The purpose of this paper is to resolve what determines the success or failure of innovations in participatory government; and, more precisely what are the dynamics of institution-building by which the ideas of participation and decentralization are implemented and enduring neighborhood institutions are established. To answer these questions, a…

Acceptance or rejection of school policy hinges on the role played by formal and informal groups within the community power structure. Kimbrough's research suggests that formal groups are subordinate to the informal power structure in establishing policy, though formal groups make important contributions to decision-making. Some researchers…

Communications research and social science analysis are considered to have revealed several essential features in the communications environment of American citizens. The purpose of this article is to consider the way these features affect low-income members of society, particularly minorities living in urban areas. Communications networks in the…

Authority relationships in American classrooms are mirror images of authority relationships in the larger society. These patterns originally developed out of the Western liberal tradition where parental authority and authority of counsel (or wisdom) evolved into authority by force and bureaucracy. In either case the result was politically and…

The study examined the competition for control of schools between Anglos and Mexican Americans in 2 South Texas towns. The study's major objective was to describe the history of, and conceptually account for, the development of this new ethnic power struggle in which the control of schools played a primary role. Both towns, situated in a region…

The four trends chosen for discussion in this paper represent the impressions of the observer and are selected because of their perceived relevance for persons having a major interest in educational administrator preparation programs. The author observes that (1) educational administration and governance in the public sector are becoming…

Institutional governance in Canada is legislatively apportioned to the individual provinces. Each of the provincial legislatures has established government departments to direct the operation of post secondary education. Boards of Trustees, a well-established tradition in the United States, do not exist uniformly for all types of post secondary…

In the late 1960's the Executive Branch of the Venezuelan government launched a massive reform of its mechanism of public administration in order to make it more supportive of the development needs of the country. This paper is an effort to analyze the process of organizational change as it takes place within one segment of the public…

In this collection of ten papers, information and ideas are presented on the roles of university adult educators as change agents in urban America. The first paper places certain issues of urban extension and change in a historical and sociological perspective. Another paper urges stronger ties between nonprofessional and professional workers in…

The president of an independent university asks why, in the face of a decline in the private educational sector in the United States, this sector cannot be left unmonitored but well supported in order to make its contribution to American society. His answer, or argument, is twofold. First, the tide appears to be running against the private sector…

This report examines the varying degrees of controversy and conflict experienced by two cities when they attempted to desegregate their public schools. Using these experiences as examples, the report shows how education boards can implement desegregation plans to avoid community controversy. The author stresses that issues basic to avoiding…

Based on a study of black-oriented broadcasting conducted in 1970, the purpose of this report is to discern and elucidate, rather than measure conclusively, the dynamics of its "success," emphasizing the potential of such stations to have a positive social impact on their communities. Fourteen black-oriented stations were visited, 30 license…

This paper examines (1) attempts at educational reform in Venezuela and Colombia by means of decentralization, and (2) the impact of decentralization on two contrasting educational systems. In Venezuela, the national school system was highly centralized with even routine decisions being made in Caracas, which resulted in a rigid, unresponsive…

This initial segment of a three-part study (Communication and Student Unrest) is an examination of the various communication channels--informal and formal, vertical and horizontal--which exist for student-administration and student-faculty interaction. Student-administration and student-faculty communication channels are discussed separately, and…

The historical independence of expert power and opinion leadership research and theorizing is noted, with the major credit for the separateness being attributed to differences in methodological approach usually taken in the two areas of research. A theoretical attempt to relate the two areas is make by relating: (1) the general areas of social…