The project was concerned with developing three up-to-date, accurate bibliographies on Asia and Africa as resource guides and book selection tools for undergraduate libraries. Existing bibliographies and information on newer books favorably received in journals were entered on a computer system. A preliminary, unedited, unselected bibliography was…

Developed for a one-semester college credit course, this syllabus encourages a cross-cultural approach to the study of Indian society. The objective is to provide students with not only a balanced view of India but also with an idea of dynamics of change. Emphasis is upon paralleling social and political issues in the United States with those of…

College students from colleges and universities throughout the United States were surveyed about the location of the world's 50 most populous countries. Over 3,300 responses were examined to determine the perceived geographic range of given countries, the regional degree of accuracy among students, and the overall significance of response errors.…

In the last 40 years the Canadian North has changed socially and culturally as a result of economic pressures and federal government policy decisions. Environmental and cultural conditions of the Canadian North are discussed, and the past, present, and future roles of the North in Canada are examined. (RM)

This one semester course syllabus entitled, "The Integration of Mexico and the United States: Societies in Transition," is interdisciplinary and taught by the Departments of Geography, Management, Foreign Language/Spanish, and Sociology/Archaeology at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse Institute for Latin American Studies. The course…

This paper examines educational attainment in South Africa. The study concludes that educational attainment of blacks, Asians, and especially Asian women, has risen substantially over the last half-century in South Africa. The least-educated blacks have benefited little from this growth (except among most recent cohorts), although there is some…

Like no other region on the globe, the Caribbean Basin has served as a testing ground for U.S. foreign policy. Of all the countries in the region, Cuba has been the scene of many of the United States' most riveting foreign policy dramas. The teacher resource book and student text probe the complex, often troubled, relationship between the United…

This study examined salary increases among college faculty in the field of area, ethnic, and cultural studies for both public and private institutions for the years 1995-1996 and 1998-1999. The study reflects data obtained from the 279 public and 386 private institutions that participated in both study years. The study found that the average area,…

This report, covering 2,369 social science, general, faculty, is part of an annual national survey of faculty salaries. The survey is in two parts: one covering public and one covering private four-year colleges and universities. Data for the l995-96 baseline year and 1998-99 trend year were collected for full-time teaching faculty in 53 selected…

This curriculum unit aims to introduce students to the study of the future by teaching about some of the tools that futurists use. Through the small group activities in the unit, students will become familiar with and proficient in using the following tools: historical analogy, trend extrapolation, cross-impact matrix, and decision-maker's…

Reviews factors in modern language programs' declining enrollments, pointing to attendant failures of Americans to communicate on the international level. Describes efforts to counter this trend through interdisciplinary, internationally oriented curricula with a strong foreign language component. (MES)

Under its new president, the Ford Foundation, a key grantmaker in the social sciences, is placing more emphasis on global issues. Changes include closer links in program areas and revitalization of area studies through encouragement of international scholarship. Regional directorships for some areas are being abandoned in favor of more fluid…

Describes an individual's experience returning to his native Czechoslovakia, 43 years after fleeing Communism. Discusses problems faced in transforming people conditioned to an authoritarian state into citizens of a democracy. Stresses that good intentions and sincerity are not enough to understand area studies and the importance of intercultural…

Outlines techniques used by one Russian studies faculty member to enhance enrollment and retain students, including developing courses that satisfy interdepartmental requirements, advertising, catching student interest early, providing interest and relevance, initiating open class discussions, using direct study approaches, using guest lecturers…

Criticizes the notion that the empiricism of economics is more valid (and therefore more valuable) to the field of political science than the more subjective efforts of area studies. Specifically responds to Robert Bates's categorization of area studies as "unscientific" and unduly "humanist." Briefly discusses significant works within area…