It is the responsibility of adult education to train and retrain manpower to translate political, economic, and social objectives into action plans and programs, and to diffuse values, orientation, attitudes, and perspectives among the people in order to reduce social inequality. (CT)

Examines educational theories of John Dewey. Concludes that Dewey's world view could have the effect of depriving a variety of classes of the political and social consciousness necessary to effectively confront those in power. Notes the attractiveness of Dewey's system to the liberal educators of his time. (Author/KC)

Describes Chinese system of fortune telling and points out diagnostic and therapeutic functions of the Chinese fortune teller in a social setting of mixed systems of values. Journal availability: see SO 507 190. (Author/KC)

Discusses a classroom exercise for stratification and organization courses that demonstrates how social structures can constrain individual actions and still produce outcomes that students attribute to individual effort. Demonstrates student enjoyment of the game format exercise, and how it is an effective way to teach students the importance of…

Uses a quasi-experimental design in a case study outlining the application of specific techniques to implement a service-learning component in an introductory sociology college course. Reports that results supported the study's claims that service learning may be an efficient method of improving efficacy of these courses. (Author/KDR)

In attempting to balance the requirements of social structure and the empowering initiative of creativity in children, numerous obstacles must be confronted, including insecurity; fear of uncertainty; ritualistic problem solving; dogmatic, dichotomous thinking; inner resourcelessness; lack of playfulness; restricted affect; forcing premature…

Discusses the current global shift from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric worldview that emphasizes cooperation and communion rather than competition and dominance. Suggests that leadership for the emergence of this new perspective of our relationship with the earth can be provided by environmental educators skilled in cooperative social…

For 23 longitudinal studies of U.S. boomtowns, the ratio of increase in crime to increase in population averaged about 3.0, indicating a faster increase in crime than in population. Promising explanations focus on changes in community social structure and informal social controls, particularly density of acquaintanceship. Contains 74 references.…

Examines claims that the bodies of knowledge, standards, and methods of inquiry promulgated by the university are undemocratic, representing a hegemony of Western, middle class, male culture. Argues that this view is based on a social construction view of knowledge and points out problems with this view. (SM)

The community practice model illustrates how goals of participation, empowerment, cooperation, and institutionalization are affected by inputs from human resources, program characteristics, finances, social costs, and policy requirements within the context of the social, economic, and political structure; population diversity; physical…

Language tests reflect the complexities and power struggles of society. Critical language testing recognizes this aspect of language testing and broadens the field by engaging it in the sphere of social dialog. Studying, protecting, and guarding language tests is part of the process of providing quality learning and preserving democratic cultures,…

Examines the development of sales genres in mainland China in the pre-reform period (1949-78) and the reform period (1978 to the present). Discusses how all the sales genres are related to the three larger genres in Chinese written discourse: the superior writing to the subordinate, the subordinate writing to the superior, and equals writing to…

The social-systems perspective in organizational theory faded because the increasing complexity of social relations hindered determination of an appropriate unit of analysis. Also, the business-school environment in which organizational research occurred discouraged examination of broad social questions, promoted a particular approach to science,…

Rural regions include places where food sources are not evenly distributed, leading to areas of concentration and food desert--places where few or no grocery stores exist. Individuals are hypothesized to depend on personal connections and the civic structure of where they live to help them solve the problem of food insecurity. We find that…

The present paper examines existing links between identities and the social structure in the context of identity control theory. I point out that, whether social structure is conceived as positions (roles and group memberships) to which identities are tied, or as the human organization of resource flows and transfers that are controlled by the…