Families in Latvia know what is best for their children, and they make a major contribution to their education. Consequently, it is important to build close partnerships between school and family. This article reviews extant research that provides insight into the nature of school-parent relations in Latvia as the nation stands at the crossroads…

In July 2010 in Beijing, Lei Wang interviewed Professor Dayuan Jiang, Research Fellow at the Ministry of Education's Central Institute for Vocational and Technical Education about how China has drawn from foreign vocational education models and China's own innovation process. Jiang pointed out that Germany's educational philosophy and talent…

This article discusses how Danish parents and their children communicate trust. Based on Niklas Luhmann's sociological theory, the article explores new aspects of communication about alcohol-related rules. The analysis shows how the parents emphasize the importance of communicating trust, while the adolescents, on the other hand, observe the…

Along with the development of global consciousness, the campaign for an inclusive society is gaining momentum. An inclusive society based on social justice ensures individual rights and social welfare for each and everybody. On the contrary, the conventional disability paradigm categorizes people with many different labels which exclude people…

In the area of education and training, different configurations of government with different institutional structures may produce similar or quite different educational and employment outcomes. Other factors come into play in assessing outcomes. For example, young people's transitions from education to work are shaped by a variety of structural…

The increase in leisure time over the last century is well documented. We know much less, however, about the quality of the use of leisure time. Quite divergent predictions exist in this regard: Some authors have argued that the new, extensive free time will lead to new forms of time pressure and stress; others have foreseen an expansion of…

There is substantial evidence that supports the theory that higher education and democracy are highly correlated. Throughout modern history, students have been at the forefront of democratic movements, including the 1989 pro-democracy uprising in China. Since then, and despite the increased availability of Western-style education within and…

Unquestionably, the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in society and economy is engorged. The term higher education proposes an educational level above the secondary education with advanced tools of knowledge which enables the students to generate, distribute, and preserve systematic academic knowledge at colleges, universities, and…

The article describes Web 2.0 as a revolutionary technology for actual learning. Using the example of the Wikipedia article about Fukushima, it discusses emergent processes of knowledge building and explains how they can be used for learning purposes. The examples make it obvious that it is the social system that makes groups work so effectively.…

An analysis of the results of six Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Surveys, "The Values and Interests of the Population of Russia" (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010), conducted by the Center for the Study of Sociocultural Changes at the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, provides evidence that two stages in the…

As part of an ambitious 10-year programme to overhaul and improve its entire education structure, China is currently engaged in developing, reforming and opening up its higher education sector. The stated aims are to increase access, increase resourcing, improve outcomes and lessen direct official interference. Underpinning the programme are…

Introduction: The infamy of Nazi medical research conjures up images of horrific experiments in the concentration camps and SS (Schutzstaffel) doctors like Josef Mengele. However, the anti-smoking campaign of Nazi Germany is perhaps one of the least examined aspects of public health history and state sponsored anti-tobacco advocacy. Nazi public…

China's social work education dates back to the 1920s, but the profession disappeared for 36 years after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Not until the late 1980s was social work education in China revived. At the turn of the new century, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council supported the…

Given my long-time interests in neoliberalism and questions of subjectivity, I am pleased to respond to Jesse Bazzul's paper, "Neoliberal Ideology, global capitalism, and science education: Engaging the question of subjectivity." In what follows, I first summarize what I see as Bazzul's contributions to pushing science education in "post"…

In this article we explore how neo-liberal and post neo-liberal policies threaten the humanities in post-secondary education as a potential site of democratic dialogue and social transformation. We distinguish between neo-liberalism and post neo-liberalism on the basis of the latter's increased police suppression of democratic dissent. We are…