Examines the cultural and social history of personal cleanliness. Discusses the cultural origins of U.S. washing habits and explores the question of why such practices spread throughout society. Describes how, between 1750 and 1900, washing became a regular practice of most people in the United States. (GEA)

Representing part of the first phase of a 5-year ethnographic research project, this report investigates the ways in which Puerto Rican families influence their children's school achievement. The report examines the history of Puerto Rico and the migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States. Puerto Rican community organizations, both local and…

Italian-Americans such as industrialist Lee Iacocca, architect Robert Venturi, film-maker Brian De Palma, and writer Gay Talese have contributed to the emergence of ethnic groups as a major force in the cultural and business life of the United States. What is not widely appreciated, however, is the cultural, religious, craft, and family base which…

The study reported in this paper identified and interviewed a representative sample of the former Doukhobor residents of 13 Canadian villages and compared responses of three generations of Doukhobors regarding the nature and strength of their present identity. The results of the survey are summarized in 5 idea components: Awareness of Culture;…

This preliminary paper reviews the political and cultural history of the Cambodian refugees who have settled in large numbers in California communities. The kingdom of Cambodia was a major power in Southeast Asia from the ninth century A.D. until March 1970, and its Buddhist culture influenced the dance, music, architecture, and linguistic…

Examines growing acceptance of the concept of adolescence among Italian immigrants in New Haven, Connecticut before and after World War I. Notes changes in young people's ideas about their obligations to parents as high schools become popular institutional space for adolescence, and modifications of parents' views of education. (DLH)