Intended to provide a basis for a sociolinguistic theory of reading by placing reading within a discussion of the formal and functional characteristics of language use in social settings, this book explores the state of the art of reading and literacy, the relations between spoken and written language, and explanations of reading failure. Chapters…

The relationship between the psychological process of social-cognitive development of elementary children and social science education is reviewed. Social cognition is defined as the ways in which children come to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. For the most part, research findings have shown that a fundamental aspect of social…

The situation for "street children" has degenerated over the past two decades following the economic and political transitions in much of Latin America. Drawing on scholarly materials, interviews with child rights advocates, and the words of the children themselves, this book explores the abuse, limited choices, despair, loyalty, and…

The question of whether corporal punishment is an effective method of discipline has been hotly debated by parents, teachers, and child-rearing experts. Based on studies of over 9,000 families, this book describes the extent to which parents in the United States use corporal punishment (such as spanking and slapping) and its effects on their…

This volume of essays enables readers to see utility in the practice of social mapping as it opens traditional cartographic representation to multiple perspectives and the play of difference. This book argues that social mapping is useful in constructing more comprehensive and reasonably accurate representations of social and cultural phenomena.…

This book is intended to make the reader aware of the connections between the present-day, complex world of schools and the historical, philosphical, political, and economic backdrop out of which they have emerged. Educational topics discussed in the chapters are: (1) Educational Reform: A Beginning; (2) The Personal Choice: To Teach or Not to…

This analysis of cultural pluralism in the United States focuses on the central concerns of balancing inequities and cultivating pluralistic values and attitudes. The first chapter reviews the historical background of cultural pluralism and its implications for educators. In Chapter 2, the theory of cultural pluralism is explored, concentrating on…

This report presents descriptive statistical results from a 1980 national survey of high school seniors concerning their values, behaviors, and lifestyle. It is the sixth in a series. Questionnaires were filled out by 16,524 seniors in 107 public and 20 private high schools. Student response rate was 82%. Content areas measured include the…

This book presents the ideas of several authors who share the viewpoint that social values play an important role in determining financial policies in public schools. The first section reviews the historic and social context of school financing, summarizing U.S. school finance policy from 1955 to 1980 and describing the political environment of…

This book provides a framework for examining violence as a social issue in contemporary society. Discussion is limited to violence as it occurs in the United States. The book can be used as a teacher resource or a secondary-level reader on violence, giving an historical background and a discussion of violence as a social phenomenon. The framework…

Noting that the adoption and entry into force of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 was an important milestone in history reflecting the changing image of the child, this book examines the relationship between education and children's rights. Chapter 1 deals with motivation, the different but interconnected reasons for…

This volume--the second in a two-volume set from the Monitoring the Future study--provides findings on the substance use and related behaviors of several segments of the adult population. It also contains findings on attitudes and beliefs about drugs, as well as on several particularly salient dimensions of their social environments. Volume I…

This book describes the results of a study of the political development of 35 Protestant and Catholic children between 11 and 16 years old, attending integrated and non-integrated secondary schools in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The research maps Belfast schoolchildren's images of political violence, political authority figures, and their views…

The paper reviews literature dealing with children's social and political development and examines how changing orientations in child development research relate to citizenship education. The paper is intended for use by elementary school educators as they develop and implement citizenship education and law-related education programs. The paper is…

Summaries of four workshops sponsored by the Institute For The Future (IFF) are presented. Each focuses on a particular aspect of the social impact of computers: (1) computer models and simulations as aids to decision making; (2) the use of computers in financial operations; (3) perceptions, attitudes, and literacy regarding computers (i.e.,…