The humanities, more than an academic discipline, are an inclination of the liberal imagination. As liberal democracy undergoes its crisis of confidence, they are endangered. Higher education must adjust to five strong forces: science, technology, democracy, mass communications, and the culture of capitalism. (Author/LBH)

Describes how the jokes of Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Joan Rivers explore, support, and disrupt different elements of the American social experience. Argues that joking is one strategy for encouraging and sustaining resistance to ideological control. (NKA)

It is proposed that studying a culture's outward signs of expressing appreciation is a good way of learning the emotional patterns of a culture. Japanese culture is the focus. (MSE)

Applies a cultural perspective to the problem of introducing novices to computing. Presents a model of initial socialization composed of reality shock, confusion, and attempts at control. Describes a survey of college students' first encounters with computers and suggests that the social contexts of introductory courses encourage feelings of…

Analysis of the work of principals is presented through a cultural lens, pointing to the importance of social, moral, and technical role demands associated with the nature of the school work-setting. (CB)

Argues that comparative and international research in the United States reflects the interests of the United States government. Claims such an ideological position defines the field's theoretical and methodological parameters. Cultural studies offer a perspective on this bias and offer a comprehensive, contextualized approach to the study of…

Two different approaches to teaching Voltaire's "Candide", one deriving meaning from the textual fabric or "inside" of the story and the other focusing on the author's "external" intent in writing the story, are presented and compared. (MSE)

Treating curriculum out of context is mostly responsible for the disappointments of curriculum theory in practice. Decontextualization has conceptually separated curriculum from its design and use; operationally, curriculum is separated from its structural and sociocultural contexts. The alternative--curriculum in context--can inform research,…

Demonstrates specific exercises designed to show students how popular cultural materials can be used as historical documents and the potential pitfalls inherent in this process. Examines Warner Brothers cartoons, relating the plot to the socio-historical roots of the cartoons. Concludes that this technique helps students better understand…

Reports of Japanese educational practices have overlooked the strong family-school bond and the significant role of the mother as educator. Interviews with non-Japanese mothers in Japan illustrate the differences in values, family systems, and gender roles make adoption of Japanese educational techniques unlikely and inappropriate for American…

The article states that the humanities are vital to the education of every American, and our programs in the humanities need at least as much improvement and support as our programs in the sciences. The importance of teaching the humanities and teaching them well are discussed. Special partnership programs around the country are briefly described.…

Presents a theoretical rationale for an interactional model of acculturation that stresses the role of personal choice and its complex interactions with environmental influences. Includes the model in detail and discusses its application in the study of acculturation. (JHZ)

Argues that science, like any other human activity, is limited by the culture and the age to which it belongs. Examines the Iowa Child Welfare Research Station's conclusion that the IQs of young children were affected by specified environmental conditions in light of shifting perceptions of reality in the 1930s and 1940s. (Author/BE)

The relative influence of cultural insights, first language skills, and purely cognitive or linguistic factors in successful second-language learning is discussed. The teacher is encouraged to reflect on the value of and experiment with providing cultural background to language acquisition. (MSE)

Examines the relationship among writer, context, and text (1) by exploring the notion of context-independence as it pertains to writers and texts, and (2) by placing the issue of context and composition within a wider framework of context and language use. (FL)