This volume is part of a series of monographs from Australia devoted to outlining an alternative approach, based on neo-Marxist concepts, to educational administration. The introductory essay in this volume attempts to develop and clarify the basis for an alternative, dialectical approach to educational administration, which emphasizes the…

With the intent of integrating partial theories that have developed in the area of mate selection, this paper presents propositions extracted from the research literature (1950-1976). A logical ordering of these propositions is suggested and new propositions are derived by interrelating selected propositions. These conclusions are reached: first,…

The interactional aspects of support within social networks of the elderly were investigated with a particular focus on the role which reciprocal exchanges play in defining the nature of the support channeled along the links in the network. The sample consisted of 50 adults, 55-83 years of age, living in an urbanized region of North Carolina.…

The study reported on was conducted to study aspects of conflict and conflict management that might have implications for the fields of education and educational administration. The five phases of the study include a review of the literature, a series of interviews, a synthesis of ideas, the dissemination of findings, and a concluding research…

Bringing together 35 of the most notable contributions of authors such as Kenneth Burke, Erving Goffman, and Eric Berne, this book provides an introduction to the dramaturgical perspective of social actions. Selections stem from the conception that many "real-life" actions and events can most adequately be understood in terms of drama. Included…

Presented is the final report of a project to increase academic performance and social interaction in 52 retarded or normal children (3-18 years old) through training teachers in the use of three social skills: exchange, competition, and cooperation. The following project objectives are discussed: operational identification of the three social…

This paper discusses possible uses for student communication journals in the interpersonal communication classroom. Appropriate interpretation of student journal entries can clarify the effectiveness of instructional games and simulations, stimulate integration of experience-based affective learning systems within a sound theoretical framework,…

Tests a scaling instrument that measures an individual's power in four communication situations. Shows that positive and negative personal power and reward power are three stable factors accounting for seven-tenths of the total variance. Supports the hypothesis that perceived interpersonal power varies across communication contexts. (RL)

This paper reviews research on physical attractiveness from a dialectical-interactional perspective and attempts to examine the relationship between outer appearance and inner psychological characteristics from a developmental perspective. (BD)

Examined the contributions of positive social support and negative social exchange in the relationship between stress and health symptoms. College student surveys indicated that negative social exchange significantly predicted physical symptoms, while positive social support did not. The relationship between negative social interaction and…

The relationship between life history, gender, and the discourse of modernization was examined from the perspective of a researcher with extensive experience performing evaluations about modernization within human services in Denmark. Three stories about site-based management in two human service institutionsa youth center and a boarding school…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the use of contingent faculty on undergraduate education. This study presents three research questions: (1) To what degree do contingent faculty members engage students in good practices less frequently than their tenured and tenure-track counterparts?; (2) What effect does the proportion of…

A study was conducted to examine the applicability of social comparison and social exchange theories to the family unit. One part of that study concentrated on the effect of the belief that one's parents favored or did not facor oneself over the sibling. College students (N=216) from two-child families were asked to indicate their perception of…

A study of how principals in effective schools set norms for teacher behavior, student achievement, and educational goals used data from six elementary schools in Tennessee that achieved scores on standardized reading tests substantially higher than scores predicted on the basis of the students' socioeconomic levels. Four primary norm-setting…