Based on a study conducted in an intervention program for parents of maltreated children, this book examines the well intended but often ineffective efforts of the child welfare system to prevent maltreatment, as illustrated by the experiences of three parents targeted by the state's child protection agency, and urges more far-reaching policy…

A questionnaire survey canvassed the views of 72 New Zealand educators, in order to identify gaps or deficiencies in services and to establish priorities for development. Respondents were asked to comment on special education system strengths, growing points, desirable policy directions, and special interests. Four issues emerged as central to…

Six articles discuss various aspects of the English Only Movement while affirming the inalienable right of language minority individuals to equal educational opportunity and due process under the law and the right to maintain cultural and linguistic ties to their native heritages. Congressman Don Edwards considers bilingual ballots, explaining…

Common assumptions concerning the impact of computers on society fail to recognize the complexity of the social settings into which computer technology is introduced or the roles computer applications play in those settings. This paper identifies common ways of conceptualizing computing and points out their weaknesses. The author then discusses…

For nearly a generation, teachers have taught Norwegian school children through songs, explanation, films, and reading about children from other cultures with international understanding as an ideal. Now, however, with nearly 80,000 foreign workers in Norway, incidents of racism and discrimination (such as insults and mobbing in schoolyards) are…

A discussion of Harvard University's ethical responsibilities by the college's president considers the reasons why universities have traditionally been reluctant to take formal positions on ethical and political issues arising in the outside world. These reasons include a belief that such positions will establish an orthodoxy that may inhibit…

Under the guise of helping girls, many schools have adopted policies that penalize boys, often for simply being masculine. Arguing that boys need help catching up with girls academically, and need love, discipline, respect, and moral guidance, but do not need to be rescued from their masculinity, this book scrutinizes studies and feminist doctrine…

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…

Proposes a social studies curriculum framework based on Ervin Laszlo's life philosophy. Stresses developing appreciation of global human interdependence through religion, community, empathy, and equality, and fusing these values into political realities. Asserts it is the particular responsibility of social studies education to meet this…

The prospects that current dropout interventions will succeed in reducing dropout behavior are explored using the following sources: (1) the literature on school dropouts; (2) experience in working with policymakers; and (3) a general perspective on the policy process advanced by political scientists. School dropouts are currently the focus of a…

Factors that affect interracial relationships of white faculty at predominantly black colleges are considered. Based on theoretical writings and research, five dynamics influencing black-white interaction are identified: prejudice and stereotyping, dominance by whites, racial role-playing, social acceptance/social distance, and value differences.…

In this collection of essays, theories are presented on the present and future status of physical education instruction. The essay in the first chapter explores the idea that, to function or survive in a complex society, individuals must work to unify the mind and body. The second chapter emphasizes that physical education provides people with…

Social policy influences black wives' employment policies, regardless of occupation. The factors that influence a wife's working come from various social or societal levels--the individual, the family, and the wider society or environment. Individual characteristics supporting the black women's strong attachment to the world of work are her…

This paper explores the impact of the hidden curriculum on students. The hidden curriculum refers to the social relations and school climate of the schools. Two theories are presented as the basis for studying the relationship between school climate and students' social beliefs and actions. The generalization theory states that students view the…

A high level of individual concern with environmental issues characterizes the ecological crisis of the 1970s. In spite of this increased public involvement, however, many basic problems facing humans as they interact with the environment have remained constant throughout history. For example, the sometimes conflicting concepts of scarcity,…