Maurice Merleau-Ponty's philosophy offers an existential phenomenological interpretation of subjectivity and the shared world. He offers a perceptually based philosophy which can be mined for implications and interpretations for a new style of teaching relevant to the contemporary social and educational scene. This paper analyzes Merleau-Ponty's…

Immigrants and refugees come to Canada for many reasons and are often risk-takers. Some ethnic groups follow identifiable patterns of distinctive economic development, while others meld and blend into Canadian society so that no discernible pattern can be identified. This publication provides an overview of the contributions made by seven…

A follow-up panel study investigated whether a knowledge differential based on individual educational differences develops in a community, and additionally, whether media use is associated with differential gain in knowledge across education levels. It was hypothesized (1) that education would have a positive effect on public affairs energy…

An argument is presented that "leadership metanoia," (i.e., a fundamental shift of mind in relation to leadership) has recently taken hold in many parts of the country, with implications for leadership development at Lorain Community College (LCC) in Ohio. The first section of the paper reviews the work of the six behavioral scientists who exerted…

Hispanic business ownership has existed in Tucson, Arizona since before 1854, when legislation allowed the federal government to acquire the city and surrounding territory. Ranching and agriculture were primary sources of income for early Hispanic settlers but they also were able to diversify into other economic sectors. As Hispanics became…

An analysis of the cultural and historical context in which curriculum decisions are made in Australia and a comparison with educational assumptions in the United States is the purpose of this paper. Methodology is based on personal teaching experience and observation in Australia. Seven factors are identified upon which curricular decisions in…

The most developed supra-national language-based movement today is la Francophonie, the movement representing all of the populations of the world that speak French. French is an international language and is spoken in many parts of the world, although the exact number of francophones is not known. La Francophonie has a number of major…

Educators' responsibility to cultural diversity among students is discussed. It is suggested that the presence of cultural diversity in the classroom seriously threatens the educative process when student and teacher are not connecting due to words and language. The educator's training tends to consist of jargon, stereotypic assessments, and…

This report details the design and results of a study commissioned by the California State Library to describe the everyday information needs of California citizens in the context of three societal trends that impact the operation of libraries and all other human services that define information delivery as part of their mandate: (1) emergence of…

The study of education systems and educational programs cannot be adequate without reference to those systems' social context. This paper examines the Australian Transition Education program, enacted by the government in 1979, in light of its social context. The program's ostensible purpose was to prepare students for employment. The Liberal…

A study of the influence of the writer's social and cultural background and training on the organization of his or her writing was studied in essays written by two groups of students: Chinese students at the Beijing Institute of International Relations and the Xian Foreign Language Institute and foreign students in the United States. The essays…

The convergence of several lines of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research suggests possible explanations for age-related influences on language acquisition. These factors, which include cognitive development, sociocultural context, affective factors, and language input, can be helpful to language educators. By being alert to the cognitive…

A study of student opinions in a developing country--Malaysia--shows that the institutionalization of education in developed countries has been transferred to developing countries in the status given to Western degrees. Ideas about what constitutes knowledge and professionalism, disseminated by universities of the Western world, have come to…

The papers focus on the desirability, feasibility, and importance of proposing and beginning to implement a language agenda for all residents of the United States. After an introductory synthesis by G. R. Tucker, the following papers are presented: (1) "Matching Appropriate Actions to Specific Linguistic Inadequacies," by R. E. Thompson;…

The core of the U.S. social welfare system provides old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to dependent children. In recent years, as social and economic developments have created new vulnerabilities for the American family, observers are asking whether the system needs refinement and rethinking. The Project on Social Welfare and the…