Attempts to define the cultural discontinuity (between schools and students) hypothesis by distinguishing between universal, primary, and secondary discontinuities. Suggests that each of these is associated with a distinct type of school problem, and that secondary cultural discontinuities commonly affect minority students in the United States.…

A survey of 219 children from a kindergarten in the United States and a Kuwaiti kindergarten and Indian private preschool in Kuwait examined children's perceptions of God, death, and the afterlife. The common responses of the children suggest that although different views of Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism may appear contradictory, they are all…

Defines Uncertainty Reduction Theory. Examines the influence of cultural variability on communication. Argues that cultural variability in individualism-collectivism influences uncertainty reduction in ingroup and outgroup relationships, while cultural variability in masculinity-femininity influences uncertainty reduction in same- and opposite-sex…

Outlines some of the ways in which the application of technology to increase productivity, the affluence generated by it, and the related structural changes in society have contributed to the creation of adolescence in the North American urban-industrial society. Highlights seven important structural factors that make adolescence essentially a…

This article argues that obstacles to cross-cultural awareness are rooted in Americans' reductionist understanding of culture and structural obstacles within the university. It describes materials and methods used in a cross-cultural teaching approach that highlights the limitations of this view of culture and generates self-reflection by…

Discusses trends in foreign student enrollment in United States educational programs, and issues affecting international students both inside and outside the classroom in the United States. Describes programs to assist international students, including library services, teacher training, accent-reduction training, and counseling services. (AEF)

Although social work is witnessing growing interest in spiritual and religious issues, little guidance has appeared in the literature to assist practitioners in addressing the unique spirituality of rapidly increasing non-Western populations. This article discusses the significant cultural/spiritual beliefs, practices, and values of Hindus, the…

This study investigates the role of cultural beliefs and practices in teaching. The focus is the process of socialization by which students learn to deal with mistakes. Analyzed are teacher-student interactions surrounding mistakes videotaped in 30 Italian and 30 U.S. eighth-grade mathematics lessons. These are complemented by interviews with…

Today, "connoisseurship" conjures up images of fusty old men in tweeds arguing over ancient etchings or perhaps the patter of opera buffs as they pass bejeweled into the night. Connoisseurship is neither fashionable nor politically correct. It signifies a focus on works of art rather than issues of power and is foreign to a cultural…

In the late 1800s and early 1900s coal reigned supreme in what is now southeastern Oklahoma. As was the case in the northeastern United States, Italians and other immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were brought in as a form of inexpensive labor to work the mines. Italians had different customs, a different language, a unique appearance,…

The cultural patterning of respect is examined in two first- and second-generation migrant groups: Puerto Rican mothers in Connecticut and Turkish mothers in Bochum, Germany. Cultural and generational influences were found for three aspects of respect: proper interpersonal behavior, relations within the family, and esteem within the community.…

The media's portrayal of the ideal body image has been shown to be a large determinant of one's body image perception. The desire to be excessively thin can be conceived of as an artifact of White-American culture largely due to the media's influence. This study looks at cultures that have had limited exposure to the American ideal and examines…

This paper examines how the educational philosophies of two representative African American women university professors were influenced by multiple sojourns between Africa and North America. Two African American women born in the 1940s were interviewed about their early educational experiences, racial identity, and experiences in Africa. Each…

Numerous research studies over the past five years indicate that a high percentage of college students have severe deficiencies in their ability to use mathematics as a language for representing simple quantitative relationships. In the United States these problems are nearly as common among students with strong computational skills in algebra and…

A study investigated the effects of mass media, interpersonal communication, and sociolinguistic background on adults' political, cultural, and economic attitudes and agendas. Data for the study came from two earlier research efforts: one conducted in Minnesota, involved 414 adults who were interviewed concerning their media use, interpersonal…