Describes the development of the California system of higher education. Discusses the debate between those who wanted a university to educate future leaders and those who urged a system that would stress agriculture and mining. Explores the politics of school boards, the Board of Regents, and the legislature in the state's constitutional…

Discusses obstacles to interdisciplinary training of sociology and history students. Argues that a single graduate social science history seminar, as has been proposed, will have little impact because of the culture of the professions involved and the fiscal politics of scholarship. Contends that the intellectual division of labor produces…

Testing policies and practices should be restructured to help people develop their talents and to help learning institutions become more accountable and just. Based on a qualitative survey of testing researchers and practitioners, this article discusses current trends and promising innovations, including performance assessment, holistic scoring…

Trustees and other officials of state higher education institutions should understand their role in the legislative process, including respecting and understanding the political process; working closely with the institution's lobbyist, knowing your limits and advantages, monitoring public opinion, understanding campaign contributions,…

The crisis of postapartheid black education in South Africa during a period of political change is examined. It is argued that, to date, focus has been on maintaining control rather than meeting demands for change and that the challenge now is to develop equity policies to redress historical racial imbalances. (Author/MSE)

Attempting to grade Lamar Alexander's first year in office, this article assigns a "D" for the U.S. Education Secretary's seeming ignorance of funding cuts, teacher layoffs, inappropriate materials and resources, inadequate or unsafe school buildings comprising the "real world of education." Lamar also fares dismally for…

A discussion of university autonomy and institutional image is presented with reference to politics at the newly established University of New England (Australia). Elements of institutional image or identity are examined, including (1) symbolic issues such as logo and location of administration; (2) leadership and management structures; (3)…

Presents ideas for class and research activities focusing on the 1992 presidential campaign and election, and the structure of the executive branch of the U.S. government. The activities use an across-the-curriculum, cooperative learning approach. (SM)

Addresses the identity politics of modern communication and information technologies. These technologies embody social relations of domination and dependence, especially in their construction of specific forms of human subjectivity. The political implications of these construction systems are explored. Six recommendations for political work in…

Discusses the impact of the lack of autonomous boards of trustees on Quebec's public libraries and the political factors that influence decision making about the libraries. Organizational structure, public support, and financial support are covered. The author concludes that municipal governments do not give public libraries enough status.…

Identifies issues related to educational reform in the former East Germany. Compares changes in the educational systems of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg and points out that the two entities are growing closer together. (CFR)

The extent to which Australian youth's participation in higher education improved in the 1980s is examined, drawing on data from longitudinal studies. It is concluded that participation did become more equitable under the labor government's initiatives, although differential participation rates persisted among population subgroups. (Author/MSE)

To illuminate the debate between the conservative Christian movement and the public education sector, this essay chronicles the development of the Christian Right over the course of this century, identifying the real and imagined challenges it presents to educators. The strength of the conservative movement is highlighted noting its current…

Examines some of the ways in which young children learn about aspects of economics and industry, and discusses some of the reasons that have been advanced in the United Kingdom for the encouragement of this learning. (MDM)

Examines communication training aimed at women, such as assertiveness training, as an example of linguistics applied to real-world problems and argues that both the problem and the proposed solution are sociolinguistically and politically misconstrued. Such training often makes overgeneralizations regarding women's communication skills and assumes…