Presents brief annotations of 23 picture books and children's books that focus on literature in which the generations come together--books that celebrate the relationship between young and old; challenge ageist stereotypes; explore the complexities of aging; and deal with the death of a loved one. (SR)

Rehearses some 20th-century narratives as they have appeared in United States history and as they have been represented in African-American literature. Suggests that some of these narratives are insufficiently critical in their construction of stereotypes or in their over-romanticized notions of racial memory, which mask the complications of color…

Examines reasons why, in spite of high rates of poverty, drug use, and mortality, some Native American students thrive--a survival mechanism that scholars have named cultural resilience. Reports that the Family Education Model, developed at tribal colleges, aims to include families in campus events and reduce negative impacts of family…

Provides an overview of how young children understand death, and offers concrete strategies for talking to children about death and suggestions for teachers about how to help children of various ages through grief and mourning. Highlights developmental differences in four components of children's understanding of death: irreversibility, finality,…

Urges that students change from dualistic or relativistic thinking toward a sociological perspective on health, illness, and healing. Discusses feature films and how they can be used as case studies on mental illness, death-dying, and the political economy of illness. Appends an annotated list of films. (NL)

Effects of loss of a parent--assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory and other measures--were measured using 34 female and 16 male adolescents. High levels of informal social support, good relations with the surviving parent prior to the loss, balanced personality, and the presence of religious beliefs influenced healthy adaptation. (SLD)

Illuminated the relations between marital status and length of life among 36,142 individuals between the ages of 25 and 64. Results indicated that marital status differentially affects mortality, but not in a social vacuum; marital status and income both influence mortality. Sex also interacted with marital status and with mortality. (RJM)

This study examined instructional media on childhood injury that are available to the general public and educators. Content analysis of 49 films and videotapes showed that this sample did not parallel current trends in childhood injury epidemiology. A need for empirical evaluation of these media was identified. (four references) (MES)

The impact of the 1985 Illinois seat belt law is explored using Box-Jenkins Auto-Regressive, Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) techniques and monthly accident statistical data from the state department of transportation for January-July 1990. A conservative estimate is that the law provides benefits of $15 million per month in Illinois. (SLD)

Various aspects of obituaries (e.g., size, position in paper, use of photographs, multiple appearances) are examined to show how they communicate information about the socioeconomic status of both the deceased and the survivors. The Nigerian announcements are compared with similar notices in English, German, and Indian newspapers. Aspects of…

Historical discussions of the euthanasia or "lethal chamber" option in relation to people with mental retardation are presented. The paper concludes that eugenic beliefs in the primacy of heredity over environment and the positive role of natural selection may have condoned the poor conditions characteristic of large, segregated institutions and…

Description of a writing project for sixth graders includes hearing excerpts read from Brent Staples' memoirs, then creating their own multimedia memoirs drawn from their life experiences. Project topics include observing the decay of a neighborhood or death of a relative or neighbor. A list of 17 memoirs written by ethnic minorities for use with…

Presents recent investigations and reports related to group psychotherapy in cancer patients' treatment. Describes primary characteristics and results of studies examining evidence of therapeutic factors, psychosocial support groups, women's adjustment to mastectomies, training in stress management and coping skills, pain and mood disturbance, and…

Examined relationship between suicidal behavior and homosexuality in adolescence in an unselected, matched sample. Found no evidence that suicide is a common characteristic of gay youth, or that when suicide does occur among gay teenagers, that it is a direct consequence of stigmatization or lack of support. (JBJ)

Discusses the development of Canuck Place, North America's first free-standing pediatric hospice of its kind, opened in British Columbia, Canada, in 1995. Discusses the process of assessing the need for Canuck Place. Data from traditional quantitative and less-traditional qualitative sources were used to document and develop an argument in support…