Discusses how psychological methods can be applied to study cultural syndromes and presents examples of these approaches. It is argued that tight-simple cultures are most collectivist, and loose-complex cultures are most individualistic. Further, it suggests homogeneous cultures can have clear norms and impose them tightly, whereas heterogeneous…

College-level history courses can be improved by including instruction about social history, particularly the leisure time activities of the dominant cultural group. Paris of the late 19th century had the well-deserved reputation of being the pleasure capital of Europe. This reputation developed in spite of the disparity that existed between the…

Members of minority groups in Germany were subjected to extreme forms of repression and in some cases extermination at the hands of the Nazis. Today, for many different reasons, members of minority groups are living in West Germany again. This paper presents the experience of minorities in West Germany since 1945 in light of the following factors:…

An anthropological analysis of the phenomenon of citizenship education in the United States is summarized in this paper. Since school ethnography lacks depth in its use of anthropological theory, an attempt is made to overcome this deficiency by applying five theoretical approaches (evolutionary, functionalist, structuralist-functionalist,…

Describes changes in historical research and historiography during the past 25 years. Contends that the inclusion of women, minority groups, and average citizens into U.S. history has enriched the concept of the United States. Concludes that multiculturalism has always existed in the United States; it was just not recognized. (CFR)

This discussion of the speech act of thanking looks at the basic functions of the act and responses to it in American English. It is argued that in general, "thank you" expressions are used to express appreciation of benefits and to enhance rapport between interlocutors, and that this basic use is extended to the functions of conversational…

This paper discusses the theory, research, and practice of communication in Spain, from the perspective of language, political economy, and culture. The peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and surrounding islands communicate in a rich variety of languages. In the electronic age, communication has shifted away from the print media to the spoken media,…

This paper discusses an approach to multicultural education aimed at sensitizing teachers and teacher trainees to diverse cultural patterns. This approach, which is called "Functional Multicultural Education", uses literary writings to emphasize awareness of the levels of cultural differences, both overt and pervasive, that exist in a pluralistic…

This document examines the contribution of education to cultural development and the relationship between the contemporary cultural scene and educational processes. The first of five sections discusses the existing tensions between the role of the school culture and contemporary culture. The second section describes the demands of tradition and…

As humanity moves rapidly toward a "one world" society, a new paradigm for curriculum development more fundamental than particular cultural traditions must be found. Such a model may be derived from the requirements for the survival of the human species. The content of the resulting curriculum would be: (1) socially cohesive, providing common…

The implications of the Islamic religion and culture for marketing strategies and practices are discussed. An introductory section describes the Islamic population and its segments, and gives some historical background about the religion. A list of the principal tenets and practices of the Islamic faith, and the specific marketing implications of…

This paper reviews research and evaluates information gathered on disabilities and service development in South Asia, especially India and Pakistan. The concept of "community-based rehabilitation" (CBR), which stresses the need for rehabilitation efforts rooted in the context of local cultural concepts, is discussed. The paper emphasizes…

This paper discusses two types of adjustments that foreign students face when they encounter university culture in the United States. The central section lists and describes four key groups of underlying principles, values, and practices in American education and discusses the reasons why these may be difficult for foreign students to understand.…

For Asian Americans, learning only the skills of verbal communication is not sufficient--they need to develop a sense of appreciation for eloquence, to understand the urgency of freedom of expression in a democratic society, and to internalize the value of speech as an instrument for self-enhancement. The remarkable differences between the East…

Although data indicate that Alzheimer's disease occurs among all racial and ethnic populations, the Alzheimer's disease support group system is used nationally primarily by white, middle-class caregivers. Developing a model ethnic-specific support group for Hispanics requires delineation of formal and informal health care networks in the ethnic…