Describes how parents in two communities constructed their roles in a social context shaped by economic resources, local notions of home-school relations, and information networks. Examines parenting as a social activity internalized by individuals through their daily interactions. Shows how family-role perceptions and school practices are…

Reviews theories of identity formation ranging from the classic work of E. H. Erikson to postmodern and feminist theories, and incorporates qualitative research examining the identity formation of 14 adolescent girls. The article suggests that schools can serve as sites for deconstructing issues of socioeconomic status identity, body image…

Examines the potential influence of family and community variables on the development of children in violent neighborhoods and reviews research on the prevalence and effects of children's exposure to community violence. It presents strategies for developing and empirically testing culturally specific interventions to promote positive developmental…

Investigated whether three types of family decision making on adolescent adjustment were moderated by ethnicity and/or community. Found that, for joint and unilateral youth decision making, community context interacted with ethnicity in three patterns of influence, refuting the notion that ethnic differences in the influence of parental strictness…

Adults condemn violence but teach children to fight back. The message that aggression is legitimate causes grave harm to untold numbers of children and youth in our violent culture. Children are literally losing their lives trying to gain "respect" and preserve their "dignity." The author draws on extensive direct professional work with violent…

Using a sample of 20,000 adolescents (Add Health data), this study examined the influences of community poverty and race/ethnicity on adolescent obesity. Multilevel analyses revealed strong evidence for the unique influences of community poverty and race/ethnicity on adolescent obesity net of family characteristics. The prevalence of obesity is…

This study examined the reading performance on the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery--Revised (WLPB-R), in Spanish and English, of 183 Spanish-speaking students in kindergarten through grade 2 in 3 schools with 4 instructional programs for English learners: structured English immersion, transitional bilingual, developmental bilingual, and dual…

This guide provides history, format, contact names, addresses, and phone numbers of some African dance and African American marching units in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). The working papers are divided into two categories. "Part One: Movements of African Dance in Philadelphia" begins with a sensitive, detailed explanation of the…

A qualitative case study of Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs) (in which freshmen enroll in specific thematically linked courses their first semester) was carried out at a large, public, research university. The intent of the study was to understand how participation in a FIG influenced students' learning experiences, and how those experiences fit in…

Schools in Australian Aboriginal communities are pulled between an educational model that stresses cultural pride and preservation and one that emphasizes uniformity of education to prepare Aboriginal students for a place in the dominant society. The tension between these objectives is seen in these case studies of schools in two remote Queensland…

A major stumbling block for the implementation of Mexico's Global Development Plan has been the country's large rural population of Indians. One government strategy to integrate this sector into the mainstream of society has been to teach Spanish, the official language, as a second language, while at the same time fostering ethnic pride. The…

This booklet discusses the confinement of juveniles in adult jails, and offers suggestions for local citizens who want to remedy the problem. The first section presents background information on juveniles in adult jails, and discusses the following issues: the physically and psychologically damaging effects on juveniles of incarceration in adult…

A school board member responds to an article by Albert Shanker that appeared in the previous issue. (IRT)

Toronto (Ontario, Canada) and Los Angeles (California) are two cities that provide television programs for specific ethnic groups. During a sample week, 13 percent of the total broadcast time of stations serving Greater Toronto was devoted to programs for ethnic groups. In another sample week, minority ethnic broadcasts took up 17 percent of the…

Taking the view that principals play a key role in providing a solid educational foundation for students, this review of the literature is designed to better inform administrators, teachers, parents, and the general public about the principal's role and responsibilities. The review focuses on the elementary school principal and includes research…