Let us revive joyous commitment in studies in education. Let us make colleges of education a more pleasant place to be, with fewer passive complainers and many more authentic, active, supportive, and constructive types. (Author)

It is argued that negative portrayals of the professoriate in popular culture stem from growing anti-intellectualism in American society. College faculty are often derided as those whose work is primarily or entirely theoretical, too esoteric for practical use. Faculty are also portrayed as foolish or eccentric. Popular culture and public opinion…

Reviews the historical development of awareness about child sexual abuse and examines the counterreaction, or backlash, that this increasing awareness has triggered. The author urges professionals working in child sexual abuse to make sure that their opinions and actions are based on sound research and are directed toward improving the lives of…

Discusses problems facing persons with disabilities; provides a history of legislative advocacy efforts, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); considers how the ADA will impact upon negative attitudes; and describes what public libraries need to know to comply with the ADA. (Contains 17 references.) (LRW)

Reports on results of Community Attitudes Toward Mentally Ill questionnaire given to undergraduates. Significant differences emerged on subscales based ranking of primary source of information about mental illness. Results do not imply causality but rather that electronic media is powerful mechanism for spreading the stigma of mental illness.…

Peer relationships play an important role in socialization during childhood and young adolescence. Negative relationships may pose multiple difficulties for children related to their development that can have lifelong influences. Research indicates that the quality of peer relationships is associated with a variety of outcomes, such as social…

Job stress among institutional researchers and approaches to managing or coping with stress are considered. In considering different types of stressors and stress reactions, it is noted that stress from all sources is cumulative and cannot be ignored during the workday, and that both pleasant and unpleasant happenings can result in stress. One…

As black children are portrayed too often in literature with negative images, it is understandable why they suffer from low self-esteem. In addition to being described as impoverished, black children are shown to be ugly (according to European standards), semiliterate or illiterate, poorly dressed, and malnourished. Northern settings also…

The atmosphere of racism in America affects the attitudes and behavior of both blacks and whites. Our racial outlook is profoundly influenced by the history of black slavery which dehumanized blacks and caused them to engage in behavior that could be used as "proof" of inferiority. Even today, a century after slavery was abolished, the doctrine of…

There is a vast discrepancy between scientific findings as to the magnitude and permanence of Mexican migration to the United States, on the one hand, and the public's perceptions, on the other. The reason for this is a process of ideological formation which responds to diverse economic and political interests. (Author/GC)

In light of declining enrollments and decreasing funding in colleges and universities, humanities curricula should be reorganized to overcome negative student attitudes toward humanities courses. Recounts the successful use of collaborative learning experiences in teaching poetry and suggests the development of interdisciplinary career-option…

Provides a macrohistorical, conflict perspective on students' resistance to schooling in contemporary America. Proposes that adolescence is not a universal stage of life, but a social category produced only in industrial societies; resistance to schooling thus represents the most recent stage in the struggle between age strata over social goods.…

Discusses public attitudes toward the government and government agencies. People feel that the biggest threat to the country is "big government." Also, people feel that government agencies are not working well and that they undertake tasks beyond their competence. Key episodes fostering these beliefs are the War on Poverty, the Vietnam War, and…

Mediocrity is a powerful force. But whatever its cause so far as education is concerned--be it rampant bureaucracy or pressure from teaching peers who feel threatened by excellence--mediocrity can be defeated, if teachers will stand up and refuse to bend to pressures to do less than their best. (Author/SJL)

Racism has been a major factor in determining the role and stature of jazz and the musicians who play it. Jazz has been denied its artistic due because it emerged from Black people who have been systematically denied their social and civil rights. (Author/GC)