This report is based on data and insights obtained during a study tour of the United States and Canada. The purpose of the tour was to combine attending three conferences on social work and social welfare held in Montreal, Canada in the summer of 1984 with visiting various institutions in Canada and the United States. In the first section of this…

A study examined the relationships among source diversity, medium reliance, and nominal issue diversity. Source diversity is defined as the number of categories or classes of sources, and in the study nominal diversity within media (newspapers, television and magazines) was examined. Medium reliance is defined as the perceived usefulness of a…

This document contains the Guidelines for Teaching Science-Related Social Issues adopted in 1982 by the National Council for the Social Studies and 10 examplar lessons each keyed to particular guidelines and drawing upon contemporary issues. The premise upon which the guidelines are based is that science is a social issue and that the examination…

This report summarizes the major findings of a 1986 interstate survey on Southern economic development and quality of life. An introduction suggests that the quality of life in the South today has three major roots: education, environment, and culture. Five major recommendations are presented: (1) states should devote far greater attention to a…

Designed to provide scientific personnel, policymakers, and the public with a succinct summary of the public aspects of scientific issues, this book focuses on how values and science intersect and how social values can be brought to bear on complex technical enterprises. Themes examined include: (1) relation of science and technology to human…

Developed as part of a research program directed at obtaining reliable persuasive effects, the two sets of persuasive messages provided in this report--consumer messages and sociopolitical messages--discuss fictitious brands of consumer products and various sociopolitical issues. The consumer messages were developed for the following 12 products:…

This paper addresses the issues concerning latchkey children in the United States and the need for parents, schools, and communities to support special programs for these children. It is emphasized that although these children have received increased attention, research findings have not conclusively shown what types of programs will best meet the…

To compare attitudes, values, and background of high school journalists with those of the media elite (journalists already working in the media), a survey was administered to 132 public and private high school students attending the Trinity University Journalism Institute during June 5-9, 1983. These students were the editors of their newspapers,…

This paper examines the dominant genre of the last American television season--the action/adventure/law enforcement show--and discusses differences between this genre and television shows in the 1950s to 1970s. Today's programs are described in terms of the similarities they exhibit with the strategies of the New Right and the apparent…

Since gatekeepers have the ability to inform the public about international affairs, it is important to understand gatekeepers' news values and perceptions of the role of the press in society. A study hypothesized that these problems could be subsumed under two dimensions, freedom of the press and development. In a mail survey, subjects, 118…

This final report from the symposium on shut out youth concentrates on the problems of homeless young people in European cities. Remarks and recommendations of the symposium are reviewed. Homelessness is a growing trend among young people in Europe and most governments show little recognition of the problem. There is little social policy and…

Chicano youth violence (CYV) is a serious problem, progressively more generalized and vicious and increasingly involving girls and children as assailants and also attacks on old people, whites and Mexican nationals. Becoming romanticized and institutionalized into a subculture, CYV is an important factor in the destruction of authentic Chicano…

Focusing on a serious social problem that links mass communication and society, this paper uses the techniques of irony and meta-research to examine the paradoxial discrepancies between the intent of acts and the outcomes of actions in social and media policy in the culture of alcohol. It examines the history and folklore of alcohol and community;…

Classroom teachers are presented with a rationale and general information for teaching about controversial issues. Following an introduction, material is arranged in six sections under topical questions. The first section considers educational and social benefits of teaching about controversy. Motivation, application of social studies content and…

This document presents the testimony and prepared statements of witnesses in the Congressional hearings on broken families. Following the opening statement of Senator Jeremiah Denton, subcommittee chairman, prepared statements from a panel of witnesses representing the American Psychiatric Association are presented; topics covered in the…