Stephan Cohen provides a unique comparative study of three queer youth groups that were active in New York City during the early 1970s, including Gay Youth, Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), and Gay International Youth Society at George Washington High School. Cohen focuses on these three groups due to the related characteristics…

Analyzes "Natalie Mann," an unproduced and little-known drama of ideas by Jean Toomer. Discusses the revolutionary feminist treatment of both the female and male characters. (FMW)

Reviews three books that contribute to understanding similarities and differences in educational reform trajectories in national and regional contexts. Examines two issues that influence the relationships between globalization and education: the importance of discourse, which shapes policy and action, and attention to who participates in…

Contends that "disillusionment novels" are characterized by a circumscribed vision of the world which itself is a function of limits set upon the authors by the historical situation of their position in society. Analyzes two Nigerian classic examples of the genre, Chinua Achebe's "A Man of the People" and Wole Soyinka's…

Two books are reviewed: "The Discourse of Advertising," by Guy Cook, and "Competing Discourses, Perspectives and Ideology in Language," by David Lee. Each focuses on several issues central to discourse studies as the catalyst of critical thought and critique of traditional methods in language and linguistics. (Contains one…

Analyzes "The Idiosyncratic History of the University," a chapter in Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind". Focuses on Bloom's history of the university as explained through Socrates' philosophy. Concentrates on the role of philosophers in society past and present. Discusses the Enlightenment, Existentialism,…

This viewer's guide reflects some of the best classic and contemporary film titles available. These are films that reflect the traditional values of faith, family, and freedom. Seventy-five films are reviewed in the categories of achievement, communism, conscience, entrepreneurship, faith, family, freedom, crime and justice, regulation and…

Diane Ravitch makes an articulate case for higher national standards and more emphasis on performance assessments of various kinds, but she does this by simplifying the issues and failing to understand some of the most powerful economic, ideological, and political currents in the United States and elsewhere. (SLD)

Presents a critical review of "The Oregon Trail" CD-ROMs. Argues that "The Oregon Trail" is sexist, racist, culturally insensitive, and contemptuous of the earth, imparting bad values and wrong history. Suggests questions teachers can ask before choosing to use these materials, and offers classroom activities to develop students' critical computer…

"Do the Right Thing" leaves the viewer with contradictory and confused messages that suggest that the film has no clear view of racial relations in a city. The film is examined as an ideological statement. It deconstructs contemporary African-American ideologies but does not replace them with new visions. (SLD)

Reviews an anthology that provides undergraduate and graduate students with theoretical and practical discussion on various ideological convictions in the fields of multiculturalism and bilingual education. Discusses theoretical conflicts and ideologies affecting the field of multiculturalism, and the more immediate effects of politics on teaching…

Reviews a book that reports on educational objectives and operations during the 10-year Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia, drawing on current developments in the theory of hegemonic relations. Suggests that the book's focus on linguistic policy in education has implications for the role of language in client-donor international-aid relationships.…

Reviews three books concerned with the role of education either in constructing new nationalist identities or in promoting global awareness and pluralistic attitudes. Distinguishes between multicultural education in elementary and secondary schools and separatist ethnic studies in universities. Points out the appeal of nationalist and ethnic…

The new "Handbook" assumes that society is changing rapidly and educational administration must change with it. This article critiques chapters on four concepts: ideology, the new consumerism, social capital, and the new institutionalism. Consumerism is pure 19th-century liberalism/individualism; social capital theory and…

Chinese crime fiction is discussed in the context of political and social change. Chinese fiction bears little resemblance to the model police officer of Communist ideology. Crime fiction has become the main vehicle in China for forming public images of police and may become a channel for social discourse. (SLD)