To understand why the general situation of young Hispanic Americans is critical it is necessary to consider some demographic characteristics of the Hispanic population and examine the need for reform in their educational experiences. The impact of some current initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic region are discussed, and some alternative reforms are…

This report describes a classroom intervention for improving the social skills of fourth-grade students in an urban school. Children in the school were exhibiting poor social skills, as evidenced by lapses in self-discipline and by incidences of inappropriate behavior as noted by teacher observation and anecdotal records. After examining the…

Personal autonomy is a fundamental ideal in American culture. When the autonomy of a person with reduced capacity is restricted or limited by law and a guardian is appointed, the issue becomes critical to our understanding of social justice. Preservation of autonomy remains a core social value even while the legal system moves to erode personal…

A study of institutional responses to incidents of intolerance on college and university campuses was conducted. A questionnaire was sent to the deans of student affairs and student newspaper editors at 128 four-year colleges and universities; and interviews were conducted with administrators, students, faculty, and staff from 58 institutions, 11…

Based on successful classroom practice, the 31 essays in this book describe methods for teaching English and language arts while increasing students' self-esteem and respect for others, awareness of social issues, appreciation of literature, understanding of connections among disciplines, and involvement in their own learning. Essays in the book…

This paper contains a course outline for a teaching and learning unit to examine India's slums from a geographic perspective. Students in a college freshman and sophomore Human Geography class will discuss the problems and prospects of these slums. The unit is divided into three parts: (1) background information examining the slums from a…

In the past few years many movies have addressed social issues such as AIDS, parental estrangement, aging, battered women and children, and racism. Teachers of teenagers can capitalize on these kinds of serious films in two ways: by assuming that students have thought about some serious issues and by building on that assumption. Three movies of…

This guide is the first of three documents that make up a Professional Development Package for Educational Systems Design. Together, the documents constitute an integrated package designed to help educators and others accomplish specific purposes relative to a communitywide systems design effort. The orientation guide is ideally used in a 1-day…

Part of a family of reports on the status of children researched by a bipartisan polling team, this publication presents voter profiles on Americans' opinions on the health, education, safety, and security of U.S. children. The results of a national survey, confirmed by representative samples of the electorate in 12 states, suggest intense and…

Structural changes that have taken place in Canadian families in recent decades are described in this booklet. Topical sections are as follows: (1) What Counts in Canadian Families (importance of (importance of family); (2) The Family--Variations on a Theme origins, family structure, seniors aged 60 and over, how lives are spent, religion); (3)…

Designed to help high school students, this curriculum guides youngsters to develop a better understanding of difficult issues raised by questions of justice. It is hoped that the ideas, observations, questions, and procedures students learn in the curriculum will help them to make informed decisions about how to promote justice and combat…

At the hearing reported in this document, 38 witnesses representing a diverse cross-section of the state testified on the condition of the California family, with some also proposing solutions. Witnesses included legislators from the federal, state, and local levels; administrative and other workers from social service agencies; representatives of…

Large numbers of persons of African and Asiatic descent have immigrated to the countries of Western Europe in recent decades, and their presence has raised significant problems in terms of racial and cultural relations for European leaders. This document features the general report from a conference sponsored by the Council of Europe's Council for…

This book covers a representative sample of the types of technology developed by the South African Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). It is divided into five sections: (1) "Introduction" (Andries R. van den Berg); (2) "Technology for Education and Training" (A. Cecilia Bouwer); (3) "Technology for Managing Human…

Personal interviews with clients of the Calgary Indian Friendship Center and two other similar centers established a need for a program to enhance the social functioning of elderly aboriginals in Calgary. The needs focused on lack of transportation, inaccessible or inadequate medical care, isolation, elder abuse, and inadequate housing. The…