Civic engagement is recognized as a critical process to address environmental and other societal issues. To examine the intersection between environmental education and civic engagement, as reported in the peer-reviewed literature, we undertook a systematic mixed studies review to identify environmental education program outcomes related to civic…

Service-learning experiences have the potential to improve participants' attitudes and values toward those whom they serve, but if the experience is poorly designed or poorly implemented, it runs the risk of reinforcing stereotypes and deficit perspectives of the intended beneficiaries of service. This study examines the extent to which Contact…

Higher education is an essential element in developing a country's innovative potential, and this has been recognised as such by politicians and those who work in the industry. However, one of the blights of contemporary Russian society, corruption threatens the potential of the next generation. Corruption has permeated all levels of society,…

This article presents two conceptual frames to help with teaching about issues of race and racism. First the concept of the web of racism describes a matrix that helps students understand the depth of damage racism has instilled in contemporary U.S. society. Second, the web of resistance offers a model of anti-racist activities to help students…

This paper considers corruption in higher education in Russia as reflected in the national media, including such aspects as corruption in admissions to higher education institutions and corruption in administering the newly introduced standardized test. The major focus is on the opinions of the leading figures of the education reform as related to…

College students in a selected sample demonstrated low interest in social issues, and their interest was related to sex and perceived personal meaningfulness of social concerns. (Author)

It was hypothesized that fundamental belief systems contribute to the development of political attitudes and opinions above and beyond adherence to so-called "liberalism" or "conservatism." A 20-item instrument was developed and administered to 63 college males and females to assess their underlying fundamental assumptions,…

Uses a case study of an international service-learning program (ISLP) in Ecuador to assess how effectively these programs contribute to fostering a sense of justice in students. Finds that the ISLP experience helps students to acquire a deeper understanding of their world and reassure their commitment to service. (CAK)

Examines some of the problems that make teaching about the intersection of race, class, and gender difficult. Focuses on why there exists a problem of convincing students that racism, sexism, and consideration of class continue to be powerful forces in creating the kind of lives people lead. (KO)

Presents several arguments and strategies for using films about war and peace in introductory sociology and social problems courses. Addresses the practical problems of cost, scheduling, and locating appropriate resources. An appendix provides an annotated list of effective films, videos, and slide shows. (Author/BSR)

This book suggests new approaches to the role played by communication in social conflict situations. In "A Transactional Paradigm of Verbalized Social Conflict," C. David Mortensen calls for a transactional approach to the study of communication and conflict. Fred Jandt's "Communication and the Simulation of Social Conflict" stresses the…

This study sought to determine if two college courses, social problems and psychology, had a liberalizing effect on students' social and political attitudes. A "liberalizing effect" is defined as shifting students' world view and social analysis from an exceptionalistic to an universalistic perspective. The two professors involved in the study…

Data were collected from 176 college students in a study of the effects of corporate advocacy advertising in crisis situations. The subjects read one of two sets of oil company advertisements, one set using a low advocacy and the other set using a high advocacy approach to explain company activities in relation to current events and social issues.…

This study assessed the degree of intellectual interest or involvement which a national sample of 5,623 seniors in 65 colleges and universities has in eight contemporary social issues. Also examined were the relationships of some commonly studied educational variables to this interest. Questionnaire items pertained to the students' evaluation of…

Candace de Russy wonders whether the climate of ideas in higher education offers any defense at all against the anti-Western terrorism abroad in the world today. "No," she concludes. Divisive ideologies can only weaken our unity, our resolve, and our moral confidence, just when we need them at their strongest.