In the article the involvement of Federal government into adult education is analyzed; the nature and extent of legislative measures taken in order to improve the quality of adult education in the USA is investigated. [For the complete Volume 12 proceedings, see ED597979.]

The author discusses the work of the International Council for Adult Education in the areas of poverty, development, and international aid. Development, he contends, serves only to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. He presents a concept of adult education that he believes may remedy the situation. (CH)

This paper addresses the importance of a high quality preschool education for children living in poverty, the long-term effects of such an educational experience, the long-term economic benefits to the children enrolled and their families, and the potential impact of privatization on preschool services. The cost-effectiveness and cost-benefits of…

Rural development is broader than just agriculture. Farm policy cannot solve rural community problems. Rural problems are sufficiently unique to require special emphasis and special programs. Since rural development has a broader focus than the local community, its problems need to be addressed by all levels of government as well as the private…

Depiction of the problem of children living in the streets in third world countries emphasizes the extent to which they are victims (as statistics have shown them as numbers on the streets or killed by "death squads") or victimizers who affect an economy (e.g., by robbing tourists). Both descriptions suggest that one-dimensional portrait…

The incidence of child abuse, child neglect, parental drug abuse, and other child-related problems is increasing rapidly. More children are coming to school at risk of failure. What can be done to prevent the cycle of poverty and poor education that results? Head Start is a good program, but even Head Start cannot help a third of its participants:…

The development theory for progress in the countries of the Third World must be based on the aspirations of the common people; the majority poor. The poor cannot simply be provided with resources; they must also be psychologically, socially, and economically empowered. The most important conflict in poor countries is between urban and rural…

Summarizes themes of welfare reform in America and policy shifts that have resulted in the introduction of state-focused workfare programs. (MW)

Noting the while there may be much support for the principle that families on welfare should have access to 2 years of education and training and then be expected to work, this paper contends that it will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to design a coherent and constructive program within the probable federal budget constraints. In…

Some observers believe that welfare programs have an urban bias; however, the rate of poverty is higher in rural than in urban areas. This study establishes metro and nonmetro differences in the use of welfare and the degree to which it reduces poverty. Data from the U. S. Census Bureau's March 1987 Current Population Survey are analyzed using…

Despite 30 years of anti-poverty programs in the United States, poverty in the United States has intensified. One such program, Head Start, demonstrated that it is possible to enhance the educational outcomes of poor children. Updated and improved, Head Start has the potential to become a more successful weapon against poverty. Inadequate funding,…

This paper discusses the life and works of Margaret McMillan and Maria Montessori, two advocates for the poor who played a significant role in social and educational reform in Britain and Italy, respectively, in the late 19th- and early 20th century. The upbringing, education, and social milieu of the two women are compared, as well as their…

In 1986, of 32 million Americans who were poor, nearly ten million, or 30%, lived in nonmetropolitan or rural areas containing only 22% of the nation's population. While metropolitan poverty rates have declined somewhat since 1983 as a result of economic recovery, nonmetropolitan poverty rates have remained relatively high. Rural poverty is not to…

Experience with the 1970 Chenango Development Project (CDP), a rural anti-poverty project initiated by the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell, led to concern with development and testing of purposive social change models, the role of action oriented social scientists, and the involvement of social science departments, colleges, and…

Despite the recent increase in interest about the homeless population, the last large-scale systematic studies of the older skid row man were completed more than two decades ago. A more sophisticated and comprehensive instrument for measuring the physical health, mental health, social needs, and social interaction of this aging heterogeneous…