The issue in West Virginia's censorship controversy is clear. Parents feared democratic freedom of choice and wanted their children taught to be idealogical carbon copies of themselves. But the parents themselves may not be to blame. They too are products of authoritarian, no-think schools in which orthodoxy went unchallenged. (Author/SJL)

Analyzes the role of higher education in China and Taiwan as an agent of both political socialization and economic modernization in the context of economic and social transformations, 1949-95. Examines how cultural traditions, a national belief system, nation building, and foreign relations help maintain a 200-year-old tension between…

Argues that feminist psychologists not only do not have a uniform position on the issue of gender differences, but that many have argued for large gender differences. The article contends that meta-analyses indicate great variability in the magnitude of gender differences across different behaviors. (GR)

Examined socialist citizens' views of military crimes of obedience, their attitudes toward political dissent, and predictors of each. No relationship was found between respondents' attitudes about disobedience and their responses about political dissent. However, greater education was associated both with claiming that one would disobey and with…

Traces the legal history of the school flag movement and efforts of religious groups to have the mandatory salute abolished. Suggests that schools must educate students for true citizenship and what it means to live in a democracy. Argues that the flag should be a symbol of freedom rather than the object of empty pledges. (DK)

Discusses the morality of teaching neoclassical theory as the only science of economics. Argues that the teaching of neoclassical theory violates moral principles unless each and every attribute of neoclassical theory is proven superior to corresponding attributes of competing theories. Criticizes neoclassical economics for teaching what rather…

Describes a study of 14 fifth graders concerning their understanding and attitudes toward the Persian Gulf War. Finds that the public school served as a significant socialization agent during the war, although television was even more important. Concludes that patriotic issues and activities overshadowed any attempts to have students think…

Proposes an interactive model of political development that predicts that socialization effects of communication will be moderated by age, such that younger children will be influenced less than older children by the same communication source. Test the model on 290 children in grades 5 through 12. Finds strong support for the model. Discusses…

Suggests there are flaws in the National Standards for United States History that could be detrimental to students. According to the author, in their pervasive present-mindedness and self-censorship, the standard's framers underestimate and ill-serve the students because the standards help develop a smug, superior, and self-righteous attitude…

Reviews a book that reports on educational objectives and operations during the 10-year Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia, drawing on current developments in the theory of hegemonic relations. Suggests that the book's focus on linguistic policy in education has implications for the role of language in client-donor international-aid relationships.…

At the core of democratic citizenship is deliberation: citizens' tendency and capacity for debating issues of common importance. This study considers civic organizations--often found to be political mobilizers--as political microcultures: environments for political discourse that structure participants' understanding of the practice of…

Key concepts in political socialization, tolerance, groups, rights and responsibilities can be used to understand the way in which young people struggle with sexual identity issues. Educators may promote greater tolerance for homosexuality among heterosexuals by situating sexual identity issues within a broader discussion of democratic principles.…

Civic education and its call for social studies to prepare students for citizenship in a participatory democracy have been limited to the political domain and touted as participation with the already existing political domain. This paper is a reflection of how engaging with and challenging heterosexism, homophobia, and heteronormativity in a…

Describes a project to assess the impact of teacher unemployment in the United Kingdom and the United States on teachers' attitudes toward the political system and on perceptions of the political self. Findings indicate that status deprivation results in awareness of political forces and tends to make unemployed individuals somewhat more…

Reviews research literature on socioeconomic and cultural factors associated with immigrants who naturalize. These explanatory factors are commonly found: (1) length of residence in the United States; (2) potential for acculturation, which varies among different national origin groups; (3) motivation for immigration; and (4) formal education and…