Reviews the changing nature of the Puerto Rican community in New York City. The article examines the internal changes in the community, such as family structure and economic status, which have created two separate Puerto Rican groups: (1) two-parent families who are well-educated and economically well-off; and (2) single-parent, meagerly educated…

Gives an overview of issues related to domestic violence against women as a social problem: changing responses from the legal system and the community over the course of history, possible causes of domestic violence against women, current perspectives and trends, prevalence, seriousness, and our response as a society. (LKS)

Discusses factors involved in the decision by battered women to seek court orders of protection. Women seeking such orders confront both tangible and symbolic fears. There are powerful motivations counteracting these fears; in addition, women experience psychological benefits from a sense of gaining some measure of control in their lives. (LKS)

Mike Davis's book presents a history and current sociology of Los Angeles from a socialist perspective, arguing that inequalities in the distribution of power and wealth underlie the area's serious, growing problems: ethnic fear and discrimination, social disinvestment and withdrawal by the "haves," and an epidemic of youth violence. (SV)

Issues in resettlement of women and children, who make up about 80 percent of refugees of concern to the United Nations, are discussed. Bias toward males in the admission of refugees for resettlement demonstrated in data for 1985-91 for the United States, Canada, and Australia may exist elsewhere. (SLD)

Examined perceptions of verbal versus physical sexual harassment incidents and consequences among 99 male and 99 female white undergraduates. Found significant "consequence" and "sex" effects. Males rated verbal incidents less negatively than did females, especially when the statement described "physical" behavior…

Data from 2,000 Norwegian 16-year-old ninth graders were used to study the importance of socioeconomic factors and sex differences in an educational system with mainstreaming, no ability grouping, little acceleration, and no retention in grade. Analysis illustrates how sex and socioeconomic differences may be mediated in an egalitarian society.…

A study analyzed four major classes of discourse marker in Brazilian Portuguese: "ne" and other requests for feedback; "ai," a sequential connector; "ah, bom," and other turn initiators; and "assim," a marker of explanation. Distribution in various discourse functions and sociodemographic conditioning, and…

A feminist educator discusses contradictions, inconsistencies, and inadequacies in college policies concerning sexual harassment. It is argued that the fundamental question is whether women students are taken seriously, not whether sexuality enters into the relationship between students and teachers. (MSE)

Reflects on the Lakota myth of the winds from a psychological-sociological point of view with the purpose of destroying several false myths relating to children and family dynamics. Recounts the myth and relates it to Alfred Adler's views of the family constellation and birth order as a basis for personality determination. (RAH)

Urges a focus on the positive, rather than negative, aspects of African-American family patterns and emphasizes a recollection of the past positive coping strategies, such as a strong oral tradition of proverbs for passing on positive values to next or future generations. (JB)

This paper traces the political and educational movements of both African-American and hearing-impaired U.S. individuals since 1960 and compares their common as well as disparate experiences in terms of social and political background, social attitudes, family relationships, education, and employment. Four suggestions are offered for advancing the…

A study of sociocultural and gender differences in Arab (n=209) and Jewish (n=184) first-year college students' perceptions of major sources of academic stress, and relationship with achievement, found cultural group background the most salient background predictor of success, followed by social class and gender, with noninteractive effects. A…

Asserts that during periods of rapid social change, the political consciousness of the population also changes dramatically. Reports on a survey of 1,800 students and 1,270 instructors in Russian higher education institutions. Finds that changes in social consciousness are not proceeding along lines of rational interpretation of facts and ideas.…

Adoption of Western notions of society, state, and the individual has made educational expansion and modernization an important goal for both local people and elites in Botswana. The rapidity of change resembles that in other developing nations but has been facilitated particularly by Botswana's history, location, and recent mineral discoveries.…