Serious confrontation of the problems facing education requires a reform of the organizing principles of learning: a shift from an instrumental purpose to the moral and political purpose of cultural renewal, from learning for economic purposes to learning for citizenship. This book focuses on the work of secondary schools in the contexts of…

An analysis of sociocultural aspects of a dinner conversation is presented, part of a larger study of the pragmatics of second language discourse. Salient features of the discourse are examined in terms of implicit frames of reference about social membership that are brought into play in interaction. Primary data come from the conversation between…

This paper describes an interdisciplinary 9-unit course at Pasadena (California) City College, entitled the "American Cultures Block Program." The block is divided into three distinct sections: (1) "United States History from 1865 to the Present"; (2) "Humanities Through the Arts"; and (3) "Introduction to…

A collection of 26 stories, told by Belle Herbert, an Alaskan elder, in the Gwich'in Athabaskan language, is presented with side-by-side translation in English. Introductory sections give background information about the author's life and the stories told here. Stories include: a moose hunt; life in the old days (skin tents and clothing); hunting;…

This paper examines the intersection where migration and adult learning converge, exploring how a transnational social context of living relates to adults' formal and informal learning experiences. In-depth life-history interviews were conducted with 29 adults participating in two social networks that link the central coast region of California…

In 1989 the Education Ministers of the European Community passed a resolution to combat school failure. This document was prepared by EURYDICE, the information network formed by the Council on European Communities and the Ministers of Education. The document describes the overall situation in which school failure arises in the various education…

This report summarizes a national survey of drug use and related attitudes among American secondary school students. All of its data came from an ongoing national research and reporting program entitled, "Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth." These surveys address two major topics: (1) the…

How does one help children develop literacy where they have limited access to books and libraries? How can one overcome the many obstacles to literacy faced by schoolchildren in Nigeria? These are the issues addressed in this paper. Obstacles such as sociocultural factors, English as a Second Language and as the medium of literacy and instruction,…

The booklet is part of a grade 10-12 social studies series produced for bilingual education. The series consists of six major thematic modules, with four to five booklets in each. The interdisciplinary modules are based on major ideas and designed to help students understand some major human problems and make sound, responsive decisions to improve…

This dissertation explores how landscape acts as teacher in shaping perceptions of place. At the core of the study is the Thelon Game Sanctuary, located in the central Northwest Territories of Canada. This contentious piece of land has been used historically and is claimed currently by both Dene and Inuit groups. The land also has an intriguing…

In Western Europe, internal and international migrations have generated vulnerable populations, notably an increasing number of children and young people of "foreign" parentage. Their problems are not specific to one ethnic group but derive from sociocultural processes and from situations of social relegation. Case studies based on a…

A brief history of modern Rumanian is chronicled, focusing on the influence of a variety of languages on Rumanian's development. Four regional variations are identified: Dacio-Rumanian, Macedo-Rumanian, Megleno-Rumanian, and Istro-Rumanian, all evolving from the Latin spoken in the corresponding areas beginning in imperial Roman times. The…

This case study examined three types of barriers that inhibit advances in academic careers by both women and minority group members. Specifically, it investigated: (1) structural barriers, formal and informal relationships important in gaining access to positions in academic settings and research and publication opportunities; (2) sociocultural…

This paper examines the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) for the United States and South Korea. Eighth-grade mathematics scores for the two countries were studied as a function of school level variables and student level variables using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Urban settings were found to be…

The status of American children is worse today than it has been at any time in the past 50 years. One in every five children in the United States lives in poverty. The incidence of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse has increased dramatically. Many children are physiologically and emotionally damaged or dying from the primary or secondary…