An ad hoc committee of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) was charged to investigate the use of group methods in Community mental health centers (CMHC), to assess the conceptual basis for the use of various group methods, to relate the use of group methods to group psychotherapy, and to evaluate trends in this area of mental…

The fifth annual report of Harvard University's Program on Technology and Society describes current research in the Program's major areas of concentration--namely the effects of technological change on the life of the individual in society, social and individual values, the political organization of society, and the structure and processes of…

As one of a series of reports in progress, this report is introduced with a discussion of the concepts underlying long-range planning of any kind, and the methods of research used to describe alternative patterns of evolution or change within various policy fields. The FAR method, which emerged out of the Contingent U.S. Patterns (CUSPs) analysis…

This study examines the relationship between organizational structure and elements of three social system processes: (1) input and output boundary exchanges, (2) system production, and (3) use of facilities. The specific system processes are enrollment planning and student placement, curriculum continuity, and use of physical and social…

Change in social systems is often stimulated by individuals or groups of individuals who effectively link practice institutions, such as school systems, with knowledge producing organizations, i.e., universities. As basic research is developed and applied to practical problems, these individuals act to communicate this knowledge to those who may…

This seminar paper explores the relationship between technology and society, based on the position that man has not developed a social system that gives adequate guidance to technology. The hypothesis is that if technology has no priority, then it has no purpose. Talcott Parsons' concepts of functional imperatives and pattern variables are…

The six articles in this issue suggest that, prior to selection and implementation, school reforms be critically examined for the following: (1) curricular content and impact on complex social organization of school; and (2) sufficient flexibility to permit teachers and building leaders to adapt reforms to local needs. (PS)

The implementation of school improvement programs is a key factor in their impact. School improvement depends on the following: (1) how teachers and administrators are educated; (2) how school districts and universities collaborate; (3) how improvement programs are planned; and (4) how teachers and administrators are involved in professional…

An increased emphasis on an early start in group day care and educational settings for young children means that by the time children enter statutory education, they may already have had several transitional experiences: each will have an impact. This book explores early transitions from a variety of international perspectives. Each chapter is…

Presents the results of a Delphi projection of continuing education needs of the library community of Wisconsin. Potential changes are summarized in nine categories: social system; target markets and learning needs; social/philosophical aspirations; new technologies; traditional functions/services; library and system structure; library…

The Great Leap Forward disaster, characterized by a collapse in grain production and a widespread famine in China between 1959 and 1961, is found attributable to a systemic failure in central planning. Wishfully expecting a great leap in agricultural productivity from collectivization, the Chinese government accelerated its aggressive…

This paper provides a background to recent developments in language planning in South Africa. Following a historical review, it focuses on a Bill of Rights in the new constitution which has, since 1993, demanded a shift towards rights-based language policy within a liberal framework. Debates within the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB)…

Globalization and market liberalization served to displace the perception of education as a socialized concept of basic needs and human rights in favour of one that views it as just another commodity in the marketplace. Increasingly, educational structures were dismantled and replaced by new policies and procedures aimed at restructuring…

The aim of this paper is to produce an understanding of directors' work; perceptions of their role as managers in the centre; their experiences; and the nature of management within the context of the child care field in a complex social, legislative and economic climate. In the current context of the delivery of child care services in a…

Educational administration, like many other social sciences, has traditionally followed the rubrics of classical science with its emphasis on prediction and control and attempts to understand the whole by understanding in ever finer detail how the parts fit together. However, the "new" science (especially quantum mechanics, complexity,…