Examined the contribution of biological and environmental variables to 11-year-olds' phonological development. Found that temporal lobe (planar) asymmetry, hand preference, family history of reading disability, and SES explained over half the variance in phonological and verbal performance, demonstrating a linear association between cerebral…

Responds to "School Choice and culture Wars in the Classroom: What Different Parents Seek from Education" (SO 532 108) and "Liberal Equity in Education: A Comparison of Choice Options" (SO 532 109) addressing racial and class segregation in terms of family motivations versus educational consequences. Concludes that the risks of school choice are…

This article deals with informal networks and their role in young people's strategies of coping with the uncertainties of transitions to work. The underlying hypothesis is that informal networks have a high potential in this regard that, however, is strongly differentiated according to class and education. Drawing on West German data from the…

This article identifies the different problems immigrants and refugees face in the United States, especially socioeconomic and psychosocial concerns that often relate to the experience of migration. Traditional familial roles and responsibilities are frequently challenged, exacerbated by sociocultural differences and inadequate understandings…

Research literature suggests that adults from working-class minority backgrounds demonstrate authoritarian and coercive tendencies in their choices of disciplinary strategies when compared with adults from middle-class, "white", "Anglo", or "North American" backgrounds. However, in a recent study in New York City,…

When and where did we learn to stop caring about rodent feces in a child's classroom? This essay is a lamentation, delivered as opening remarks at a gathering of educators concerned about access to a rich and relevant curriculum for all children. The reality of public education in the growing portion of the United States that is not wealthy, is of…

Looking back at the debates about public schooling in the 1820s can be especially important today when Congress seeks to reinscribe the same definitions of schooling that the working class leaders tried to resist in the 19th century. On the platform for the New York Working Man's Party in 1829 was "equal education," a term that meant…

In addition to the typical affective and social challenges faced by most learners with gifts and talents, African American students must negotiate additional challenges emanating from their unique culture. The identification of the social skills and processes utilized by these learners to negotiate their "warring souls" has been…

This study compared the development of storybook reading in 15 kindergartners from working class homes to that of kindergartners from middle class homes studied by Sulzby (1985). Nine girls and six boys from two kindergartens in a small, rural town in British Columbia, Canada, participated. Kindergarten teachers used a holistic approach to…

Community participation has become an important aspect of almost any change efforts in public schools in recent years. The movement has waxed and waned through the decades since the Common School, but is enjoying renewed interest with the emphasis placed on involving stakeholders in systemic change efforts. Typically, community participation has…

This paper explores the presence of "groupism" in Japan; that is, the phenomenon that youth in Japan are seen in groups and very seldom alone. The text focuses on "groupism" and what that means for schooling practices in both Japan and the United States. Cultural comparisons between the two countries examine the typical…

An applied anthropological study was done of college student drinking games for insight into their role and function. Historical evidence suggests that drinking games have existed since ancient times, that such games encourage heavy drinking, and that despite awareness of the dangers associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, drinking…

Meaning constructs are aspects of a person's cultural worldview. They are those aspects that philosophers often write about as a means by which to make sense of the world. Teachers carry their worldviews and meaning constructs into the classrooms with them. Similarly to teachers, reflective teaching proponents hold meaning constructs that are…

A need exists in schools for conflict resolution programs to help young people deal with differences. This booklet describes the Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) conflict resolution program. The program follows nine key concepts: (1) conflict is a part of life; (2) many conflict situations can achieve "win-win" solutions; (3)…

This issue of the Hispanic Research Center's journal contains three articles which explore diversity among Hispanic American groups (Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Mexicans) in health status, family structure, and socioeconomic characteristics. In the lead article, "Variations in Hispanic Health Status," Antonio Zavaleta examines differences in…