Asserts that culture was and is a major focus of much sociological research and writing and that music is often a subject of such research. Proposes using music as a teaching tool in a course about issues of race, class, and gender. Describes the use of musical lyrics in the course, and reports on student attitudes toward the course. (CFR)

The contrast between private contentment with family life and public pessimism about the state of the U.S. family mirrors the frightening view of human relations presented by popular culture, particularly popular music. Many African-American leaders deplore any association between African-American culture and current, often obscene, pop music…

Offers suggestions for using rap lyrics to teach language skills. A brief overview of the sociocultural dimension of rap music and its literature, a theoretical orientation for the instructional methodology, and a curriculum model are presented. The prevalence of these musical forms can make them a valuable aid. (SLD)

Popular movie depictions of racial minorities as dysfunctional help maintain the present race-linked social stratification by instilling a sense of social disharmony and justifying continuing racial oppression. The enthnocentric bias of the majority of films reinforces stereotypical perceptions of minorities and legitimizes the status quo of white…

Three librarians--Barbara A. Genco from Brooklyn, New York; Eleanor K. MacDonald from Beverly Hills, California; and Betsy Hearne from Chicago, Illinois--share their perspectives on where popular literature should fit into library material selection and children's reading diets. Popular literature is defined as primarily that which has first…

Illustrates the use of baseball cards as cultural artifacts and how to make sociological inferences and historical generalizations from them. Focuses on Black players and the issue of racial integration in major league baseball. Includes chronologies of racial integration on teams and inductions of Black players into the Baseball Hall of Fame. (NL)

Identified are potential dichotomies that must be confronted by the would-be popularizer of science--science and technology, the applications and misapplications of science, simplification and complication, certainty and speculation. The importance of writing scientifically is urged. (KR)

Examination of existing research on language learning and cross-cultural competence and an analysis of the popular press in three Australian states suggests (1) the wider community believes language learning results in target culture understanding and (2) languages learned in a formal class setting do not necessarily lead to cross-cultural…

This chapter discusses the importance of enhancing the diversity awareness and multicultural competence of undergraduate and graduate students through the use of popular media for classes and training workshops, and it presents two models that explain behaviors associated with racial identity development and understanding diversity issues.…

Human geography can be taught by focusing on popular culture contexts with which undergraduate students may already be familiar such as rock music. The Geography of the Beatles introduced undergraduate students to concepts of "new" cultural geography such as space, place, representation, geopolitics, social space, and tourism-pilgrimage…

In the world of work and in the social lives of many, new technology plays an important role in establishing and maintaining relationships and exchanging information. The school system varies in its response to this new technology and particularly to the popular communication of email and mobile phone users. In schools and classrooms, policies,…

Although criticized by many, the Boston Public (BP) television show raises important issues about the realities of high school life. At a time when educational policy makers see a need to improve student test scores, this show suggests that other issues are more important in the lives of modern high school students, teachers, and administrators.…

This study provides a baseline of experiences and understandings that undergraduate elementary preservice teachers have with media and popular culture. Through a qualitative investigation, future teachers reveal their childhood and current media habits. What also emerges is a glimpse of their future pedagogical skills related to the media as a…

In the past, the music curricula of Hong Kong (HK), Mainland China and Taiwan have focused on Western music, but with the advent of music technology and the new tripartite paradigm of globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia this has begun to change. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei share a common historical culture and their populations are…

The annual report of the Division of Bibliographic Control of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is presented, accompanied by papers that were presented at conference sessions dealing with bibliography. In 1991-92, the Section on Bibliography of the IFLA Division of Bibliographic Control had 89 members,…