Community college and 4-year university students differ in many ways, ranging from career aspirations and intention for pursuing a college degree to the types of experiences they look for in a college. Beyond baseline demographic data, little comparative work has been completed that examines how they differ, particularly in areas such as study…

The relationships among community characteristics and community well-being were examined for all 366 rural California communities with a population of 1,000-2,000. High proportions of Latinos and new immigrants in a community population were positively related to unemployment, percent children, and employment in agriculture, and negatively related…

This report distills hundreds of indicators from both domestic and international sources to determine how the United States compares to other countries and to its own past performance in competitiveness. It attempts to establish a baseline of some key education and training indicators that, taken together, show where the nation stands and where it…

Rural minorities lag behind rural Whites and urban minorities on many crucial economic and social measures. This collection of 10 papers examines rural Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian and Pacific Islander populations and their economic well-being in the 1980s, an economically difficult decade for rural areas. Results show minimal…

The contribution the sociologist's status attainment model makes towards comprehending reasons for the decline since the mid 1960s in the economic prospects of university graduates is examined. The hypothesis tested is that decline in background endowments accounts for the downward trend in the level of job obtained by graduates. (Author/MLW)

Life histories collected from 1,038 urban residents of Beijing and Shanghai (China) examined educational opportunities and labor force entry from 1949-93. Data support arguments that individual life chances under state socialism are extremely sensitive to political processes, and that changing state policies can dramatically alter opportunity…

Reports on a study of second-generation high school students who were children of Cuban and Vietnamese immigrants (relatively advantaged groups) and of Haitian and Mexican immigrants (relatively disadvantaged). Discovers that parents' socioeconomic status, length of stay in the United States, and hours spent on homework affected academic…

Elasticities generated from ecological regressions indicate a Black disadvantage, relative to Hispanics and Asians, in converting education and income into desirable residential outcomes in their neighborhoods. However, differences were less than those found in previous studies and those inferred from levels of segregation. Education was critical…

Investigates the effects of urbanization on the University of Glasgow, Scotland, by examining the origins, university courses, and subsequent careers of Glasgow students between 1860 and 1914. Illuminates the educational patterns of working and middle class youth. Concludes that the University provided a channel from industry and commerce into the…

Differences between West Bank Palestinian college students and their peers of the same age group are explored. The study finds that students and nonstudents differ substantially because of educational, class, social, religious, and political factors. However, student political attitudes and activism are seen as likely to influence the general…

This study examined the cognitive development of students enrolled in three levels of freshman chemistry courses and focused on changes in spatial ability over time. Results indicate that performance on general Piagetian-type tasks, including spatial visualization, can be refined through educational intervention. Concludes that students appear…

This study compared outcomes for 74 congenitally legally blind adults who learned to read braille or print as their original reading medium. Those who learned to read using braille had higher employment rates and educational levels, were more financially self-sufficient, and spent more time reading than did those who learned to read using print.…

In this chapter, the authors argue that alignment of higher education with workforce needs should be based on careful action by institutions to embed skills and attributes within instructional programs. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Examines whether economic conditions similarly influence the college enrollment of adolescents from different groups. Indicates effects of income returns varies systematically by race, class, gender, and cognitive skills. Argues that college enrollment of white males from lower socioeconomic origins with lower cognitive skills is most consistent…

This article considers Bourdieu's concepts of "social capital" and "social fields", comparing and contrasting his use of these concepts with that of James Coleman and Robert Putnam. It examines how Bourdieu's ideas offer a different way of understanding the lives of economically disadvantaged young women designated as "at…