Discusses three issues that raise serious questions about the behavioral norms and moral obligations of educational planners. From a cost-benefit point of view, excessive planning is reached when overall societal costs exceed overall societal benefits. (Author/WM)

Any effort to change a complex social system should begin by constructing models and simulations of the problem and its social context. These will increase the likelihood of long-term success, decrease the chance of unexpected negative side effects, and help conserve scarce national resources. Models may be of three types: (1) prose models--which…

Proposes an alternative conceptual framework for social work practice. Describes the present model as lacking a clear, easily articulated identity. Details social problems, including family structure changes, mental illness, physical disability, delinquency, and poverty. Provides key steps to alleviating these problems, emphasizing more active…

This guide is the first of three documents that make up a Professional Development Package for Educational Systems Design. Together, the documents constitute an integrated package designed to help educators and others accomplish specific purposes relative to a communitywide systems design effort. The orientation guide is ideally used in a 1-day…

Material bearing on the educational and social policy of early childhood education is summarized and a set of policy options and a recommendation are offered. An attempt is made to clarify the questions around which disagreements occur concerning the meaning and value of "education" in relation to young children. A history section treats…

Strategies for the adaptation of Head Start for the economic and social conditions of the future involve the linkage of early childhood and family support approaches with community economic development. Such strategies must include a reappraisal of mental health models to ensure the health of children and their families. (SLD)

Just as programs and organizations have too frequently been established for the presumed benefit of mankind but do not work out as expected because the social methods available are not good enough, so the author proposes that the existence of social problems in general bespeak the need for new social inventions. Social inventions provide laws,…

Theoretical models of social structure are analyzed in light of modern work patterns, social affiliations, and social attitudes. It is hypothesized that previous paradigms for society were based on classic theory which analyzed the then emergent forms of social structure and relationships. Because social structures and relationships have changed,…

This guide is designed to aid social studies classroom teachers develop and implement programs using the community as a social sciences laboratory. The document describes how to prepare a social profile of the community. Based upon the Colorado System-Based Social Science Project which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the study…

This document contains 123 papers from an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The papers focus on the following themes: (1) societal and ethical issues; (2) human resource development and personnel training; (3) international issues; (4) information technology in VET;…