Explains relevance as a relational concept and stresses understanding of needs and goals in order to determine what is or is not relevant. In conclusion, the value of knowledge itself, apart from its relevance to any other understanding, is discussed. (RW)

The cognitive significance of the body has become one of the major topics in current psychology. However, it is our contention that claims about the embodied nature of thinking must come to terms with the problem of the relationship between the body as a locus for the constitution of students' subjective mathematical meanings and the historical…

Teaching about Turkey is currently a priority in world and global history courses. There has been a re-examination of this region, a re-emphasis on the contribution of the peoples of the area to history, and a re-evaluation of the role of the Turks not only in Turkish history but also in Central Asia, Western China, Eastern Europe, and Russia. The…

Each culture advances its own inflected narrative rejoinder to the issues that have confronted it from both time immemorial and in recent developmental history. The important aspect of such a process, however, is that "mythic narratives" allow for answers to be advanced to pressing needs that any particular society may consider…

There is a need to generate an improved American educational perspective that does not deliberately undermine and/or destroy the basic structure of the family by devaluing the very processes and behaviors required to develop and maintain that essential structure over time. To accomplish this, the idea of the existence of acceptable behavior codes,…

This paper examines the traits of fictional characters and discusses how their characteristics have influenced modern conceptions of leadership. Based on E.D. Hirsch's study of cultural literacy and the idea that cultural knowledge is essential to the right functioning of a society, the report evaluates 29 famous figures (28 male, 1 female) and…

Workplace literacy has been a recent addition to the field of literacy education and research, achieving a level of "commonsense" acceptability so that its meaning(s) or constructions have largely gone unchallenged. A study, therefore, explored the concepts of "work,""workers," and "literacy," not so much to…

This paper speaks in terms of "globalism" rather than "globalization," of a "culture of difference" rather than of cultural difference, of an "industry of knowledge" rather than of knowing. The paper first considers the argument that new communications technologies and systems are bringing cultures together…

This paper describes an assignment originally designed for a course in family communication now being taught at the upper undergraduate level at a state university in the southwestern United States. The shrine, the project/assignment described in the paper, combines locally relevant cultural traditions which are broadly applicable with course…

This paper seeks to reinterpret the idea of art in daily living in a postmodern stance to keep pace with changes in Korean society. It briefly describes the sociopolitical context for art education in Korea in the 1990s and the internationalization movement. The paper presents a conceptual analysis of art in daily living and explores its…

An exhibit, "Common Ground: The Heart of Community," tells the story of Japanese Americans in the United States as an example of a vibrant ethnic group that survived hard times and continue to stay together. The exhibit is housed in the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles (California). This paper describes and…

In John Ehle's "The Winter People," the goddess Persephone is with Hades, and winter is upon the Appalachians in full force. Ehle's novel begins as Wayland Jackson and his daughter, Paula, arrive at the home of Collie Wright and her baby, Jonathan. The Jacksons' truck has broken down on their way from Pennsylvania to Tennessee following…

Identity and diversity in its forms present major challenges to countries seeking to best equip citizens with the skills to participate effectively in their diverse societies. An exploratory study was conducted using the search conference methodology to explore the extent to which government and non-government education programs promote and…

In "The Hero's Journey" Joseph Campbell identifies the patterns that inform the myths of the "hero" throughout recorded history. By using Campbell's template, this paper examines how the American war hero is portrayed and has been portrayed in film. The paper states that Americans not only define their war heroes in films but…

This collection of biographical articles presents several issues concerning story of women working in the social studies placing it within a broad intellectual and social context. Following the "Preface" (M. S. Crocco), the collection is divided into five chronological sections. The first section entitled, "Conceptualizing Social…