Background: At the heart of this polemic lies the view that contemporary research in PE and Health (PEH) has largely overlooked one of the key determinants of social behaviour, social class and its expression in and outside schools; an omission that has quite serious consequences for how we (researchers and teachers) think about and conceptualise…

Debates about flag desecration present sensitive issues. This opinion paper examines the defeat of the flag burning amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would have read "The Congress and the States shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." The most talked about points in the…

This commentary outlines considerations in assessing (and programing for) social validity to attain results that are valued by client audiences. It discusses the objectives and contexts of several types of social validation, procedures for conducting a social validation, and questions addressed by researchers in assessing social validity. (JDD)

The argument undergirding this essay is that the new environmental movement in the United States is partly a symbolic issue. Some liberal or radical members of key strategic elites who are alienated from the social and political system are drawn to concrete issues which serve as a surrogate for a real criticism of the hegemonic structure. The…

This commentary criticizes a paper by E. Zigler and others (EC 231 901) which concerned normalization and social role valorization of mentally retarded individuals. The commentary notes the paper's meager reference to the writings of W. Wolfensberger and its failure to properly analyze the "problem" of normalization as a concern with…

The National Network of Women's Caucuses first biennial meeting saw over 50 participants come together to discuss a broad range of issues affecting women in the disciplines and professions. One set of discussions included panelists Dorothy O. Helly, Elizabeth Kamarck Minnich, Sandra Coyner, Leslie Hill-Davidson, and Betty Schmitz. The discussion…

Since the turn of the century, American Jews have been closely associated with reform movements that seek to improve social conditions, to help the disadvantaged, and to achieve international peace. Jewish religious traditions and social circumstances have disposed many Jews to view politics and power idealistically. However, traditional…

There are two perspectives from which the academic performance of children from high or low socioeconomic backgrounds can be viewed. The non-environmental perspective specifies a direct relationship between performance and innate ability; environmental deficits may be correlated with poor performances but perhaps are not causally related. The…

Discusses the eighteenth-century view of virtue as an end in itself. Observes that property, prosperity, and individualistic attitudes were essential aspects of economic virtue, whereas majority rule became a central tenet of civic virtue. Explains that public education and governmental checks and balances were seen as means of promoting economic…

This response to Drash et al. discusses these issues: the historical context of total habilitation of the retarded; the need for a clear conceptualization of intelligence and social adaptation; and the obstacles of society, the profession, attitudes, and the human service structure to the intensive pedagogic matrix required for total habilitation.…

This commentary affirms that the methodology proposed in a paper by Richard A. Winett and others (EC 601 539) may be useful in conducting social validity assessments and applying these assessment data to improve behavioral interventions. The study of accurate and valid assessment of consumer satisfaction is encouraged. (JDD)

This commentary on assessing the social validity of behavior-change programs examines which groups should be included in the assessment, whether social validity assessment should be required, and whether new methods are needed. The paper notes that social validation should be an interactive process between researcher and consumer. (JDD)

Notes the factors preventing the progress of internationalization in Japanese society in general and in the educational system in particular. Topics include traditional attitudes towards other countries, the prevalence of economic strength as a national goal, and the school system's preoccupation with preparation for entrance examinations. (JHZ)

This paper outlines several properties of internal representational models (IRMs) and offers terminology that may help to differentiate the models. Properties of IRMs include focus, memory systems, content, cognitive function, "metastructure," quality of attachment, behavioral strategies, and attitude toward attachment. An IRM focuses on…

This article challenges applied behavior analysts to use their knowledge of consumer behavior and effective educational strategies to provide consumers with useful information, thereby enabling them to make informed decisions. This will decrease the misconceptions that many consumers have about behavior analysis, thus improving the social validity…