The authors identify competitive speech and debate as a form of play that helped democratize American citizenship for the poor, who used what they learned through the practice to advance their personal social and economic goals. In addition, this competitive activity led to the development of speech communication as an academic discipline and…

Examines the concept that individuals develop, maintain, and change their self-concepts through communication with others. Presents two dimensions of the communication networks: the social network in which one is embedded, and the smaller, more influential network of relational ties that develop from contacts within the social networks. (JMF)

The authors construct a model of psychosocial maturity which specifies measurable attitudes and dispositions in personal and social growth for secondary school students. Through integrating sociological and psychological views, the model outlines the following general dimensions of maturity relevant in all societies: (a) the capacity to function…

Data are presented which show: (1) that differences between adult and child psyches have important implications for age-stratified interaction process; and (2) that adult-child interactional differences cannot be solely attributable to genetic or psychological differences but that they are in part due to social factors. The data are based on…

This paper focuses on a comparative analysis of the normative and empirical elements of four approaches to political education. The analysis is conducted by identifying the central assumptions, value commitments and the empirical theoretical structure of each approach and by making comparisons across alternatives. The findings of the analysis…