During the first decade of post-socialist transformation in Eastern Europe, the majority of education reform projects focused on in-service teacher education. Governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations prioritized various in-service teacher education programs to help teachers deal with rapid changes in schools. This has…

This paper argues that a new patriotism has emerged in New Zealand over recent years. This has been promoted in tandem with the notion of advancing New Zealand as a knowledge economy and society. The new patriotism encourages New Zealanders to accept, indeed embrace, a single, shared vision of the future: one structured by a neoliberal ontology…

This article examines Western and Chinese discourses of education, sustainable growth and development. Education is increasingly considered as a means to fuel economic growth, especially since the 1980s, when conservative economic values became predominant in Western development thought. Despite a discourse on sustainability favouring ecologically…

This paper presents a new approach to the measurement of change within human systems (individuals, groups, organizations, communities). It is reported as being a more realistic and accurate approach than the use of simple raw-score change, easier to calculate than the analysis of co-variance and other procedures designed to equalize the effects of…

Argues that the family and the enterprise of family therapy are social systems and under the influence of the ideology particular to a given society. The strategic family therapy treatment of a family with a drug-addicted member serves as an example to clarify the ideological themes of contemporary family therapy. (Author/BL)

Discusses conceptual differences between "culture,""social system," and "society." Suggests ways that a unique concept of culture can become meaningful in cross-cultural psychological research. (GC)

Examines the work of several contemporary social theorists and commentators, who have focused on conflicts in contemporary social values and beliefs and the cultural contradictions of capitalism. Endeavors to develop cultural understanding of schooling and social reproduction in society through recognition of the contradictory and dissonant nature…

By the early nineteenth century, New Humanism and the educational ideals for which it stood, placed the profession of grammar school teacher on a pedestal from which to this day has proved impossible to topple, and gave it a function and a power in German society which has only been recently understood. (Author/RY)

Compares and contrasts the various forms of Darwinism and discusses the tenets of Pragmatism with respect to social change, truth, solution of individual and social problems, and fitness." (JB)

Responds to an earlier comment by R. Jean Hills regarding the correct use of Parsonian concepts. Notes the difficulty of presenting Parsons' theory and quotes several sources supporting his interpretation of the functions of a system's managerial level. (RW)

Responding to Willower's earlier questioning of the concept of systems' functional requirements, the author outlines the Parsonian theory of action, discussing action systems' components (values, norms, organizations, and facilities) and their functional imperatives or requirements (pattern maintenance, integration, goal attainment, and…

Provides conceptual analyses of mind control techniques along with practical advice on how to resist these techniques. The authors stress that effective mind control stems more from everyday social relations than from exotic technological gimmicks. Suggestions are given for resisting persuasion, resisting systems, and challenging the system.…

A pilot study at a local school explores a virtual world during English lessons. The objective of applying a Vygotskian experimental design to the study is to investigate the potential of software, interaction and integration related to problem-solving defined as text composition in a foreign language. Focus of research and practices is on the…

Turning towards history--to be contrasted with turning away from history--captures the Marxian sense of education. Marx worked out the elements of a theory of political education in relation to history by equating education with the coincidence of the changing of circumstances and people. This theory received its most comprehensive yet succinct…