Analyzes social theory as an antecedent to social policy, and social policy as an antecedent to social practice. The African-American family provides the basis for this examination. Social policy should be based on empirical observation as well as theory, and it should be population specific. (SLD)

Many Latin American authors have undertaken cultural criticism designed to explain the psyche of the Hispanic countries. Carlos Fuentes, in "The Buried Mirror: Reflections on Spain and the New World," presents another example of the obsessive need to interpret Latin America to the rest of the world. (SLD)

Reviews elements of traditional scientific method and trends among Native American and other scholars to include intuitive, spiritual, and personal categories of understanding. Suggests four areas of focus to evaluate the new scholarship: importance of the research, integrity of the process, explanation of the methodology, and acknowledgment of…

Examines the development of employment networks among undocumented Mexican migrants in Chicago (Illinois). The ethnographic study of about 100 immigrants indicates that kinship networks have lost importance for migrants seeking employment in Chicago. Presumptive causes for these changes and consequences for the average migrant are discussed. (SLD)

A study of 12 feminist and minority scholars found most had struggled with gender and/or racial discrimination from both colleagues and administration. Issues that emerged included the problems of being different in a traditional situation and of perceived threats they posed to the status quo. (MSE)

Interviews and observations in over 25 Greek and Turkish schools in rural Cyprus examined educational policy formation, teacher preparation and assignment, class size, teacher salaries and promotion, and student behavior and outcomes. Society's influences on educational conditions and outcomes are discussed with reference to American rural…

Special issue includes 20 articles in 3 categories: personal and individual perceptions of aging, varieties of images and perceptions (social, historical, cross-cultural), and institutional responses over time (ageism, federal responses, literature, mass media). (SK)

Discusses the development of the "World Culture Model," a visual aid illustrating the interconnection and universality of various components of civilization (political, social, economic, historical). Includes a lesson plan using the World Culture Model to identify various aspects of culture found in different interactions and to…

Examines biopsychosocial effects of acculturation on the high suicide rate among young Ojibwa males in relation to "pimadaziwin" (health, well-being, and longevity for self and family attained through cultural compliance) and "nissitise" (face-saving suicide following loss of "pimadaziwin"). Case study illustrates how…

This article reviews sociocultural, multicultural, and critical pedagogical theories and suggests that an adequate and sufficient theoretical framework for professional development in special education must explicitly and directly address issues of power, discrimination, and relative status that underlie dilemmas of practice. It offers vignettes…

Considers two issues in teaching summary-writing skills to students of English for academic purposes (EAP): how the skill is handled in EAP textbooks, and how summarization practices differ across cultural groups. A central concern is the role of attribution, a textual device that creates distance between author and summarizer. Argues that…

Examines the sociocultural context in Singapore to determine the existence of an examination culture there. Argues that an examination culture has important repercussions for the introduction and implementation of innovative practices into the education system. Examination focuses on the 1991 English-language syllabus and how the introduction of…

Describes the dialogue between an American researcher and others as she planned and carried out a study of women's literacy programs in rural Mali. Discusses the researcher's status in relation to the organization administering the programs, cultural differences in terms of researcher versus practitioner and Westerner versus African, and reasons…

Analysis of higher education enrollments in the United States and United Kingdom in 1970-87 found that the divorce rate is positively related to women's enrollment in the United States, and unemployment is positively related to enrollment for men, but not for women, in both the United States and the United Kingdom. These and related policy issues…

The history of Aboriginal production and use of alcohol prior to white contact reveals that alcohol use originated in Central America and rapidly diffused to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. However, Aboriginal alcohol use was generally controlled and supervised during ceremonies, and only after white contact did alcohol use…