The evolution of lay literacy, the pervasive set of assumptions taken for granted by those who participate in a literate society, is traced from the 12th century. Research on the forms and assumptions of lay literacy over the change from an oral to a written to a computer society is urged. (MT)

Reviews McIntosh's 1983 theory on the five-phase evolution of scholarship required by increasing feminism. Documents the sequence of the five phases using references to scholarly literature on the psychology of personality. Elaborates on Phase III in which investigators study women as inherently different from men and urges further study and…

Argues that the social process by which knowledge is produced, distributed, and consumed reinforces oppression by systematically and intrinsically creating a body of distorted information. Recommends the systematic planning, design, organization, and control of the development of instruction as a strategy for addressing issues of inequality and…

Investigates distinctions between the theories of Harold Innis, Marshall McLuhan, and Marx by considering some unresolved problems in how Innis conceptualizes both the historical process and the impact of media on social organization. Argues that certain fundamental notions in Innis' work inaccurately analyze key features of the historical…

Examines the 23-year history of Findhorn, a spiritual community in northern Scotland, founded in 1962 by Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy Maclean on the basis of divine guidance. (AYC)

Describes anthropological thinking about primeval violence; how it originated, was manifested, and controlled. Discusses the role of war in Mawri of Niger society as an example of a society which preferred war to peace. Concludes with reflections on present 'secondary or induced wars,' and the need to understand these conflicts in terms of an…

Reviews anthropological thinking on ethnic and racial prejudice. Provides examples of discrimination and cites the major theorists who have played a part in developing anti-racist views of society. Concludes that racism has no scientific or legal justification, that racism is a crime against humanity, and that it is the enemy of peace, culture,…

Presents a strategy for theory building about adjustment in single-parent families. Theory components, predictor variables, propositions, and influences are cited. (BL)

This paper defines the "social turn" as a philosophy focused on interaction and social practice, and states that it was fostered in the New Literacy Studies movement as well as 13 other movements, which all argued the importance and definition of the social in their own ways. The paper then discusses the philosophical underpinnings of…

Attempts to locate adult education in the tradition of social policy analysis which has long been concerned with social welfare and, more recently, with schooling. Considers the idea of social control as it has figured in the context of social welfare policy and schooling. (JOW)

Explores the interpersonal and intellectual relationship between Booker T. Washington and Robert Ezra Park, a White sociologist who travelled, worked, and wrote with Washington before becoming well known as an expert on race relations. Focuses on their voyage to Europe which resulted in the publication of Washington's "The Man Farthest…

Discusses the notions of distance and place in relation to distance education, using social scientific theories of distance. A selection of the work of geographers, historians, and sociologists concerning theories of distance and place are critically related to the administration, management, and practices of distance education. (20 references)…

Postmodernism is an articulation of a tension between contingency and commitment. Since this commitment is typically pedagogical, education has a strong reason to stay within postmodernism. The paper reviews the feminist debate on postmodernism, examining how postmodernism contributes to the emancipatory interests of education. The public-private…

This paper is based on a study into the social and ethical implications of computer education in secondary schools in Queensland (Australia). The relationship between computer technology and philosophy is discussed; three curriculum orientations are described--(1) vocational, (2) liberal, and (3) socially critical; and a socially critical…

Examines the black female's role in U.S. society, particularly with regard to working outside the home, and argues that one cannot understand what African American women are today without having a historical perspective for what their ancestors and their ancestors' roles, functions, and responsibilities were. An Afrocentric perspective is…