This paper attempts to assess the influence of development communication theory on the planning and implementation of technical assistance projects in the Third World that utilize mass communication as an agent of change. Like political development theory, communication theory has often been applied in an ethnocentric manner in less developed…

For nearly a generation, teachers have taught Norwegian school children through songs, explanation, films, and reading about children from other cultures with international understanding as an ideal. Now, however, with nearly 80,000 foreign workers in Norway, incidents of racism and discrimination (such as insults and mobbing in schoolyards) are…

An in-progress report of a study exploring the nature and content of children's concepts of their own and other countries is presented. Current literature on early development of concepts of other people and places is reviewed, followed by a description of the open-ended procedure adopted for gathering data. The test is being conducted in…

A portion of a five-year ethnographic study on the relationship between youth cultures, attitudes toward school, and the transition from school focuses on the significance of rugby football in the formation of a youth culture hierarchy among ethnic groups. School staff efforts to change the hierarchy by joining it are discussed. (MSE)

The place of non-Western cultural studies in elementary social studies is examined, and possible student and teacher reactions to those cultures and to the various forms that ethnocentrism takes are identified. What research says regarding ways to reduce elementary classroom ethnocentrism is discussed. (RM)

Twenty-three undergraduate social work students from Eastern Michigan University completed a seven-week internship in a geriatric unit at a Mexico City hospital. Analyzes stages that students went through as they began to realize the importance of cultural context and to understand cultural differences in human behavior and service provision.…

Contends that computers and television have contributed to a sense of global connectedness. Presents reviews of a computer software program and two videotape series that focus on global issues and children in other cultures. Asserts that instructional materials such as these can help reduce ethnocentrism among students. (CFR)

Defines African-centered education, and reviews the history and philosophy of independent African-American institutions, discussing the academic, social, and cultural development aspects emphasized in these schools. Includes recommendations for educators working with African-American children and African-centered curricula. (SLD)

Correlates 46 Dutch high school students' attitudes toward nuclear war, sexism, ethnocentrism, and authoritarianism with their moral judgment level. Finds political attitudes related to moral judgment level. Qualitative data was obtained from interviews with 19 of the 46 students further develops the relationships. (CH)

Describes a trip to Vietnam and conversations with Vietnamese educators and veterans. Discusses the Vietnamese view of the war, the United States, and their own country. Urges the restructuring of U.S. social studies to emphasize positive learning about the Vietnamese from their own perspective. (DK)

Argues that the media portrayal of Africa remains highly selective, focusing almost solely on negative and violent stories. Positive stories (local initiatives, political reform) go unreported as does much of the Western powers involvement in famine and destruction. Includes a list of sources on African current affairs. (MJP)

Discusses the character and contributions of Thomas Jesse Jones, an early 20th-century educator and a pioneer in social studies and black education. Jones's inconsistent philosophy (he supported limited black education but believed in white supremacy) grew out of an unlikely combination of progressive Christianity and deep conservatism. (MJP)

Diversity is increasing within the United States, and higher education will likely play a key role in preparing people to function in this new environment. This study assessed the effectiveness of a semester-long psychology workplace diversity course at changing student levels of ethnocentrism and attitudes regarding gender roles; the disabled;…

The European dimension in education has been a term increasingly used by the European Union and the Council of Europe to denote some of their educational policies and initiatives. It has also been a contested term in academic writing, as some researchers critique the elitist, exclusionary and Eurocentric educational implications it may have, while…

This paper describes the process and content of The Columbus Project, designed to provide an opportunity for preservice teachers to explore in depth the complexity of intercultural encounter. The project required students to gather and analyze data from schools, libraries, the media, and interviews with children, to ascertain how the story of the…