This report outlines the role of after school programs (Juku) in preparing Japanese students for high school and university entrance examinations and presents some growing concerns about the movement. Juku plays a major role in insuring the success of Japanese students on tests administered within the country and on international comparisons made…

This paper explores and highlights the importance of social, cultural, and behavioral contexts in the effectiveness of mentoring relationships. A first section looks at growing up in American and the varieties of personal and social development that are found. This section argues against viewing adolescents as similar across the boundaries of…

This paper attempts to answer questions about the role that non-related adults may play in the lives of adolescents, particularly who the non-related adults are that adolescents turn to; how helpful do adolescents find these adults; and how these patterns change by race, socioeconomic status, and gender. The paper draws from the research…

During the 1980s more than 100,000 refugees poured into the United States from Cambodia. This essay is intended to inform educators and others who work with Cambodian families about recent Cambodian history and traditional Cambodian culture and to create awareness of the social and psychological significance of these factors. The waves of refugees…

Community-based prevention-oriented approaches that provide basic supports to families are needed to address rising rates of violence, child abuse, and other socially disruptive behavior. Weak families, weak neighborhoods, and weak economies are mutually reinforcing and lead to negative behaviors by youth and others. In proposing a community…

In 1992, a study was conducted to ascertain the opinions of selected public and private two-year college administrators regarding the use of 15 leisure and recreational activities for countering work-related stress. Questionnaires eliciting self-perceptions were sent to all presidents/directors of two-year institutions accredited by the Southern…

This paper presents a summary of a qualitative research study which evaluated, in case studies of three families, what it means to have a child with a disability. The research developed out of practice in early intervention and work focusing on optimal developmental environments for persons with disabilities. Background information on each of the…

The Educational Reform Act (ERA) of 1988 reflects the most comprehensive restructuring of education in Britain in this century. This paper discusses the implementation of the National curriculum, the innovation at the heart of the ERA. The first part of the paper offers the views of educational commentators on changes resulting from this law.…

This manual provides an overview of the early child development of normal children with low birthweight who have been exposed to drugs before birth. The research on children exposed to cocaine and alcohol during the prenatal period is reviewed, as are the results of studies showing deficiencies in language and social development of drug-exposed…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summaries data collected from 273 North Dakota farm operators (a 39% response) and 232 spouses (a 33% response) as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 207 South Dakota farm operators (a 29.6% response) and 182 spouses (a 26% response) as part of large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 388 Ohio farm operators (a 38.8% response rate) and 353 spouses as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The purpose of the survey…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 230 Nebraska farm operators (a 23% response rate) and 222 spouses (a 22% response rate) as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states.…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 622 Wisconsin farm operators (a 39% response rate) and 525 spouses as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The purpose of the…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 275 Minnesota farm operators (a 39% response rate) and 245 spouses (a 35% response rate) as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states.…