The general background of this study is an interest in how digital tools contribute to structuring learning activities. The specific interest is to explore how such tools co-determine students' reasoning when solving word problems in mathematics, and what kind of learning that follows. Theoretically the research takes its point of departure in a…

The implication of reading competence in developing reflection and thinking is an important issue for student teachers to consider. Reading is also a competence, in which the language at the disposal of a person is included, to use for social development and mutual understanding. This article is based on a case study and is concerned with how some…

In mainstream U.S. culture, the idea of gender as a philosophical or spiritual value independent of sex is notably absent, and the presence of the masculine and the feminine in all of us is overlooked. In contrast, the concept of balance and compensation between the fundamental gender-defined energies of the universe is deeply rooted in American…

A sociolinguistic study of Ocracoke, an island community in North Carolina's Outer Banks, investigated the social dynamics of language change and variation. Data were gathered in interviews with 43 island residents aged 12-82, most of whose families have been on the island for several generations. Several major sociolinguistic issues were…

Family and sex role transformations in Chicano families are analyzed. (NQ)

Discusses the positive side of genetic technology advances and the implications for human beings, both from a sociological viewpoint and the point of view of a social philosopher. Genetic engineering, technology and counseling are discussed. (BR)

Linguistic borrowing from English to Jordanian Arabic at the lexical level is described, focusing on phonology and the extent to which Jordanian Arabic has affected the phonetic structure of English loans assimilated partially or completely into it. Conspicuous distinctive sound features in the two languages that may affect non-native speakers'…

This paper discusses narrative as a culturally significant speech genre which can be analyzed to reveal important aspects of a culture's code, particularly its expectations for conduct. The paper argues that through an analysis of narratives an understanding of one important aspect of a culture's code, specifically, that aspect which deals with a…

Some answers to the question of why one cultural pattern is transmitted while another is not, and a consideration of the process of cultural transmission and acquisition, are provided in this examination of the cultural and linguistic situation of the Filipino American population of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area. The discussion is divided into…

This study examines the socialization and enculturation process by which one becomes a school board member, using adult socialization and small group theory to construct a model of the role personalization process. Thirteen new school board members in seven Arizona school districts were interviewed indepth, from the announcement of their candidacy…

The pragmatic use of nicknames as clarifiers separates the Maltese usage from those so common throughout the world where the nickname is used as a means of hiding identity. The familial character of most nicknames in Malta suggests they are the vestiges of a pre-Christian naming system. The major peculiarity in Malta is in the intermingling of…

If there is a dominant theme in the research on the "production of culture," it is the tension between creativity and constraint. Constraints are imposed by the structures and processes of culture-producing industries and organizations in the attempt to cope with the uncertainties of generating and marketing cultural products. Yet the…

The third volume of the working paper series produced in association with the Regional Colloquium for Technology Studies offers a range of insights into modern technology and some of the thinkers who have philosophized about its nature and societal impact. The essays are critical appraisals of the ideas of philosophers of twentieth-century…

Will conditions for minorities change dramatically in the 1980s? The author believes there will be a focus on humanistic concerns during that period. He describes social trends and conditions that will affect the quality of life and mark the beginning of the removal of barriers to true equality of opportunity. (Author)