In reading queer Native American images, Lisa Tatonetti (2010) criticizes film in which the "boundaries of nation in indigenous contexts are constructed and maintained by the heteronormative gaze" that restricts lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2) representations. The author's own work differentiates the mere…

In this article, the authors argue that to understand the very low incidence of outside-of-marriage childbearing in contemporary Japan one needs to take into account perceptions of all possible solutions to a premarital pregnancy: marriage, abortion, and childbearing outside wedlock. To demonstrate the particular impact of these perceptions in…

This article attempts a contrast to the contribution by Hugh Starkey. Rather than his account of the inexorable rise of human rights discourse, and of the implementation of human rights standards, human rights are here presented as always and necessarily scandalous and highly contested. First, I explain why the UK has lagged so far behind its…

The field of youth studies appears to have increasingly taken on a self-consciously "international" orientation, characterized by grappling with how to represent local youth identities and social practices within international, transnational, or global contexts. This challenge is repeated across many different types of study and worked…

Questions of censorship in education have been debated at length for decades, but it is only in recent years that the dialectic called public opinion has refined the issue in terms of the distinctions between guidelines and censorship. Despite the many differences with regard to inclusion and exclusion (including perspective, techniques, and…

Discusses the presumed superiority of the Japanese education system, questioning whether it meets that society's needs and expectations and satisfies the psycho-social needs of the individual. Examines strengths and weaknesses of the system, urging U.S. educational reformers to recognize the weak points before they are incorporated into the U.S.…

Historical and contemporary special education in Japan and the United States are compared. Differences in societal acceptance of the handicapped, integration into regular education, educational finance, parental roles, governmental control, and staff training are highlighted. The authors' personal experiences demonstrating the influence of culture…

Although Allan Bloom in "The Closing of the American Mind" and Mike Rose in "Lives on the Boundary" reveal an almost endless list of obvious differences of perspective on literacy and higher education in America, both take divergent yet similar routes to create a permanent place for liberal education. Both Bloom and Rose use…

This paper argues that the progressive, revisionist reaction within Catholic education and schooling, as well as within Catholicism at large, to the challenge of modernity is a mistake. In view of modernity's malaises, it advocates instead the affirmation or reaffirmation of the ideal of traditional Catholicism as the only authentic response for…

This examination of political and social attitudes of American youth in the 1980's begins with a comparison of the youth of the 1960's with the youth of the 1970's. Results from four major studies are presented and a composite picture of youth in the eighties is presented. Findings show that the personal and professional values of American…

Discusses child welfare within the context of social contract theory, developed by Hume, Locke, and Rousseau, and covenant theory, namely, the insistence upon the intergenerational and communal bases of life chances. The two theories are compared and contrasted, and eight regulative principles of political covenant are proposed to benefit the…

The linguistic behavior of individuals and people in the official literature on lifelong learning (LL) was examined and interpreted in light of the theories of individualization in late modern culture and society, particularly the theories of Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens. The analysis was performed to shed light on that literature's ideological…

Collectivist versus individualistic attitudes in China and the United States are compared with particular emphasis on the effects of these attitudes on educational objectives and practice in China. Individualism is interpreted to include attitudes such as personal liberty, individual initiative, moral relativism, and self-direction. This…

The controversy surrounding college admission criteria is examined. It is noted that racial classifications and preference of ethnic and racial minorities, as part of a university's admissions policy have been seen to constitute reverse discrimination. Proponents of a racially neutral admissions policy argue for a strengthening of standardized…

Social changes in Sweden have engendered concrete problems for young people. For example, an extensive government-sponsored day care system has left many youth longing for social contacts with adults. The Swedish society is giving material welfare higher priority than social welfare. Possible solutions are discussed. (RM)