Purpose: Rural education research has historically been cast in a deficit lens, with rural places characterized by their problems or shortcomings, as if the way of understanding rural itself is to compare it to nonrural locales. These intransigent and narrow perceptions of rurality hinders recognition of the assets and possibilities of rural…

In this article, the author posits a dual argument. First, he contends that the post-WWII discourse of national unity pushed intolerance to the forefront of the domestic agenda linking its elimination with social cohesion while simultaneously advancing assimilationist and meritocratic beliefs about "the" American experience. Here, he…

Describes the program "Unity through Diversity" and outlines the planning procedure used in its implementation. Discusses major program aspects, including the four assembly programs and the supplementary curricular materials. Students perceived the program to be educational and entertaining. (RJM)

A major component of the Illinois State University (ISU) teacher education program is early field experience in a multicultural setting. The aim of this component is to enable prospective teachers to be aware of the needs of the changing school population and its cultural diversity. The ISU community-based field experience program is coordinated…

This paper explores the steps necessary to develop a curriculum that encompasses the global community. The stages identified and explained include: (1) the call to membership or the need to belong; (2) the need to leave the walls of the school and journey outside the classroom; (3) the search for a leader; (4) the "transforming virtues" required…

Recommends developing a secure, positive sense of one's racial identity through questioning preexisting attitudes and examining the past and present relationships between one's own and other groups. Describes several models of positive ethnic identity development for minority and white students. Discusses the implications of this research for…

Presents an interview by National Endowment for the Humanities chairman, Sheldon Hackney, with historian John Higham on multiculturalism and national identity. Contends that the centrifugal forces of national, ethnic, and religious diversity need countervailing forces to hold the nation together. (CFR)

Rejecting assimilationist notions, proposes Jewish education emphasize the Jewish minority status and sense of separateness. Recommends that Jewish education stress commands and customs that reassert ethnic identity as well as foods, fashion, festivals, and family. Defends this approach on sociological and theological grounds. (MJP)

Maintains that sociology must reconceptualize the meaning of multiethnic societies and regions and also advance theories about how such social organizations came into being and transform themselves through conflicting and peaceful processes. Briefly reviews traditional approaches and outlines new areas of study. (MJP)

Compares and contrasts the recent years of ethnic conflict in Somali and Fiji. The widely divergent reactions of both populations dispels the belief that ethnic pluralism is both a necessary and sufficient condition for violent conflict in a society. Provides succinct portraits of both societies and their cultures. (MJP)

Summarizes E. D. Hirsch's book, "Cultural Literacy," focusing on four separate arguments. Compares U.S. and Canadian education and society, particularly in relationship to multiculturalism and bilingualism. Concludes that Hirsch trivializes culture by presenting as no more than a common convention of effective national communication.…

Asserts that Russian society and Russian schools are going through a profound crisis. Maintains that the best approach to solving social and educational problems is to restore and develop national principles and group cohesion. Criticizes the United States and Japanese educational systems and calls for Russia to follow its own path. (CFR)

Maintains that people have multiple identities and discusses how these differential identities were realigned in Latvia during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Survey data suggests current ethnopolitical identity incorporates multiple dimensions and a strong contextual component. Includes graphs and tables of statistical data. (MJP)

Discusses multiculturalism in its context as a form of intellectual and historical atonement and points out its internal contradictions. Argues that the Western culture is becoming global, or universal; and, therefore, there should be no school-enforced multiculturalism. (CFR)

Identifies and defines four models of internal ethnic conflict and discusses those conflicts within various African nations. The corresponding models and countries include Integration Model: Botswana and Somalia; Managed Diversity Model: Ghana, Cote d'Ivorie, Kenya, and Nigeria; Ambivalent Accommodation Model: Ethiopia and Djibouti; and Acute…