The refugee experience--migrating against one's will--is a source of immense psychological stress. This paper therefore draws on empirical findings and theoretical discussions from the psychological, psychiatric, nursing, social work, sociological, and anthropological literature in order to identify the major stressors encountered in the…

This paper reviews the concepts of acculturation and adaptation to provide a framework for understanding the highly variable relationship between acculturation and mental health in refugee populations. It begins with an extended definition and discussion of the concepts of acculturation and adaptation. The characteristics of acculturating groups…

This report examines the quality of life for individuals with mental retardation who live in a range of residential service settings in New York, and explores issues related to the provision of housing and appropriate supports. Five settings were studied: (1) an intentional Christian community where three individuals with mental retardation live…

A study of attrition after the first year of college was conducted with the 1984 entry class (N=233) of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). A path-analytic model of nine factors affecting student persistence was tested. The nine factors were: cumulative grade point average, a composite academic performance index, ability in oral…

The mental health needs of two-way migrants from Puerto Rico to the United States and back again are discussed in this paper. Four factors affecting Puerto Rican migrants are outlined. First, the relationship between migration and stress is considered. Often, it is noted, in migrating away from stressful economic conditions, the Puerto Rican…

Addressing the need to consider ways in which the quality of educator work life can be improved, the author uses J. Walton's eight-point definition of the quality of work life as a framework for discussion. The eight points include (1) adequate and fair compensation, in which financial incentives are provided for advanced coursework; (2) safe and…

This paper discusses various concepts of tokenism and argues that tokenism is a technique used by the dominant group to resist minority group pressures for change. Reasons for social scientists' neglect of tokenism are given, and those conceptualizations which do appear in the literature are examined. Tokenism is described as a strategy to diffuse…

It is pointed out that establishing classroom environments enabling students to actively engage in cross-cultural interaction and communication is essential to the success of a culturally pluralistic society. In this examination of an effective multicultural teacher education program it is implied that each institution has the responsibility for…

This paper presents the philosophy, goals and curriculum of the San Jose University Demonstration Preschool Project and presents preliminary data on the integration of mild to moderately handicapped preschool children into the program. The program, which enrolls 6 handicapped children and 14 non-handicapped children, is based on the developmental…

Since 1975, 300,000 Indochinese refugees have come to the United States. They continue to arrive at the rate of 14,000 per month. Although the efforts of the American government and people were laudable at the outset of Indochinese resettlement, the refugees have not been able to acculturate and become an integral part of American society. They…

The four papers presented in this document address a wide range of issues in the field of gerontology. The first paper provides detailed information on the residential and mobility patterns of the elderly population of New York City. The second paper integrates general concepts about attitude development with more specific interpretations of facts…

The purpose of this booklet is to familiarize teachers and administrators with the background of Vietnamese immigrant students in Canadian public schools. A historical and cultural overview is provided which briefly describes Vietnamese customs, attitudes, roles of family members, and religion. The need for supporting and enhancing the self esteem…

A total of 109 Korean immigrants completed either an English or Korean version of a nine-page questionnaire in a study of the characteristics, assimilation processes, and media usage of Korean immigrants to the Los Angeles, California area. The findings revealed that ambivalent attitudes prevailed among the immigrants. Most were not satisfied with…

This paper discusses the problems faced by young Australian Aboriginal families and particularly their children as they attempt to find a satisfactory solution to being Aboriginal in a dominant white urban society. The paper is restricted to a consideration of country-urban Aborigines categorized as 'fringe dwellers,' because they live…