Background: After the failure of several important methods comparison studies in the 1960s, the influence of interaction analysis stimulated interest in foreign language classroom processes. More careful observational studies gradually revealed which process variables were of interest. Also, there has been much research on teacher talk, with a…

A study investigated the characteristics and behaviors of college students learning a third language. Four groups of students with backgrounds in Slavic second languages and enrolled in a variety of Slavic and non-Slavic third languages courses were studied using ethnographic techniques, including open-ended questionnaires, focus groups, classroom…

As common as the accomplishments of students who have been home schooled is public speculation about the quality and value of at-home education. This sociological study, focusing on home schooling as a social movement, provides an account of a novel education movement and provides analysis of the relationship between cultural context and a social…

Presents a personal reflection on an ethnographic study of teaching and learning practices in Irish traditional music. Describes the aims and methods of the study and some of the culture of Ireland. Concludes with a rumination on the nature of truth, applicability, consistency and the role of the ethnographic researcher. (MJP)

Profiles the career and contributions of music educator, Satis Coleman. Coleman had a profound effect on music education from the 1920s through the 1940s. She combined experiential learning with ethnomusical resources to create multicultural education and interdisciplinary instruction before either of these terms were known. (MJP)

Describes, analyzes, and interprets the cultural values communicated by a Navajo art teacher in a K-12 boarding school in New Mexico. Much of the Navajo world view is expressed through content, instruction, and demonstration. This view emphasizes spirituality, harmonious living, and the process of seeing and drawing as a way of honoring and…

Summarizes a project that investigated Australian Adnyamathanha and Canadian Sechelt peoples' attitudes toward those aspects of their culture that western society considers art. Discusses the differences between indigenous societies' conception of spiritual representation and westerners' conception of art. Suggests ways for art educators to…

Maintains that sociology must reconceptualize the meaning of multiethnic societies and regions and also advance theories about how such social organizations came into being and transform themselves through conflicting and peaceful processes. Briefly reviews traditional approaches and outlines new areas of study. (MJP)

Compares and contrasts the recent years of ethnic conflict in Somali and Fiji. The widely divergent reactions of both populations dispels the belief that ethnic pluralism is both a necessary and sufficient condition for violent conflict in a society. Provides succinct portraits of both societies and their cultures. (MJP)

Examined the ways in which language and context are socially and culturally constituted events through a three-year ethnographic study of bilingual (English and Spanish) primary and middle school classrooms utilizing writing process literacy instruction. An analysis of journal sharing activities revealed particular social relationships, normative…

Ethnographic data were used to address the challenge of parent-professional interaction in the cross-cultural context of 12 Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican American families from low income backgrounds with learning-disabled or mildly mentally retarded children in special education. Illustrations from parent conferences show how parent participation…

An ethnographic case study of Somali children in Canadian schools examines the relationship between literacies, school, and community cultures by exploring literacy events as they unfold for Somali children in an elementary school. Field notes and interviews involving Somali and school-community members are analyzed based on the view that…

Demonstrates how introducing students to African literature can appeal to their imaginations and encourage them to develop their insights into African culture. Outlines the procedures in a middle school class where the students are transformed into anthropologists as they read Chinua Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." (MJP)

Examines classroom activities engaged in by more and less experienced Punjabi-Sikh Grade 1 speakers of English and discusses how relationship between those speakers are implicated in their speech activities. Three occasions in this classroom are examined: A common, teacher-directed interaction; an excerpt of children at play; and a playful…

This longitudinal, ethnographic research study was incepted to investigate service use among families living in poor urban communities. Themes that emerged during data collection focus on the variety of roles played by women, in the home, and in the neighborhood. We identified numerous strengths exhibited by women, that is, roles that help…