Fear of controversy, cultural taboos, and fear of homosexuality have prevented many educators from dealing effectively with gay and lesbian young people. The climate in most schools is such that gay teens rarely are willing to expose themselves to the ridicule, harassment, and abuse that comes when they openly acknowledge their sexual orientation.…

This study evaluated journals of the classroom experiences of 35 student teachers at Mississippi State University--Meridian Campus, employing both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The journals were assigned as a means of gaining a perspective of the student teachers' planning and implementation of lessons, their approach to discipline, their…

Research has consistently found that health care providers report having negative attitudes and perceptions toward Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. This study was conducted to examine the independent and joint influences of a patient's mode of acquisition of illness (blood transfusion versus sexual promiscuity), patient blame…

Proposed reforms in the educational system of Upper Volta have brought to the surface a variety of opposing and negative reactions against implementing suggested changes. Factors that have emerged to hamper change are: (1) language of instruction (French vs Voltaic); (2) concentration on productive instruction (e.g., animal husbandry) gives rise…

To explore current conceptions about menstruation, 50 male and female undergraduate students were asked to Q sort symptoms from the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). The MDQ is a scale which contains 47 symptoms which have been associated with the menstrual cycle. The Q sort is a statistical technique in which data are analyzed as…

Prevailing animosity toward blacks in New England prior to the Civil War is demonstrated in this case study of Prudence Crandall's attempt to establish a school for Negro girls in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1833. Prudence Crandall, a quaker schoolmistress, was the successful proprietor of a school for girls from socially prominent families in…

THE SCHOOL WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE NECESSITY OF TEACHING ABOUT PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AS FACTS OF LIFE, AS CONDITIONS WHICH PREVENT THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY PERSON, AS PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD BE SOLVED, IF DEMOCRACY WAS TO FUNCTION. ONE OF THE APPROACHES TO A UNIT THAT STUDIED PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION CONSISTED OF THE DISCUSSION OF A…

The documentation of feelings of negativism and detachment among students and faculty in large universities or their relation to aptitude, achievement, categoric-demographic variables, and course-instructor evaluation, is limited. The pervasiveness of negativism was investigated on three scaled dimensions--(1) negativism toward the university, (2)…

A followup study of high school students graduating in 1970 from Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Edmonton (Alberta) area schools, investigated protest activity involvement during high school and present political/social activities and concerns. Educational targets of student unrest at the time are indicated as being (1) curriculum…

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between college women's attitudes toward obesity and their own body weight. Subjects were placed in three categories: (1) acceptable level of body fat, (2) overweight, and (3) obese. Correlational techniques were used to determine the relationship between the subjects percent of body fat and…

Due to increased dissatisfaction with Media Services, the evaluation department of Eugene School District 4J was asked to look into the centralized ordering and processing of library materials and textbooks. Areas of complaint included time lags in receiving books, loss of control of ordering and processing at the school level, and processing…

The language performance and experiences of four eleventh grade Canadian vocational students were examined over six weeks in four individual interviews and four group discussion sessions. Additional data were collected by observing the students in their English classes and work situations. These case studies revealed the following: student…

The author attempts to describe life in contemporary Appalachia on the basis of his service as a minister in the mountain region of the area for thirteen years. Included is an interpretation of the individualism, traditionalism, fatalism, and personal orientation which characterize the mountaineer population of Appalachia, as well as extensive…

The report compares results of surveys in 1972 and 1974 to determine the perceptions and attitudes of army personnel toward race problems and the army's equal opportunity programs. It was hypothesized that racial attitudes of blacks and whites would have changed in a positive direction during the two year period. Data were collected using the…

The paper is based on the findings of a two-year experimental counseling-reading program at Chapman College, completed in 1971. Objectives of the counseling part of the program include self-analysis, study skills, self-responsibility, liaison with other college classes, and personal problems. Behavioral objectives in reading fall under categories…