The problem undertaken by this study was the assessment of social, psychological, and philosophic factors present in the educational climate of an urban ghetto high school (Denver, Colorado Manual High School), as a preliminary step to the diagnosis and development of an enhanced educational program. Seventy-eight teachers and 798 students…

The facilitation observed when paired-associates (PA) are presented or generated in a meaningful string is a phenomenon that is well-documented, and raises a number of developmental issues. The principal objective of the current research was to examine the relationship between performance on an auditory PA task and the linguistic components of…

Examining the normative and regulative effects of parental influence on the educational mobility of high school youth and the changing patterns of educational mobility, rural high school seniors in Ontonagon County, Michigan were surveyed in 1957/58 (N=254), 1968 (N=193), and 1974 (N=201). The key variables examined were: (1) college plans; (2)…

Four papers discuss how to: (1) help physicians under direction of a psychologist teach psychological material to other physicians; (2) introduce family practice teaching into residency programs; (3) teach developmental psychology to physicians; and (4) help psychologists and physicians understand and negotiate their different backgrounds and…

Over the past few decades, social reproduction theorists have criticized achievement ideology as a dominant and dominating myth that hides the true nature of class immobility. Social reproductionists' primary criticism of achievement ideology is that it blinds the working class, regardless of race or gender, to the possibilities of collective…

Little is known about the development and function of families in major Caribbean communities, an area composed of diverse ethnic and political groups, the majority of whom live on the edge of poverty. This edited book provides an interdisciplinary examination of Caribbean families, each chapter detailing studies dealing with family structures and…

Critical and revisionist historians of American education have generated a model of education in a capitalist society that has a functionalist orientation. However, this model does not properly acknowledge the importance of society's contradictions, disjunctions, and incoherence in social and educational change. (FG)

Criticizes recent educational and sociological literature for its optimistic assessment of family-school programs. Maintains that these studies fail to address observable differences in parents' educational skills, occupational and economic flexibility, social networks, and positions of power. Illustrates these problems with examples from an…

Preschool and kindergarten programs for poor and middle-class children fell into three types: (1) didactic programs, which stressed academic skills and had relatively negative social environments; (2) child-centered programs, which deemphasized academic skills and had positive social environments; and (3) intermediate programs, which fell between…

Details findings of research into 17-year-old students' consideration of science-based social issues. Reports that, although sex-based differences appeared in both student questionnaire and discussion responses, differences were far fewer in the discussions. Argues that social factors blur sex differences, making discussion a valuable learning…

In this first-person paper, educator Dr. Lionel Brown takes a sweeping look at the racial crises that have erupted in his home city of Cincinnati during his lifetime, and proposes that education is the only real, long-term way of addressing and disrupting the repeating pattern of violence. He highlights a selection of current and proposed…

This study examined several facets of institutional racism from the vantage point of 32 white male undergraduates at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The focus was on the situation of minorities already enrolled in the institution and on the perceived equity of certain steps taken, or to be taken, to support their academic progress, social…

The difficulties of social complexity in discipline in large urban schools and other multiethnic schools may be treated as a resource for curriculum. This paper describes social communications curricula, strategies for their development, their usefulness particularly in large multiethnic urban schools, and a list of resources. The first of three…

This monograph describes an investigation into the family values of colored and white cultural groups in South Africa. Experts in social work and marriage counseling were first surveyed, followed by in-depth interviews in groups with varying combinations of culture, language, social class and age differences. Detailed findings are presented on…

Common elements identified as context variables that may affect student evaluation of instruction are explored, and the literature on student ratings of teacher effectiveness is reviewed. Sociocultural context variables (gender, race, ethnicity, and social class variables) are discussed in terms of stereotyping and prejudice found with…