Alasdair MacIntyre and Richard Rorty, in their different ways, have represented the tension between acculturation and individuation, truth and freedom, as central to modern education systems, a tension which, both agree, they have failed to resolve. The paper argues that an additional complication is that in the contemporary postmodern landscape,…

Responds to C. Aaron McNeese's (1995) article, "Family Social Work Practice: From Therapy to Policy." It encompasses the long-standing debate in social work over micro- and macro-level approaches to problem solving, commonly referred to as the "cause-function" debate. The struggle to minimize adverse effects of diversity has…

The paper traces the evolution of psychiatric care for children from an intrapsychic orientation to a new conceptual perspective provided by systems theory and the accompanying relational formulation of conflict. The interdisciplinary process prevents a challenge to professionals' collaboration and respect for other fields and mandates critical…

Discusses ethical concerns of information science professionals from two viewpoints: concerns of practitioners and the information industry, including a prototype for ethical contexts and principles for ethical actions; and concerns of theoreticians and researchers, including system principles and ideological, political, and social frameworks.…

Advocates using systems theory and systems models for ethical decision making in public relations. Demonstrates how to apply systems theory (with its ability to delineate a complex process and wed it to a model of organizational decision making) to analyzing the ethical dimensions inherent in the public relations process. (SR)

This document examines the underlying rationale for the development of a global approach in consumer studies. The concept of consumer ethics is discussed and the consumer decision-making process is placed within an ecosystem perspective of the marketplace. The model developed introduces educators, marketers, and consumers to a more global…

Proposes that a new systemic, organic world view is needed to guide future thought and action for the environment. States that an understanding of history is critical in the development of an integrative environmental ethic. Also offers a philosophical framework that recognizes the integrity of human communities and natural systems. (ML)

Describes individualized instructional systems as products of the same sociohistorical forces that have redefined work and individualism. Presents an analysis of individualization based on one year's ethnographic observation of an elementary school and points to the specific roles played by schooling in advanced capitalist structures. (Author/MLF)

This paper discusses social and cultural change, deep ecology, and systems thinking in relation to the maintenance of Indigenous cultures and languages. All cultures change, and the current crisis in language loss for Native communities is related to cultural change. From a systems perspective, culture is a way of thinking about one's social…

This paper cites ethical provisions and professional standards that affect the selection of behavioral interventions that will benefit exceptional individuals without undermining their dignity. A three-category system that classifies behavioral interventions on the basis of their intrusiveness or restrictiveness is presented. Interventions are…

Argues that curriculum development in information science involves clarification of the scope and character of information science, and demands new approaches in dealing with the phenomenon of information transfer in various settings. A theoretical perspective is developed to generate novel approaches to the education of information professionals.…

This report discusses basic issues in the provision of residential services for people with developmental disabilities. Main points of the discussion include: (1) the service system for this population is in a crisis of accountability as meeting safety and quality requirements threatens to become counterproductive; (2) the current system is well…

Designing open, flexible distance learning systems on the World Wide Web requires thoughtful analysis and investigation combined with an understanding of both the Web's attributes and resources and the ways instructional design principles can be applied to tap the Web's potential. A framework for open, flexible, and distributed learning has been…

This book examines the New Labour policy on lifelong learning in Great Britain. Special attention is paid to developments surrounding the University for Industry and the New Deal initiatives and the issue of upgrading the British vocational education and training (VET) system to match those of Britain's European competitors. The following are…