Maintains that sociology was founded in the 19th century as a discipline for the scientific study of social order. Contends that the discipline has been attacked by both liberals and conservatives. Argues that teaching sociology as a laboratory science is the best way to improve the discipline's professional and public image. (CFR)

Maintains that Australian curriculum governance takes place at different levels and all are targets of competing debates. Reviews recurring social influences and themes between 1981 and 1991. Asserts that the trend toward the devolution of management and curriculum control to local schools is the key to restructuring efforts. (CFR)

Shared cultural backgrounds and norms about how to use language can influence classroom interactions for minorities, including African Americans. Research finds serious problems when teachers' interactional styles differ from that of students' home communities. The differences can prevent full student participation and limit academic progress.…

Results of student surveys at an Indian university, conducted in 1964 and 1989, are compared. Survey questions addressed parental educational background and occupation, education among women in the family, language of schooling (Hindi or English), ease with which educational expenses are met, student aspirations, political attitudes, housing, and…

Conventional explanations attributing the high infant mortality rate in United States to the prevalence of poverty and lack of adequate health care do not tell the whole story. Contributions of parental behavior, lifestyles, and public health care availability versus utilization must be examined in determining public policies to address the…

Interviews Turkish adolescents who have graduated from the West German education system to reconstruct problems faced by children of Turkish immigrants in West Germany as they confront a modern education system that clashes with traditional home environments. Argues that, the more independent students become to complete school, the more conflict…

Asserts that the United States and Japan exist in a symbiotic partnership and that sociology courses provide an excellent opportunity to teach about multicultural issues. Describes a college-level course on the sociology of Japan. Discusses teaching methods, instructional materials, and the potential for team-teaching. (CFR)

Argues that the fundamental problem with introducing gender-related concepts into international studies is that the scholarship itself remains poorly integrated. Identifies feminist and non-feminist approaches to work on European politics. Briefly discusses feminist critiques of the welfare state and the liberal state, as well as, comparative…

A meeting of the minds between family members and school professionals about the definitions of problematic behavior is essential. This type of understanding can often be facilitated when educators have knowledge of the family's socioeconomic status, history, and ethnic and cultural patterns. The purpose of this article is to help school…

Teachers and teacher educators are faced with an urgent responsibility to support the learning of an increasingly diverse population of young children. Based on the sociocultural perspective of reading, a literature-based approach is outlined for early reading teachers. The implications of this approach to teacher education programs are further…

This book asserts that public assistance programs--particularly in countries in Western Europe--have been demonstrated to relieve deprivation and ensure an acceptable standard of living for those nations' families. Contrasting the extensive child welfare programs offered by France with those of the United States, this book describes in detail an…

A descriptive and cross-cultural analysis of greeting forms, both verbal and nonverbal, used among Uzbek and American people is presented. Aspects discussed include: the general usage patterns of greeting forms; their frequency and distribution in particular social situations in relation to the speakers' profession, age, gender, and social…

A study investigated how pragmatic competence may develop in learner-learner interaction in a communication Japanese as a foreign language classroom, drawing on language socialization and sociocultural theory. A 100-minute second-year university-level Japanese language class at an urban state university was audio- and video-recorded, with a…

Each of the two issues of this Catalan-language journal offers book reviews and articles on general topics in education. Issues contain Spanish-, English- and French-language abstracts of included articles with keyword references. Number 13 (1st. semester 1995) examines environmental and multicultural education; number 14 (2nd. semester 1995)…

The guide is intended for classroom teachers and school district personnel to use in planning and implementing bilingual education and native language instruction for Yup'ik populations in Alaska. Focus here is on the linguistic and sociocultural characteristics of the Central Yup'ik dialect and its speakers, especially as they relate to the…