When children are sick, hurt, or in desperate need, parents/caregivers naturally make preferential options for them. Yet, as it relates to social justice, particularly when working with students from marginalized and poverty situations, the concept of making a preferential option in a school setting is not as clear. However, a school setting is a…

This paper is an analysis of a project that involved African American middle school students in a drama program that was based on their lives and the stories of their community. Students were trained in performance skills, participated in the development of a script, and then performed the script in local schools. The 10 student participants, 5…

Within the teacher empowerment movement, a theoretical framework for analyzing the condition of teaching as work is not widely considered. Given the special character of the varying expectations held by interest groups focusing on teacher productivity, a concise theory would provide teacher education students a foundation for participating fully…

Current knowledge about adolescent development (drawing primarily from developmental pediatrics and psychology) is reviewed to determine whether research and theory can help deepen understanding of why high school continues to be an alienating experience for large numbers of students, and this question is examined through responses of high school…

The makeup of student bodies in higher education has become more diverse, but students tend to be clustered in segments of the postsecondary system and in various levels and fields. Many campuses do not effectively integrate students who are different. Institutions that are successful in this area tend to: (1) focus on student success and provide…

Black student attitudes about Louisiana State University (LSU) and their participation in extracurricular activities were studied and compared to those of white students. Questionnaires were mailed to the approximately 1,400 black students attending LSU and an equal number of white students, and responses were obtained from 129 black and 114 white…

Perspectives concerning the current disenchantment about undergraduate curricula and the bachelors degree are offered in this keynote address. It is suggested that rising expectations and unfulfilled hopes for higher education from the 1960s may be a factor. In the 1960s a sense of reform and rediscovery later created an expectation among students…

These 10 papers represent an application of a philosophical theory to resolving a particular problem in adult education or an example of how some of these problems can be examined philosophically. Chapter 1 addresses the myth of the philosophy of adult education. Chapter 2 reports a survey of professors of adult education to determine why they…

Originating in the Rand Corporation's evaluation of the voucher demonstration project in the Alum Rock Union School District (California), this study of family choice in schooling focuses on these questions: Are parents motivated and competent to make intelligent choices among competing educational alternatives? What kinds of schools do parents…

Knowledge of the influence of situational variables and the importance of interaction between person and situation requires a more complex view of illness than that held by many practitioners of psychosomatic medicine, who attribute causality solely to internal and isolated personality traits. Personality was studied, therefore, as a conditioner…

This digest presents an overview of successful urban anti-truancy strategies, including both supports and penalties for students and their families. It is generally believed that to prevent truancy a sustained, multifaceted, and personalized program for each student must be developed. Community collaboration is essential to these efforts, as the…

Based on a nationwide survey of more than 1,000 adolescents 13 to 17 years old and drawing on the experiences of the 17-year-old author, this book explores social labeling and what it means to adolescents. The book is presented in three parts. Part 1, "What's in a Label?" explains what labels are and how they develop. Part 2, "How…

Defines one aspect of liberation theology as emphasizing its own particular social experiences to question universal claims of theology and to unmask oppressive particularities of those universal claims. Argues that religious educators can answer the culture of disbelief with calls for greater tolerance and understanding of diverse belief systems.…

Reports on a class on deviance that focuses on sociological and transformative processes imbedded in deviant groups. Specifically examines "deviance production groups," groups that turn normal people into deviants (Branch Davidians, Ku Klux Klan). The class is largely structured around group discussions and presentations. (MJP)

Analysis of a questionnaire administered to 168 Jamaican college students reveals that they seem to reflect a societal profile of high authoritarianism. Respondents who do not share this antidemocratic personality perspective exhibit an attitude of powerlessness and alienation, yearn for societal change, and adopt a higher level of…