Over the last 30 years academic discussion of pornography has been largely confined to questions about its social and psychological effects. The debate has been caste in black and white terms; partly because the stakes were political, as in the debate over porn amongst feminists, and partly because social scientists have sought to produce a hard,…

"Lifelong learning" is the latest educational mantra. Yet little is understood about the ways in which learning and living are interconnected. To find out more about the complexities of learning in the life course, Professor Gert Biesta, of the University of Exeter, is leading a team of researchers from four universities in the first…

The use of "neutral or unsure" on an instrument designed to measure identity development in college students was explored. The nominal response model from item response theory was used to evaluate whether "neutral or unsure" was used more frequently by those at low or middle levels of development; the results depended on the subscale and sometimes…

The occupational identity statuses of 232 college students were analyzed by examining their family emotional environment and the identity control processes that drive career decision making. Results of multivariate analysis showed that each family differentiation construct, family tolerance for connectedness, and separateness explained significant…

The study of emerging adulthood--the prolonged transition to adulthood extending into the 20s--is a rapidly growing area of research. Although identity issues are prominent during this period, the role of personal agency and individualization in the identity formation process during these years is not well understood. This study examines three…

A comparison is made between the career decision making of secondary school students who are also elite athletes and a sample of non-athlete students. The 226 athletes (111 females, 115 males) in the study were on sporting scholarships with the Australian Institute of Sport or state/territory institutions. Measures used included the "Career…

The phenomenon of neonatal imitation, and the use of mutual imitation by mother and baby in the service of attunement, are considered in relation to psychoanalytic theories of mirroring, imitation and identification. Material from infant observation and from the treatment of two children on the autistic spectrum is discussed in terms of the…

The authors focus on the special issues involved in providing counseling to aging gay men regarding sex and intimacy. Although the stresses of aging experienced by gay men are similar to those of heterosexual men, older gay men face issues of a stigmatized sexual orientation, invisibility, negative stereotypes, and discrimination regarding aging.

Whilst the association of risk with schools is predominately a negative one, fostering images of potential dangers, this paper draws upon a socio-cultural counter-discourse to explore the perceived benefits of certain risk taking activities within educational establishments. Using research data on school Internet "misuse" it is argued…

This paper develops and tests a theory, referred to as "preference for whiteness," which predicts that the interracial (white-black) and intraracial wage gap widens as the skin shade of the black worker darkens. Using data drawn from the Multi City Study of Urban Inequality and the National Survey of Black Americans, we report evidence…

It has been widely proposed that student voices should play a crucial role in designing and implementing curriculum and instruction that promote students' engagement in science learning. In this study we examined the voices of two seventh grade boys from a low-income urban community as they worked together in an after-school program to create a…

This chapter focuses on how the routine elements of family mealtimes such as assigned tasks and the more emotional ritual aspects such as recognition of feelings are related to children's well-being and the creation of a family identity. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This study applied a social identity perspective to the study of adolescent self-concept and social development. British adolescents aged 14-15 years (N=114) completed a questionnaire which asked them to: (i) rate their degree of identification with a school-based friendship group; (ii) complete a measure of multi-dimensional self-concept; and…

Drawing on data from a three-year ethnographic study of Gypsy life in England, this article explores the experience and attitudes of Gypsy women regarding the home-school interface. Specific attention is given to the following: role expectations in the different contexts; changing perceptions of role in the face of economic and social change; the…

In assuming ethnic/national identity as problematic, we examine its dynamic aspects in the context of refugee children and their educational experiences. While the starting point of our analysis is a deconstruction of ethnic/national identity in conventional terms of language, religion, education etc., the emerging focus is the notion of boundary.…