A conference on Pluralism in a Democratic Society: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry into its Meaning and Educational Uses, was held in April 1975 in New York. The goals of this conference were: (1) to clearly define cultural pluralism; and (2) to find the best ways of teaching and learning about cultural pluralism in the classroom. The papers that…

Suggests that social interactions which call for self-expression in language play an important role in the development of an independent self-identity. Points out that schools rarely allow such opportunities, and thus produce people lacking in self-identity. (ARH)

Analysis of conversation (focusing on question-answer sequences) in beginning school readers suggests that such books typically convey an image of childhood that combines conversational initiative and conversational competence as a member of the classroom community. (Author/CB)

Written by a noted Soviet demographer, this issue provides a translation of his recent work on the social maturity of Soviet school graduates. Includes tables of basic demographic data on population trends, attitudes toward work, and family life. (JDH)

An emancipatory form of citizenship education is proposed, employing as its pedagogical base Afro-American cultural knowledge born out of the Black community's struggle against American capitalism and racism. The origins of this knowledge are examined and suggestions as to how it could be used in classroom activities are provided. (Author/RM)

A day program for 12 moderately/severely mentally retarded students is characterized by selective integration into academic and other regular education courses, with the intent of maximizing social interactions. Integration activities, peer tutors, social skills training, case outcomes, and a program evaluation survey are described. (Author/JW)

Presents findings of a study on the impact of the Black movement on the attitudes and behavior of 122 African American and European American undergraduates. Reports that the African American respondents had limited awareness of the conditions that precipitated Black social activism and seem to lack the knowledge and skills necessary to challenge…

For the period 1958-1983 a clear and consistent increase was found among Detroit parents in the value placed on autonomy for children and a decrease in preferences for obedience. This trend was most pronounced among Catholics. Education consistently affected these parental values. (Author/RM)

Among the goals of Chinese educators today are unifying education standards, extending the length of schooling to 12 years, and improving teacher quality. Moral education is being introduced into formal schooling on a large scale. Social studies courses are heavily laced with party dogma. Social studies courses are listed. (RM)

During the summer months, most of the students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are at great risk of falling further behind in reading and mathematics due to lack of exposure to the spoken and written English language in their homes. The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term effects of a summer program on the literacy and…

Although occupational sex segregation has decreased over the last 25 years, it is still a major social concern primarily because of the role it plays in perpetuating the gender wage gap. This paper uses data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a study that followed a random sample of 10,317 high school graduates, to assess the determinants of…

This paper analyzes the academic success of 30 low-income African-American high school students. The 20 females and 10 males were participants in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program, a high school program that places previously low-achieving, low-income, and minority students in a special class that offers them academic and…

This action research project implemented and assessed a program to improve student behavior. Participants were fourth-grade students in a growing middle class community in northern Illinois. The problem of inappropriate behaviors was documented by means of a behavior checklist, student survey, teacher anecdotal record, and student yes/no…

The Commission on the Status of Women section of the Proceedings contains the following five papers: "Women as Sources: Gender Patterns in Framing the News" (Lynn M. Zoch and Judy VanSlyke Turk); "Gender Bias in Newspaper Coverage of the 1996 Olympic Games: A Content Analysis of Five Major Dailies" (Katherine N. Kinnick);…

This book examines dramatic interactions between a 3-year-old Inuit girl and the adults in her world. In these playful yet emotionally charged dramas, Inuit adults enact with children the plots that drive Inuit social life; they test, act out problems, entertain themselves, and create children who think and feel like an Inuit. The child, Chubby…