The current study is a replication of the author's unpublished dissertation conducted almost twenty years previously in a public school in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Census 2000 indicated a growing cultural diversity in populations entering the Scranton area, however, it continued to show strong evidence of White Ethnic groups. As with the original…

The influence of culture on learning and motivation has been the topic of much research in recent years. Educational and psychological researchers are now aware that the findings of their studies may not apply to other cultures, and that in this age of globalization and multiculturalism it is very important to examine the applicability of…

The results of a Japanese replication of the vocalic social referencing experiment are discussed in comparison with original findings from the United States. The attempt to replicate failed. It is argued that the lack of success was due to (1) Japanese mothers' attitude toward laboratory situations, an attitude resulting from relative…

This paper begins by discussing the difference between genre and gender, defining the former as the study of a systemic totality, and the latter as the split in the totality, reversal, upturning, and break-up of any systemic logic. Also discussed are (1) the difference between nature and culture, and the quarrel between essentialist and…

Focusing on the experience of New Zealand, this paper is a response to a 1978 essay which suggested that a study be done to compare the programming patterns of television in the developed countries of Australia and New Zealand. Significant differences between the two nations are presented, including conspicuous discrepancies in television…

Although there has been much interest in the United States about Japanese education, few studies have examined the Japanese school system from the teachers' perspective. This study investigated 143 Japanese and 386 U.S. high school teachers' attitudes concerning their work conditions, roles and responsibilities, and work experiences. An…

Two hundred forty-eight male and female subjects from United States, Mediterranean, Near East, and Far East cultures completed a touch avoidance measure in a study examining cultural differences in touching behavior. Factor analysis of the instrument yielded four factors: opposite sex, other-directed same sex, kissing, and self-directed same sex.…

Presently, the most frequent point of contact between the United States and many Caribbean island states is the immigrant population. Incentives for immigration are provided by a tradition of colonialism, economies dependent upon agriculture, and problems resulting from rapidly increasing populations. The continuing influx of Caribbeans to the…

The origins of the education of blacks, especially in the South, are traced, in order to comprehend the current educational situation. Two questions are investigated: first, whether the conclusion of the Civil War marks the beginning of a new educational era for the nineteenth century blacks; and second, whether there have in fact been real…

Technological advances and family modifications that have taken place in American society have been harmful to the elderly. Home economics has a unified, holistic, and interdisciplinary approach that qualifies it professionally to stand as a forerunner in a movement to promote a society that recognizes the needs of all segregated and deprived…

Interviews with nationally representative samples of American (N=1,146) and Swedish (N=1,168) families revealed no significant differences between the countries in reported severe or abusive violence toward their children, in spite of the passage of an antispanking law in Sweden. In general, Swedish parents reported using less violence than…

A longitudinal, cross-cultural field study was made to determine boundary conditions under which the television violence/aggression relation obtains, to determine intervening variables, and to illuminate the process through which television violence relates to aggression. Children from first through fifth grades in the United States, Australia,…

Assessed the arithmetical competencies of 105 American and 104 Chinese elementary school students at the beginning and end of the U.S. school year. Results suggest the Chinese advantage in early mathematical development is related to a combination of language- and school-related factors. (MDM)

Surveyed preschool administrators, teachers, and parents from four countries about what constitutes developmentally appropriate preschool practice. Found that respondents from Finland scored high on all survey items. Administrators and teachers from the United States scored higher than U.S. parents, who preferred a more formal, academic approach.…

Examined conceptions of adulthood among adolescents, emerging adults, and parents of adolescents in Israel. Found widespread support for individualistic criteria for adulthood, such as accepting responsibility for one's actions, deciding on one's own beliefs and values, and becoming financially independent. Found considerable support for…