This study explored attitudes and perceptions of Chinese high school students regarding freedom of expression in their country. A survey capturing perceptions over various forms of free speech (e.g., student publication, dress code) was administered to a sample of 838, which included students from both urban and rural areas within Shaanxi Province…

Using an environmental perspective that acknowledges the importance of places to an individual's sense of identity, this article examines the meaning of neighborhoods and their function for urban residents. Presents a brief case study of the Lubavitch Hasidim, a sect of orthodox Jews (Brooklyn, New York), to assess group affiliation and commitment…

Includes "Uprooted Children Threatened by Exploitation" (Bonnet); "Child of the Wind" (Roess); "At the Fishing School with the Sampaneers" (Bertrand); and "The Street Kids of Nairobi: Surviving in the City" (Goodson). (SK)

Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics show that women have made large gains in arrests for petty property crimes and smaller gains for other offenses. However, alternate sources of data as well as changes in reporting and statistical coverage suggest that female arrest gains are more apparent than real. (Author/GC)

The 5 articles included in this special section are reviewed in this article. The studies encompassed were all focused on pre- or early adolescents, and samples were generally from inner-city areas, with 1 involving rural youth. Considered collectively, the results point to 3 major conclusions: Many children in America are regularly exposed to…

Urban children are exposed to lead through the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the food and nonfood substances they ingest. The history, diagnosis, and treatment of lead poisoning in these children are discussed. Includes information on the toxicology of lead and the various risk classes. (JN)

Discusses trends in the descriptive literature about children and the poor. Presents anecdotal material of children's spontaneous street play and analyzes cognitive skills exhibited in these situations. (Author/GC)

This paper describes the goals and perspective of the Bicentennial Ethnic Racial Coalition (BERC), as they exemplify the relationship between emerging neighborhood consciousness and ethnic/racial consciousness. The perspective of BERC, formed in the early 1970s, is that Federal domestic policy of the past three decades has not appreciably…

Presents brief overview of the development of urban studies, from its origins in the "urban crisis" of the 1960's to the present trend toward study of the terrapolis, the world system of interdependent metropolitan areas. Focuses on the role of "Urban Affairs Quarterly," changing definitions of the "city," and the…

Presents an urban neighborhood network barter model which can facilitate service delivery to the elderly and offers recommendations for implementing a similar program. Community outreach, good publicity, and a successful conference were key factors in producing a greater sense of cohesiveness within the community. (JAC)

With the introduction of an appropriate mechanism for financing conservation and renewable energy, with a broad based educational effort, and with strong support from public officials, it should be possible to launch a national energy program that would have great employment benefits, primarily in urban areas. (Author/GC)

Examines the distribution of elite and popular arts among urban areas and different regions throughout the United States. Finds that most metropolitan areas specialize in one or two forms of both elite and popular culture and that the audiences for both are not mutually exclusive. (GC)

Downtown developments have saved some cities from collapse but don't make up for the loss of federal funds, nor do they provide jobs or housing suitable for most inner city residents. Nothing, however, has hurt the inner cities more than drug use. (DM)

America's schools are facing a critical shortage of teachers just as student enrollments are rising and more rigorous assessments of student achievement are being implemented. The shortage is especially acute in hard-to-staff schools in urban and rural areas, as well as in high-demand subjects such as math, science, and bilingual and special…

The question of child labor in Africa is complicated by the failures of the educational system, family relations, traditional forms of apprenticeship, proliferation of the informal economic sector, and continuing existence of a rural economy. Hazardous working conditions prevail. (SK)