Although "A Nation at Risk" identifies many legitimate problems, the report misconstrues their causes and proposes inappropriate solutions. By blaming schools for America's economic, military, and moral shortcomings, it deflects criticism from education's social, economic, and political context, which we must analyze if we seek a more…

Education serves as a backdrop and a disguise, masking the transformation of this country from an industrialized blue-collar dependent system to a technocratic system dependent upon fewer, but highly educated workers. This movement has tremendous implications for race relations in this country. An in-depth study of the history of school reform…

Asserts that, in modern society, knowledge, higher education, and society act upon each other as separate forces. Examines and compares critical theory and postmodernism and their impact on higher education. Concludes that the differences between these two frameworks as interpretations of higher education can be reconciled. (CFR)

Analysis of 1980 census data reveals that elderly people (age 65 and over) living in Central and Southern Appalachia suffer more inferior life circumstances than the elderly population in the nation as a whole, falling well below national averages in terms of income, access to transportation, availability of telephones, and presence of resources…

Discusses the time focused theoretical interpretation of adult education in relation to the integrative achievement of postsecondary education. Contends that a systematic temporal analysis of postsecondary presupposes the clarification of categories such as events, personal time structures, and synchronization. (CFR)

Discusses formation and implementation of educational policy in an era of financial shortages. Presents four principles essential to understanding policy operation in any social setting. Concludes that there is promise for the development of policies favorable to the arts within school cultures. (CFR)

This book examines how early parenthood differs historically, cross-nationally (in Korea and Sweden), and by class, race, and age in the United States. Contributors discuss how consequential is early parenthood for the future social and economic well-being of parents and children, whether postponing childbearing beyond the teenage years would…

The social stratification process is analyzed from a theoretical point of view, with assumptions tested with empirical evidence from the International Institute for Educational Planning project in developing countries or with information obtained through the researcher's prior studies on industrialized countries. The significant, and often…

Explores the dilemmas posed by the analysis of working class issues in education by professional sociologists. Questions whether the inequalities experienced in the educational system by working class people have been "colonized" by middle class academics for their own professional purposes. (CFR)

Maintains that the number of immigrants from India to the United States has risen dramatically. Asserts that the cultural gap between the immigrant parents and their children is largely the result of their school experiences. Contends that it is important that teachers understand the effects of the educational system on students from other…

Contends that questions about power and who has it dominated U.S. political and social discourse. Discusses five aspects of power and art: (1) three power/art relationships; (2) the struggle between individuals and systems; (3) power applications; (4) current power contexts; and (5) major futures issues. (CFR)

Compares three critical transitions at the end of elementary school and during secondary education prior to and after educational reform in the Netherlands. Concludes that the educational reform efforts promoted more equal educational opportunities by increased student participation. (CFR)

Asserts that Russian society and Russian schools are going through a profound crisis. Maintains that the best approach to solving social and educational problems is to restore and develop national principles and group cohesion. Criticizes the United States and Japanese educational systems and calls for Russia to follow its own path. (CFR)

Considers the role of informal networks in securing occupational advantage for graduates of British "public" schools. Discusses the private sector's official view of the situation and the experiences of recent students. Reports that the official view is of a meritocratic situation, whereas individual students believe personal connections…

Numerous factors influencing health status and health care in Mexico are reviewed in this paper. Part I covers socioeconomic influences including agricultural and land tenure patterns, oil production, population growth rate, and the extent of poverty. Part II discusses the political environment, emphasizing the effects of politics on strategies…