Early steps in the higher education reform process in the Slovak Republic since 1989 are outlined, difficulties are noted, and suggestions for possible forms of encouragement are listed. Suggestions focus on international cooperation, particularly within the European Community, interinstitutional collaboration, and internal reforms in governance,…

A supporter of affirmative action in California sees attackers as mean-spirited and practicing wedge politics. He stresses its legality and opposes a proposed California Civil Rights initiative. An opponent criticizes affirmative action, noting practical difficulties in application and its opposition to American values of fairness. He defends the…

Discourse analysis addresses questions regarding both spoken and written communications and can be applied to purposes and practices of information study that appear in books and journals in the field. Applications of discourse analysis to information include investigation of the social, political, and technical implications of the word…

Rather than forming a coalition as minority groups against the majority, African Americans and Hispanics are engaged in a struggle with each other over economic and social justice issues. Hispanics are largely frustrated by a social welfare and service system that seemingly caters to blacks. Racial tensions are seen more at the grass-roots level…

A Bowdoin College (Maine) policy banning military recruitment on campus, because the armed forces will not recruit openly gay people, has been dropped because of the introduction of federal legislation cutting off federal research funding to colleges barring military recruitment. (MSE)

Uses a typical Lorenz-curve framework to measure inequality of resource allocation in South African education. Although improvements have been achieved over the past two decades, substantial inequalities remain. The current distribution of educational resources is much more unequal than that for developed countries but not as inequitable as that…

Illustrates the role of the family in linking sociopolitical changes to adolescent development by outlining some differences in structures of families of East and West Germany. Synthesizes survey data on this topic. Areas discussed include family formation, unmarried couples and parents, maternal employment, public child care, divorce and…

Examined whether the former East Germany has produced authoritarian personalities and whether there is age and gender variation on authoritarianism regardless of culture. Subjects were 552 West German, 320 East German, and 619 American adolescents. Found that all three cultures have similar proclivities to exhibit an authoritarian character…

The national-service movement needs to grapple with two weaknesses. One is the underrepresentation of people of color and of young people of low socioeconomic status. The other is a failure to develop strategies that seek to solve problems caused by persistent poverty; current strategies tend to address only immediate needs. (SLD)

Examines the developing publication forms in the electronic environment in light of critical perspectives on textuality, historical dimensions of technological change, and economic and political considerations. Suggests that books will be significantly altered in the networked future and concludes that impediments to change are cultural, not…

For each of the 50 states, the outlook for higher education in the state legislature in 1992 is outlined. Information includes the date of the legislative session, budget request for higher education, prospects for the request, nonbudget issues likely to be considered, and issues specific to private colleges. (MSE)

This survey of 331 institutions of higher education found that attributes of the postindustrial environment--scarcity of resources, competitiveness, and turbulence--are negatively associated with the effectiveness of four-year colleges and universities. Participative decision making, domain offense strategies, and political decision processes…

Statistics on college students in Czechoslovakia before November 1989 are presented, and a survey of 320 students after the massive political upheaval is reported. The survey assessed student views on the new social, economic, and political situation, the status and changes in higher education, changes in higher education funding, and future…

Traces history of foreign language instruction (predominantly Russian as a result of former Soviet political domination) in the German Democratic Republic prior to unification. Russian instruction, as a tool for ideological control, emphasized receptive skills such as lexis and morphology. Explains changes in content and methods in foreign…

An analysis of the federal Stafford Student Loan Program summarizes its successes, limitations, and numerous problems and explains why reform has not yet occurred. A policy stalemate in Congress, lack of a well-developed reform alternative, and newly professionalized and mobilized interest groups are seen as making change unlikely. (Author/MSE)