of poverty, alienation, and racism influence the lives of black children most heavily. This report covering Michigan presents information and recommendations concerning the continuing decline in the quality of life for black children. It is the culmination of a series of activities including forums, symposia, and conferences…

Explores the ways in which producers of contemporary urban graffiti resist the increasing segregation and control of urban environments, and shows how graffiti participants undermine efforts at control. Data come from four years of field work in Denver (Colorado) and research in other cities. (SLD)