This study retrospectively examines the emergence and development of a new class of full-time non-tenure track employees in a large land grant research university in the U.S., which created the employment category in 1980. We employ cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to explore how this class of employees became institutionalized within…

It is becoming increasingly clear that the notion of "removing barriers" offers a limited foundation for widening participation to higher education. Drawing on realist social theory, we consider how decisions to participate or not participate form part of a process to establish a "modus vivendi" or "way of life" for…

Set against instructional practices that promote competition and individual performance, Dynamic Assessment, in our view, offers a more appropriate form of pedagogy for learners from cultural backgrounds that favour cooperation during joint activity. Indeed, these learners appear to be disadvantaged when negotiating the contrasting values and…

Higher Education is experiencing an increasingly diverse student population. Students bring a range of skills and experiences to their courses; they have different backgrounds and different needs. This fluidity requires an approach to teaching that encompasses the social aspects of learning. It has been suggested that authentic approaches to…

Presents a syllabus for a seminar on political culture. The syllabus is composed of readings centered around such topics as individualism, egalitarians, leadership, media, and cultural change. (GEA)

David Bleich, in his analysis of Toni Morrison's "Beloved," is representative of theorists and practitioners who misrepresent feminism and women's issues. In his essay, "Reading from Inside the Outside of One's Community," Bleich converts a book about the strength and dignity of an African-American woman into a male-bashing…

A grounded theory was developed to describe the processes of self-understanding of a group of Chinese women graduate students who were studying in the United States at the time of the research. A basic psychological process, reweaving a fragmented self, was identified from interviews with 20 Chinese women graduate students. Reweaving a fragmented…

Argues with John Fiske's position on the nature and function of cultural interpretation. Defines and defends cultural interpretation as an investigative mode the main objective of which is to render participants' communication practices coherent and intelligible, through an explication of a system of symbols, symbolic forms, and meanings which is…

Outlines a new direction for graduate study in curriculum. Sees curriculum theory as a form of social theory, thus relating curriculum discourse to knowledge and social practices that produce and legitimize particular forms of social life. Suggests ways a new program might be constructed and discusses the obstacles it would face. (Author/RDN)

Demonstrates how the typical American sociology course requires American or Western cultural literacy. Uses as an example the teaching of sociology on the Yap Islands in Micronesia. Demonstrates how to overcome the westernized world view limitation by using cross-cultural comparisons and other techniques. (JDH)

Describes a study that used action research and a sociocultural framework to assess the effectiveness of a listserv for teacher training. Investigated whether it created opportunities for the development of language teacher discourse; whether teachers-in-training engaged in instructional conversations on a listserv; and problems associated with…

This study provides a framework for studying socio-cultural issues that impact on how knowledge, ideas and values are transmitted and developed. Since racial domination in South Africa was produced through power relations, it is important to investigate discourses through which black South African distance education learners make meaning of their…

American race relations theory is applied to the conceptualization of assimilation in America and to problems in planning in higher education desegregation. Black colleges can be viewed as microcosms of American race relations in their patterns of conflict, accommodation, and assimilation. The conflict over the propriety of black colleges' claims…

Discusses the heuristic value of John Meyer's social theory on citizenship, education, and the nation state in relation to Fritz Ringer's three dimensions of education. Suggests that national differences correspond to differences in centralized or decentralized education policies. (CFR)

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)