Examines the interconnections between African Americans residing in deteriorating urban areas and the broader U.S. society. Focuses on the orientations of 10 men and 10 women in Detroit (Michigan). Interviews with participants suggest a dialectic in which they are both connected to and disconnected from mainstream society. (SLD)

The organizational model used in American schools must be scrutinized to determine its effectiveness in the face of the changing demographics of American schools. Transforming the schools depends on social and attitudinal changes that incorporate political changes directed at social problems. (SLD)

Discusses the role of teachers in terms of the changing social patterns in which that role occurs. Describes social problems in Canada today and resulting youth alienation and disconnectedness. Suggests that the role of teachers must include initiatives to link schools, students, families, and community agencies. (LP)

Explores blame analysis, which evaluates ideas about the causes of group differences according to how these ideas make groups look, and the relationship between cause and blame. Because cause does not indicate blame, it is unnecessary to become involved in the polemic between victim blamers and victim defenders. (SLD)

Discusses the large-scale reemergence of homelessness within the last 20 years. Examines the characteristics of the newly and chronic homeless. Considers a number of economic and public-policy factors contributing to this situation. Outlines a classroom presentation using graphs, statistics, and discussion questions to illustrate this information.…

In a learning community, students learn to cooperate and make teams work. Past technologies (print, photography, film, and computers) have enabled idea sharing, but are one-way communication modes. Broader learning communities have been made possible through electronic field trips, online mentoring, science investigations, and humanities…

Assesses the social and environmental problems of 132 patients seen in a primary care clinic at a university-affiliated Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. Prevalent social problems included financial difficulties, personal stress, family problems, legal concerns, and employment concerns. Findings suggest a clear need for social work…

Describes Partners in Human Rights Education in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides the framework for using interactive teaching methods to relate human-rights concepts to students' lives. Highlights Amnesty International's "Urgent Action Network" that encourages children to become lobbyists in a letter-writing…

Describes a lesson focusing on a human-rights poster that provides visual reinforcement of the second article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that enforces freedom from discrimination. Presents students with examples of human-rights situations to assist them in understanding that all people are entitled to human rights. (CMK)

W.E.B. Du Bois was a significant 20th-century educational thinker. His works and educational views have relevance to the social, economic, and political realities of contemporary African-American life. The paper places Du Bois' thinking within the historical context of 1930s African-American life, juxtaposes his educational thinking with that of…

Since 1991, the number of school district/faith-based organization partnerships jumped from 3 to 40 percent, promoted by President Clinton and the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. Keys to success are identified, and programs, benefits, and problems in three large urban districts are profiled. (MLH)

This article is based upon the 2003 24th Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture at Howard University. It devotes attention to the nexuses between Ralph Bunche's scholarly publications and diplomatic speeches and their relationships to contemporary university plans and programs to address ongoing crises. In-depth interviews with a university chancellor…

The parallels between South Africa and the United States run deep. For the United States, that moment of transition, at least as far as education is concerned, was the landmark ruling of 1954, described in the shorthand, "Brown v. Board of Education"; for South Africa, that moment came 40 years later when every citizen could, for the…

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between life difficulties of international students at a Southeastern university in the USA and the self-concept of these students. The findings indicate that international students experience minor to moderate difficulty in studying in the United States. The current study also indicates…

For the last nine years, Ukpokodu has taught an elementary social studies methods course. As one who is grounded in multicultural education, global education and critical pedagogy, she approaches the course from a transformative and social reconstructionist perspective (Banks 1996; Sleeter and Grant 1994). That means that the course reflects…