Questions whether educational research concerned with children's abilities to learn science concepts has taken into account the effects of race, class, and gender on children's understanding. Contends that these factors are important variables to consider in cognitive research, and that their omission from this body of research has negative…

Discusses the struggles of middle- and lower-class black women to use social programs and affirmative action mandates to advance their status. Examines ways their struggles have affected their self-perceptions and relationships with each other. (Author/JS)

Asserts that England's civic universities maintained a much less restrictive environment than Oxford or Cambridge. Civic university women participated in all aspects of student life often exceeding the involvement of male students. Argues that social and economic differences contributed to this dichotomy. (MJP)

Using hypothetical puppet interviews, 48 preschool children were interviewed about their preferences for teacher methods of conflict intervention. Puppet vignettes contrasted conflict issue, peer status, and resolution strategy (negotiation, power assertion, and disengagement). Results showed that preschoolers preferred negotiation strategies over…

Reports on a study of school subcultures and their impact on 16 ex-public school British students, age 18-21. Finds that subcultures are genuine interactive units grounded in shared ideological positions. States that the subcultures fit within a hierarchical pattern and the higher the subculture the greater the level of exclusion. (CFR)

A review of research on children's symbolic play discusses ways for teachers to (1) defend the inclusion of play in the curriculum; (2) understand and respect differences in the ways children play; and (3) facilitate play in the classroom. Discusses the complexity of play and the controversy about play as part of the curriculum. (GLR)

Explores differences between males and females and their manifestation in biology and culture. Cultures differ, not in whether they cope with the socialization of males to invest in child rearing, but in how they deal with this problem. Issues of gender and power and gender and child rearing are discussed. (SLD)

Describes a class simulation designed to enhance student awareness of social classes in Latin America. Notes that students learn how these groups function within their social and economic milieu. Includes detailed instruction for simulation procedure and roles that students play. Students become aware of inequities, the role of supply and demand,…

A national survey of 1,019 rural Rwanda households found that social class differences and stages of the family development cycle had roughly equal effects on family income. Effects of land scarcity and absence of alternative nonfarm employment on income inequality were also examined. Contains 36 references. (Author/SV)

Medicine and epidemiology currently dominate the study of the strong association between socioeconomic status and mortality. Socioeconomic status typically is viewed as a causally irrelevant "confounding variable" or as a less critical variable marking only the beginning of a causal chain in which intervening risk factors are given prominence. Yet…

Sociologists define norms as configurations of belief about behavior expected in various situations or circumstances. Members of social groups share these expectations for behavior. Accordingly, norms embraced by student peer groups influence the behavior of their members, which, in turn, affects the learning experiences of college students. In…

This article examines the persistent gaps in academic achievement among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The magnitude of the gaps is documented and potential causes summarized. One of the causes, and potential solution, is social capital. Research documenting the strong correlations between social capital and academic…

Researchers have disagreed about the extent to which differences in achievement based on socioeconomic status (SES) accumulate during the school year as compared to the summer, and the literature has not fully assessed the contributions of social contexts--in the form of both school and neighborhood poverty concentration and racial and ethnic…

This issue of "Media & Values" explores the influence of mass media on the perceptions about cultural pluralism and ethnic diversity in society. The essays present various interpretations of that influence and the implications for the society. Articles include: (1) "Promoting Pluralism" (Joseph Giordano; Irving M. Levine); (2) "Does TV Shape…

This book highlights some ways in which the changes that have affected the British economy and education system have also affected young people's career preparation. It is based on data from the 1970 birth cohort at the stage when members were 16 years old. Chapter 2 examines changes in the relationship between social class and educational…