Discusses the implications of postmodernism for the field of the history of education, specifically from the point of view of theory and methodology. Briefly reviews theoretical applications and their leading adherents in Britain. Concludes that postmodern theory should make historians more self-reflective. (MJP)

Discusses the utopian philosophy and related educational practices of the early 19th-century communitarian settlement in New Harmony, Indiana. The settlement failed after several years, due in no small part to the falling out between its two main supporters, Robert Owen and William Maclure. (MJP)

Describes an English-language reading course for science and engineering students at a Mexican university. The course used science and cyberpunk fiction to address moral and ethical issues concerning technological advancement. Synthesizes students' commentaries and includes lists of reading materials, films, and discussion questions. (MJP)

Explores moral motivation grounded in the desire to maintain and express one's personal identity as a good person. Maintains that identity-based motivation, oriented towards the desirable rather than an instrumentalist approach, encourages a pluralistic and tolerant view of other norms. Discusses implications for moral education. (MJP)

Reviews the contributions and educational philosophy of Herbert Spencer. The 19th-century social philosopher was an advocate of Pestalozzianism, an early form of open education and a precursor to John Dewey's progressive education. Discusses a broad range of educational reform movements and how they influenced Spencer. (MJP)

Presents the results of a Polish study that generally supports Lawrence Kohlberg's claim of cross-cultural universality. Kohlberg's theory postulates a universal model of moral development that reveals an underlying organization of thought rather than specific positions. The study included 291 men and women, 15-80 years of age. (MJP)

Discusses the character and contributions of Thomas Jesse Jones, an early 20th-century educator and a pioneer in social studies and black education. Jones's inconsistent philosophy (he supported limited black education but believed in white supremacy) grew out of an unlikely combination of progressive Christianity and deep conservatism. (MJP)

Reviews changing attitudes towards the schooling of Black South Africans as revealed in a study of texts and statements by leading White politicians and historians. Discusses dominant schools of educational thought in South Africa focusing on the nationalist/conservative, the liberal, and the radical/neo-Marxist. (JHZ)

Formulates a pedagogical position that articulates religious experience as complementary to formal-rational thought. Recent postmodernist criticism has located secular thinking as a coequal position to subjective religious experience on the now-leveled philosophical playing field. Explores what this newfound (academic) respectability means for…

Examines social studies in the twenty-first century from a critical theory perspective. Traces critical reflection's origins from Marxist educational theories to Jurgen Habermas's critical theory. Highlights Fred Newmann's curricular model, "Education for Citizen Action," for developing competent action in public affairs. Advocates…

Compares and contrasts two emerging approaches to educational historical research. Reveals a double-edged sword in that while these approaches open up the field to a wide array of subject matter and styles of inquiry, they also may weaken the epistemological stature of the discipline. (MJP)

Conceptualizes a new vision of multicultural education going beyond the piecemeal inclusion of previously underrepresented cultures. Global humanities emphasizes the interactivity and interdependence inherent in cross-cultural interrelationships. Briefly discusses the scholarship of Janet Abu-Lughod and its antecedents. (MJP)

How objective are the research methods of sociologists? Is the scientific method more or less bias-free or truthful than other methods? Even assuming that the scientific method is the best or most truthful method presently available to sociologists, how do researchers know which theory to test? This paper, an introductory essay to a college…

Examines changes in the positions and concerns of South African sociologists of education as they move from an oppositional status to a more ambiguous space. These sociologists now face the prospect of choosing between criticism and reconstructive efforts. Reviews themes and issues related to this conflict. (MJP)

Examines the link between racial inequality in schooling and differences in cultural capital, parents' socialization of their children into high-status culture. Reveals an interconnection between the integration of blacks into high-status culture and the black-white convergence in schooling. Suggests cultural capital possesses potential for upward…