The transformations in Russian society that took place in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century led to a rapid rise in social and economic differentiation. According to official data, the income gap between the 10 percent most-well-off and the 10 percent least-well-off families (the capital coefficient) rose to 14.8 times in…

The Museum of Irish Industry in Dublin, in its short existence (1845-1867) facilitated the access of ordinary people to popular scientific education, became a "cause celebre" and was defended by popular protest when the government recommended its abolition in 1862. Its Director, Sir Robert Kane (1809-1890) was not only an advocate of…

The recent endorsement of the advocacy competencies by the American Counseling Association signals their relevance to the school counseling profession. This article outlines the importance of being a social change agent, the value of advocacy in K-12 schools, and how school counselors can use the advocacy competencies as a framework for promoting…

Affirmative action in higher education remains a controversial topic in the US today, as it is tied in directly with citizens' varying conceptions of the larger society, and the importance of racial and other differences (in particular, socioeconomic class) in individual experiences and outcomes. This essay examines different arguments for and…

This discussion of kindergarten education is intended to provide information that educators can use in their efforts to provide equal access to an excellent education for all children. Current and past approaches to kindergarten are delineated in discussions of changes in the nature of schooling, in society, and in the understanding of how…

Discusses technology and its effects on society and humans, particularly library and information technology. Highlights include the evolving history of technology; and values related to technology in libraries, including democracy, stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, privacy, literacy and learning, rationalism, and equity of access. (LRW)

Class differences and class warfare have existed since the beginning of western civilization, but the gap in income and wealth between the rich (top 10 percent) and the rest has increased steadily in the last twenty-five years. The U.S. is heading for a financial oligarchy much worse than the aristocratic old world that our Founding Fathers feared…