Survey of students (grades 6-12) reveals that those who were heavy viewers of crime shows were more likely to have anticivil libertarian attitudes. Results indicate that television entertainment may be an important source of political learning. (PD)

The relationship between selected attitudinal variables among community college faculty members was investigated, using a framework derived from symbolic interaction theory, through a survey of 627 faculty in five Pennsylvania community colleges. Results indicated variations in attitudes toward the community college philosophy and orientations…

Based on the theory that educational systems reflect dominant principles within their cultures and that socialization through family and the educational institutions creates a particular sense of identity, attention is drawn to problems created by the challenge to the Indo-Pakistani student's sense of identity when he enters a British university.…

Studies focusing on the dying patient expose contaminating aspects of death and dying in our society. It will be argued that persons involved with the dying are sometimes "guilty by association." We must enlighten our understanding of all persons who are touched by death in this society. (Author)

Considers the liabilities imposed by the acceptance of a political orientation toward the concept of the free school or the open classroom. This orientation results when a notion of freedom taken from political theory is applied to education without careful consideration of the relevant differences between political and educational activity.…

Fifty cultures from the Human Relations Area Files of Harvard were compared on the age at which members of the culture assumed responsibility or teachability in children or assigned a more mature social sexual or cultural role. Ratings were made in 27 categories. (MS)

Described is a graduate course in sociology intended to facilitate the transition from the role of student to the role of professional sociologist. Topics discussed in the course include departmental policies and politics, teaching techniques, preparation of vitae, research proposals and scholarly papers. Course evaluation indicates that student…

This study explored change and development as a student attends college, focusing on the "other" education, that received outside the classroom. The 61 students who were interviewed attended Texas A&M University, a university distinguished by strong traditions and a distinct sense of what it means to be an "Aggie."…

In this collection of essays, the authors use Lev Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory of human development to frame their analyses of schooling, with particular emphasis on the ways in which literacy practices are mediated by social interaction and cultural artifacts. The collection extends Vygotsky's cultural-historical theoretical framework to…

Attention to professional community has increased markedly over the last few years as part of both practitioner and scholarly efforts to promote improvements in student learning. Interest in this area joins two previously distinct literatures--one dealing with the benefits of communal school organization, another with enhanced teacher…

Teachers and caregivers understand well how important their role is in the promotion of young children's cognitive development. However, they must also emphasize the development of prosocial behaviors in children, particularly in light of some recent data indicating possible heightened aggression and lack of prosocial interactions among…

When a woman is promoted to an administrative role in a central office, her transition can be especially difficult. Aspects of the socialization issues resident in this experience, as revealed in a narrative study of one woman administrator's experiences, are reported. The narrative, drawn from journal entries made during the administrator's first…

The values humans possess take form in relation to the day-to-day activities and decisions (instrumental values) and as criteria for a lifetime (terminal values). This study compares the importance level assigned by adolescents to instrumental and terminal values and the relationship of adolescents' perception of value importance with their…

An investigation examined the way in which specific women were selected for and inducted into school leadership. Each had graduated from a newly designed preparation program built around state and national standards, focused on teaching and learning as the central role of schools, and committed to collaborative approaches as the best way to…