Large household surveys are used to analyze links between schooling inequality and earnings inequality in Brazil and South Africa, countries that have long had among the highest levels of income inequality in the world. The studies were the 1995 South African October Household Survey (32,000 households) and the 1995 Brazilian Pesquisa Nacional de…

This paper traces the development of human capital theory and shows how it has been used to justify public vocational education programs that emphasize the development of job-specific skills. Possessing vocational skills does not guarantee employment in the related field; consequently, education should emphasize the teaching of basic intellectual…

Observing that in affluent societies, education loses its primary significance as an economic investment and increasingly assumes the nature of a private consumer good, the author discusses problems this poses for educational policy development which, in the Federal Republic of Germany, is characterized by conflict between egalitarian and…

Examines effects of human capital investments and state intervention on mortality rate reductions and associated costs in four countries, 1890-1970. Net of other effects, investments in total doctors and in specialists reduced mortality rates but increases in specialists were not "efficient." Extent of government regulation influenced…

Relative earnings of young Mexican American workers declined during 1986-92, influenced by recession-induced changes in the U.S. earnings structure and new immigration laws. Although Mexican American females experienced significantly greater occupational segregation than males, structural changes in labor demand worked to reduce the gender…

Reviews research on the current status of skill requirements in Australian industries, industry demand for vocational education and training, ways in which enterprises perceive training (cost or investment), and vocational education in secondary schools. Derives implications for career development, including increased demand for flexibility and…

Analyzes the wage effects of different types of education in The Netherlands, using a generalized version of the dummy endogenous variable model and distinguishing among seven types of education: general, agricultural, technical, medical, teacher, economic/administrative, and other education. Findings show that technical education yields lower…

Examines the concept of human capital as an economic construct. Suggests that human capital contributes to economic development, as do physical capital or natural resources, in that its development reinforces individuals' future economic output. Suggests that this perspective may prove useful for human service professionals because funding…

Data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1985 wave) indicate that rural households have the highest probability of poverty, followed by metropolitan-core households. Household factors (educational attainment, family structure, age, minority status) and the local opportunity structure were important determinants of poverty, but controlling for…

Argues that the development of science education policy in postapartheid South Africa requires understanding of the links between science- and technology-based development strategies and investment in science education. Analyzes innovations in production technology (post-Fordist production methods and flexible specialization) that may have…

Three strategic effects on the rates of return to vocational and technical education (VOTEC) are considered: (1) the availability of complementary inputs such as general education; (2) the capacity of VOTEC to teach continuing adaptation to technical change; and (3) economies of scale that can be realized. (26 references) (MLF)

Task modulation is being examined as a means for improved utilization of human resources and greater flexibility within departments of Quebec universities. In this paper (written in French), a definition for this concept is proposed, the literature is reviewed, and prerequisite and other conditions critical to successful implementation are…

Using census data relating to secondary school completers in Israel, alternative explanations are examined for the well-documented positive relation between education and earnings. Results suggest that educational certification may exert an independent, positive influence on earnings over and above the investment effect of human capital. Includes…

Focuses on political and bureaucratic factors that retard the reform of U.S. economic development policy. Several models for economic development are examined, as are the policy preferences among them. A typology is presented of different development policies integrating the various political, bureaucratic, and environmental factors. (GLR)

Focuses on the role of education and human resource development in relation to the economic performance of countries over time examining three major regions: (1) the early developing western nations (North America and Europe); (2) the newly industrializing countries of East Asia; and (3) the underdeveloped countries especially in Africa. (CMK)