Discusses the importance of uncovering the universal features of proper names and relating them to different naming systems. Suggests that this viewpoint may lead to an appreciation of proper names as a sociolinguistic universal and a cultural variable, beyond the particulars on which most of the literature has focused. (MES)

The term "educational ethnology" suggests an anthropological approach to schools. This research approach would be cumulative with regard to individual schools, would compare similarities and differences among schools, would entail the mutual participation of anthropologists and members of the schools studied, and could remedy limitations of much…

Ethnography has raised various issues for the educational research manager (the person responsible for directing a large-scale research and/or evaluation project). These include selection and management of ethnographers, negotiation of ethnographers' onsite roles, communication and coordination of ethnographers, and ethnographic data processing…

Details the crucial analytic distinctions to be drawn when assessing the kind of data one must deal with in ethnographic studies. Includes the necessity of separating first- and second-order concepts, a separation based primarily on whether the point of view reported is that of the informant or the researcher. (Author/IRT)

An ethnographic study of unionized nurses in a psychiatric hospital showed how collaborative decision making and innovative conflict resolution allowed nurses to voice their professional concerns and serve as a legitimate ideological force in the hospital culture. Union nurses were able to influence positive changes and advocate for better care.…

Examines the role and function of theatre rituals for approaching ethics in the curriculum. Discusses the ritual's main traits as a collective experience, constituting performed actions with symbolic status, within a structure of formal qualities and defined relationships. Concludes that theatre rituals: enable children's individual voices to…

Used ethnographic data to study the Teenage Parents Program as a feminist "counterpublic" (discursive community of subordinated social group members) within a Canadian public high school. Findings for the 31 program participants show the importance of the program for development as adult citizens and self-esteem. (SLD)

Focuses on individual reading practices both inside and outside the classroom. Aimed to reflect trends in the field of new literacy studies that draw on ethnographic accounts of the literacy practices of different groups. Investigated student perceptions of learning experiences in adult migrant English program classrooms. (Author/VWL)

Drawing on culture and site-based curriculum development theories, this case study examines a mathematics curriculum committee's normative group interests and their effects on group process and the resultant curriculum document. Data analysis uncovered stakeholders' interests in professional development, accountability, and group process. Interest…

Suggests the value of ethnographically informed methods in the psychology of women, emphasizing the role of generation in psychology. Examines evidence from an ongoing, ethnographically informed study of high school graduates in the mid-1950s and late-1960s. The two generations of graduates have distinctive accounts of their experiences, with the…

In postindustrial society, masculinities at school must be understood in the context of family, history, locality, and global change. An ethnography of white working-class male school subculture shows how they resist globalization by asserting traditional masculinity, providing the illusion of stability. (Contains 40 references.) (SK)

A study of the various facets and dimensions of literacy programs in South Asia indicates that literacy is viewed as a means of human resource development geared toward meaningful participation of all sectors in society, with individual programs varying according to the magnitude of illiteracy, national goals, linguistic setting, and regional…

Notes the complexity of preserving anonymity in data presentation. Observes that procedure has been to disguise names and identity of research subjects as protection, but asserts this also prevents them from receiving credit. Claims that circumstances may exist when disguise of research subjects is undesirable, particularly with informed consent.…

Highlights similarities and variation in both form and function of English pidgins the world over. It is argued that English pidgins are related more by socio-historical conditions and directions of development than by details of their formal structure. Reference list includes 68 citations. (Author/DJD)

In an ethnographic interview study, a theory of self-regulated notetaking emerged after 4 phases of study with 252 undergraduates. How a student takes notes is determined by a long history of experience with courses, as well as student perceptions. (SLD)