Two parties of different native languages communicate via a third of which neither is a fluent speaker. Lingua franca talk is discussed under four aspects: entrance considerations, non-comprehension problems, speaker frustration, and increasing entropy. Devices for achieving strategies in multilingual settings are discussed. Available from…

Folk dances from three regions of Mexico (Yucatan, Veracruz, and Jalisco) are examined. Emphasis is placed on the ways in which these folk dances reflect the history and cultural attitudes of the Mexican people and, particularly, on the influence of Spanish culture and history on Mexican folk dances. For the dances of each of these areas,…

A study investigated the personal obstacles to creativity cited by 385 Brazilian and 305 Mexican university students. Results indicate that lack of time/opportunity was the most frequently cited obstacle. Mexican students referred to motivation factors as barriers to their creativity more than Brazilian students. (Contains references.) (CR)

Reviews three books that (1) provide a systemic overview of schooling in Mexico in the 20th century, (2) present a critical ethnography of Mexican student culture and identity formation, and (3) incorporate analyses of indigenous cultural practices into cognitive theory. Reflects on the future of Mexican education in view of political corruption…

This special issue presents papers on socialization and individual development in Mexico and West Africa and among Mexican Americans and African Americans in the United States. Explains cross-cultural influences on development and highlights conflicts between the values of different cultures. Examines some implications of the ideas presented in…

This article contrasts two stories of nineteenth-century interracial romance, the Mexican borderlands legend of Lola Casanova and the U.S. borderlands novel "Ramona." It argues that the Casanova legend suggests Mexican attitudes toward interracial marriage that differ significantly from those understood in recent readings of…

The growth of the Latino population in the United States has placed a sharp focus on immigration. Previous research on immigration has taken for granted the existence of immigrant networks. This is a significant oversight given their importance in both conveying social capital and their contribution to the growth of immigrant communities. Using…

"Aztlanscape" is a painting that explores the notions of history, migration, and cultural exchange. It depicts various places with significant relationships to one another, reconfigured into a new landscape. The specific locales used in this painting are Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oakland, California; and Mexico DF, Mexico. These cities…

Although Kohlberg and others have proposed that various social psychological and cultural factors may influence a person's level of moral reasoning, most work in this area has been conducted among relatively well educated persons in so called advanced societies. These two studies investigated stages of reasoning about moral dilemmas among…

Universal and culture-specific aspects of caregiver contributions to children's emerging play activities during the one-word period were studied in research designed to meet criteria for ecological validity. The sample included seven Mexican caregiver/child pairs in a major urban setting and eight pairs in a rural setting. All caregivers came from…

Comparisons of semantic differential responses concerning recalled parent-child interaction from the child's point of view were made between two groups of males, one North American and the other Mexican. (JM)

In this article, the author provides a rationale for the use of children's literature to study Mexico and to learn a framework by which to consider people around the world and the universals of culture, including principles for using books in the unit. An appendix contains a description of children's fiction and biography, nonfiction, reference…

In the region encompassing Arizona, California, Hawaii, Mexico, and Nevada, the tremendous gap between technological progress and social problems is fraught with new critical realities that mandate new approaches for correctional education. Critical realities challenge this region as it grapples with shifts in demographics, inconsistent social…

This study considered three hypotheses: (1) cultures differ in the extent to which they represent infants as capable of vocal communication; (2) mothers' models of infant communication are influenced by their experiences in school; and (3) mothers' models of infant communication affect maternal responsiveness during the first 6 months of the…

This paper reports a series of studies of environmental cognition. Conducted among American preschoolers, Navajo and Puerto Rican school children, and American, Mexican and Maori adults, all of the studies employ techniques of environmental modelling that permit objects such as buildings, trees and vehicles. A pilot test of the environmental…