Kappan editor Rafael Heller interviews Annette Lareau about her research into different experiences of childhood and family life. In her observations of families of different social classes, she learned that upper-middle-class families approach parenting as an act of "concerted cultivation" requiring ongoing attention, making them more…

This essay review focuses on Daisaku Ikeda (b. 1928) and his curriculum of Soka, or value-creating, education present in two works: "Choose Life: A Dialogue" (Toynbee & Ikeda, 1976) and "Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship" (Ikeda, 1996b). In reviewing these works, the authors trace the biographical roots of Ikeda's educational philosophy…

In the language of the collective subconscious the term "pure" applies to both the "pure innocence of childhood" as well as the "pure artistic genius." However, the "pure at heart" come in many shapes and sizes, and the thought of these mingling leaves many people feeling uncomfortable. There is something slightly unsettling about this potential…

Motherhood is both an important topic and a challenge to teach. Pregnancy, childbirth, and the transition to motherhood are significant life experiences for most women, important choices for all women, and major events in the lives of most men. At the same time, they are topics about which everyone thinks they know a good deal. The complexity of…

Public education in the United States is nominally inclusive and open to all, but is also nuanced and complicated, particularly for students with special learning needs or for English language learners. For refugee students, who may also belong to either or both these two groups, the challenge can be compounded by previous traumas to themselves…

This decade's literature on families with children and adolescents can be broadly organized around the implications for youth of family statuses (e.g., family structure) and family processes (e.g., parenting). These overlapping bodies of research built on past work by emphasizing the dynamic nature of family life and the intersection of families…

This article reviews areas of advancement over the past decade in our understanding of remarriage and stepfamilies and suggests promising new directions for future work. Profound shifts in the demographic context of family life motivate central themes in recent scholarship on remarriage and stepfamilies, including the diversity and complexity of…

This article presents an interview with Professor David Popenoe, author of the controversial book "Disturbing the Nest: Family Change and Decline in Modern Societies" (1988). Popenoe heads the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, where he taught sociology for forty-five years until his recent retirement. Here, Popenoe discusses his…

Responsiveness grows from interpersonal relationships that reflect a mutual respect and appreciation for an individual's culture, values, and language. Responsiveness must be both personal and organizational for optimal outcomes of development and intervention services. Responsive early childhood programs and professionals honor the values and…

"Inside the Sex Ed Studio" profiles leaders in the field of sexuality education. Peggy Brick, former director of Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey's Center for Family Life Education (CFLE) and author of numerous sexuality education resources used worldwide, is the subject of this interview. Ms. Brick was interviewed by…

For decades, both state and national officials have complained that U.S. school children are not learning as much as they should, and these critics typically presuppose that the problem is school based. They are, in a sense, fixating on one element of a complex system, while ignoring the fact that the problem might be caused by external factors.…

"Inside the Sex Ed Studio" profiles leaders in the field of sexuality education. Susan N. Wilson, former Executive Coordinator of the Network for Family Life Education, long-time advocate for sexuality education, and the driving force behind New Jersey's K-12 mandate for comprehensive sexuality education was the first such leader to be…

By December 1968, the Anaheim Family Life and Sex Education (FLSE) program, celebrated since its formal introduction in 1965 as one of the most progressive in the nation, was being smeared as communistic and perverse. Local activists in this Orange County city had been congregating in hotel rooms and homes, screening cautionary films for the…

The authors argue for the need of a cyclical, rather than a linear, model of family coping and life management when a child has a disability. Longitudinal support for such a cyclical model of family life management is presented, with recognition that parental control of outcome lessens as the young person ages, because the adult world is not…

Addresses three concerns from family therapy perspective: current strengths and weaknesses of U.S. family life; challenges to family life in next decade; and family therapist's role in strengthening family life. Examines challenges and opportunities for family therapists in the future, viewing enhancement of functioning as vital mode of future…