Panama has achieved socio-economic improvements in recent decades thanks to strong economic growth and consequent poverty reduction. Its growth model is characterised by a dual economy in which a small number of activities, including those related to the Canal and Special Economic Zones, have exhibited high productivity growth but limited job…

Describes area studies as a product of the federal government's decision to provide needed resources beginning with World War II. Defines the elements within area studies as degree of specialization, factual knowledge, in-country experience, and language competency. Notes area studies research is loosely related to public policymaking. (NL)

Problems in area studies programs are linked to three deficiencies: weakness of all interdisciplinary programs, failure of the U.S. government to supply leadership and resources, and American inability to link essentially academic programs to those that have public policy goals. National and international support are encouraged. (MSE)

In the previous article, the authors described the 300 million gallon coal waste spill in Martin County, Kentucky and the interviews that they had with thirty-two area residents in the aftermath of the release (Scott, McSpirit, Hardesty, and Welch 2004 --this issue). Many of these interviewees charged MCCC-Massey and federal, state, and local…

Reviewed in this report is a study concerned with water pollution as it relates to urbanization within the Regional Plan Association's set of 21 contiguous New York, New Jersey and Connecticut counties centered upon the numerous bay and estuarial reaches of the Port of New York and New Jersey. With a time frame covering a decade of water quality…

The executive order establishing the Commission and defining its membership, function, objectives and administration is presented. The principal objectives are to recommend means for directing public attention to the importance of foreign language and international studies, assess needs, and make recommendations on academic programs and…

The history of Title VI of the Higher Education Act, having to do with language education and area studies, is chronicled by an educator closely involved in development of the legislation. The review focuses on four themes that have received the most attention: debates, largely outside the field, on whether to continue federal funding for Title…

This bibliography is a classified list of published research material on the contemporary Indian political system. The research references assembled have been organized under three broad categories: Indian political institutions, Indian political behavior, and public policy issues. The political institutions section focuses on the presidency,…

This document presents the proceedings of a conference which brought together delegates and First Ladies representing western hemisphere nations to address needs and issues affecting people with disabilities in the Americas. It presents the texts of two keynote addresses: "Small Triumphs, Big Victories: A Global View of Persons with…

The papers in this volume synthesize international disability policies, providing a cross-national perspective on disability definitions, the criteria for entitlement to disability benefits, and measures to facilitate a return to work for disabled individuals. Two papers, which were presented at the International Research Conference on Social…

A collection of position papers on aspects of foreign language and international studies was compiled for the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies. The three major presentations focus on: the student and the foreign language curriculum, developing and maintaining teacher skills, and directions for research and…

As an aid in teaching ESL (English as a second language) area studies, this article presents information on American Indians, including economic aspects, original Indian attitudes toward land and property, the Indian Wars, and the ambiguous policy of the government toward Indian protection and assimilation. (IFS/WGA)

IN ADDITION TO TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, CROSS-CULTURAL INTERACTION SKILLS ARE REQUIRED BY AMERICANS FOR SUCCESSFUL OVERSEAS MISSIONS. SINCE CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES, A PRACTICAL TRAINING PROGRAM IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP NECESSARY SKILLS AND ATTITUDES. TRAINING MATERIAL PACKAGES, NOTABLY THE SELF-CONTAINED…

Data are presented on the recipients of Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, a federally-funded program supporting specialist training at the graduate level. The information comes from two surveys, one of FLAS recipients who earned a Ph.D. between 1967 and 1979, and the second a sample of those who received FLAS fellowships…

Hearings on The Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 are presented. Objectives of the act are to help ensure the nation's independent factual knowledge of the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, to help maintain the national capability for advanced research and training on which that knowledge depends, and to provide…