A five-month ethnographic study of conversations in a Philadelphia nursing home revealed some of the rules governing situationally appropriate conversational behavior. The social communicational perspective of the study differed from both psychological and discourse analysis approaches. Analysis of the data indicated that sustained…

The article offers the beginnings of an alternative paradigm that can be used as a stepping stone to develop more humane evaluation procedures for schools. It identifies the theoretical constructs that underpin an ethnographic evaluation approach and describes using this approach with two school-troubled children. (Author/JL)

Emphasizes that a Native American literature course is best taught as a criticism of the literature, not as ethnography. Outlines a literature course covering: (1) principles of the oral tradition; (2) tribal experiences in the oral tradition; (3) Native American biography/autobiography; and (4) contemporary American Indian writers. (JHZ)

Many would argue that the state of urban science education has been static for the past several decades and that there is little to learn from it. Rather than accepting this deficit perspective, this book strives to recognize and understand the successes that exist there by systematically documenting seven years of research into issues salient to…

An ethnographic study examined slang as spoken on campuses of two universities in the United States, one on the West Coast and one in the Midwest. Subjects were students from Intercultural Communication classes, who served as participant/observers and data gatherers. Subjects were instructed to collect slang terms that they heard on campus and,…

This case study of an historian high school history teacher is an account of how differing views of the nature of history and historical knowledge influenced the teacher's teaching practice. The two discourse communities the teacher belonged to, that of the university where the degree was granted and that of the school community in which the…

This paper describes an action plan for integrating multicultural theory into a teacher education social foundations course and presents results from an evaluation of this effort. The action plan for the course was to integrate the theory and practice of multicultural education across five master questions posed by T. Berg (1999) and in the…

The Michif language, spoken by descendants of French Canadian fur traders and the Cree and Ojibwe Indians of western Canada and the northern United States, is a difficult and unique language because it uses French for nouns and Cree for verbs, therefore comprising two different sets of grammatical rules. This book employs historical research and…

The explication model for program evaluation is based on the anthropological approach which attempts to reconcile scientific observation with human insights and judgment. This approach is not intended to judge the teacher, but to understand the relationships between the teacher's behavior, intended outcomes, and students' responses. (MH)

Reviews an ethnography of the Native Education Centre (NEC) in Vancouver (British Columbia) that focuses on the degree to which NEC's programs demonstrate "Indian control of Indian education." Discusses the book's central questions and contradictions concerning who is native, use of nonnative teachers, and the role of native…

This paper describes a multiage elementary classroom where students can work, learn, and research together. Students ages 6-9 years collaborate on whole-class research inquiries and individual projects. The paper presents examples of these children's work as ethnographers, emphasizing the importance of honoring students' creative abilities. (SM)

Describes qualitative research conducted at a Navajo Nation nursing home in Arizona. Events and circumstances resulting in nursing home placement are discussed and illustrated with case vignettes. Provides overview of Navajo history and traditions. Discussion stresses importance of acknowledging and acting on significance of culture in all aspects…

Introduces a personalized woman-centered Native perspective on the study and ethical representation of Native American spirituality and ceremonial activities. Discusses the importance of respect for intimate spiritual practices and concern for the consequences of disclosure and public consumption. Contains references in notes. (SV)

Compares two separate classroom ethnographies in higher educational institutions--one on African American students learning academic writing and another on Sri Lankan Tamil students learning English for general purposes. Attempts to overcome the separation of the concerns of bilingual and bidialectal minority students in English-language teaching.…

Describes the relationships between immigrants and established residents in one community in Philadelphia that is being affected by economic restructuring and suburbanization of wealth. A paradigm of host-guest relationship has emerged as established residents attempt to assert social control over newcomers with often higher educational levels and…