The eight articles of this special issue focus on the cultural and personal elements of a mathematics learning situation that may be described as the context. The articles share an approach to context that views activity and meaning making as important determinants of human behavior. Each article contains references. (SLD)

Different perspectives on critical literacy emphasize the relationship between language and power in terms of domination, access, diversity, or design. These orientations are interdependent, and all must be woven together to achieve the goal of critical literacy: equity and social justice. (SK)

Examines childrens' (N=71) perceptions and attitudes about aging and older adults. Results indicate that children do not view aging negatively as adults assume. Children were positively affected by interactions with older adults, described physical signs of aging without judgment, and responded negatively to some of the unpleasant conditions…

Interviews seven women from a major Midwestern public relations firm. Finds four initial clusters of experience and reduces these clusters to create two thematic clusters: the struggle with the changing role of women in society, and the experience of being a woman in public relations. (SR)

Argues that the decline of informal systems of restraint and the rise of political correctness suggest a new moral order that bodes ill for Western civilization. Describes historical restraint systems within English society, discussing what Anglophones inherited from the past (a dynamic system capable of development as it responded to changes in…

Describes the sociocultural theory motivating strategy "transformative communication" as well as a specific dialogue sequence that can be used as a cultural tool for accompanying such interaction. Illustrates the utility of the dialogue sequence in four key episodes within and inquiry-based high school earth science class. (Author/SAH)

Discusses the growing interest in and focus on the social and cultural context of the mathematics classroom in mathematics education research. (MKR)

Presents the way in which language issues have become a relevant factor in research that aims to study the socio-cultural aspects of mathematics education in classrooms with a high percentage of immigrant students. Illustrates the fact that, even if the mathematical language can be considered universal, the language of doing mathematics within the…

Discusses values that have shaped and guided the profession of reference librarian and portrays the rigors of working at a general reference desk. Topics include information overload; demands of the information age; societal trends; new technologies; training; and role reconsideration for the librarian, including teacher, information provider, and…

Discusses six dimensions for analyzing lists used in reading education reform documents (type of list, nominalization, exclusivity and inclusivity, transivity, reading content, and intertextuality), explaining that lists frame who a good reader/good reading teacher is, what they do, and how they behave in particular institutional contexts. This…

This article describes sociocultural theory as a way to ground social identity for clinical and research practices in speech-language pathology. The purpose is to (1) outline the fundamentals of the theory and (2) link the focal unit of analysis from the theory, mediated action, to social identity to (3) support the clinical utility of mediated…

Much recent theorizing about learning has focused on its socio-cultural nature, including the significance of history and the ontogeny of learners. This paper explores the relevance of such an approach to our understanding of the reasons why academics associate themselves with particular theoretical approaches to learning. The authors each present…

We propose a concept of intellectual values as (a) shared within a group and defined by the extent to which intellectual engagement is regarded as worthwhile to the group's interests, (b) supported by an epistemological belief system, and (c) an important dimension of sociocultural practice and learning. A series of studies is described in which…

Given the preponderance of research on students' resistance to multicultural courses, the authors begin to ponder this resistance by exploring students' preconceptions of social justice concepts. They present two mixed-methods studies to examine students' preconceived notions regarding two terms associated with social justice education: privilege…

This paper uses a sociocultural theoretical lens, incorporating mediated agency [Wertsch et al. (1993). A sociocultural approach to agency. In A. Forman, N. Minick, & A. Stone (Eds.), "Contexts for learning sociocultural dynamics in children's development" (pp. 336-357). New York: Oxford University Press] to examine the dynamic…