A pilot of a reading test to be used in college entrance examinations for black South Africans showed how students' interpretation of the test differed as the social context was altered. The multiple meanings produced by shifting power relations call into question the test's validity. (SK)

Individual profiles from an ethnographic study of gay/bisexual male students at Pennsylvania State University are presented, focusing on the experience of coming out while in college. Issues discussed include the relationship of language, culture, and power in shaping experience; overt student actions as political statements; and efforts to open…

Discusses the future of information policies, focusing on information requirements and constraints; problems of a rapidly changing society for policy formation; European and global political concerns; and cultural, economic, and research environments. (Author/AEF)

Describes the philosophical phenomenology of Edmund Husserl and argues that his insights can greatly inform contemporary composition theory. Discusses how phenomenology affects both design and analysis in composition research. (HB)

Argues that current thinking about science teaching and conceptual change needs to be counterbalanced by contextual or cultural constructivist ideas. A collaborative view should include the sociological study of cultural milieus in which scientific ideas arise. The logic of discovery from a sociological point of view implies that conceptual change…

Describes how the New Service Class in Britain makes use of the rural in such ideological terms as cultural roots, nationality, diversity, and environmentalism. Allotments (rented garden plots) appear to be sites of cultural identity for an increasingly diverse population who constantly reconstruct the meaning of the rural. Advocates for…

The early introduction of literary materials and authentic materials in foreign language classes is discussed. Difficulties with cultural context are emphasized, and a variety of written cultural-schema sources for Spanish are provided. (seven references) (LB)

This paper argues that early interventionists' awareness of their own cultural beliefs is an essential first step in developing effective collaboration with culturally different families. Areas of potential dissonance between professionals and families include interpretation of the meaning of disability, concepts of family structure and identity,…

Offers a historical overview of a series of reforms of higher education in the former Yugoslavia republic, stressing the cultural importance of "obrazovanje" (formal education/training) and "odgoj" (moral education/personal development) in Croatia. Describes the development of "visa skola," comparable to U.S.…

Questions assumptions of the New Historicism, a recent development in literary criticism. Suggests some problems that such an essentially political approach engenders. Includes lack of a common bond between author and reader, a universal model of historical change based upon the ideas of Marx and others, and contextualism. Argues that historians…

This qualitative and interpretive study of the normalization effort for individuals with mental retardation in Sweden analyzes the cultural context; legislation, jurisdictional considerations, and societal attitudes; potential barriers to integration; and the economics of service provision. Sweden's system of comprehensive service and support…

The use of storytelling, myths, and folk tales from various countries and cultures is recommended to promote acceptance of diverse points of view, experiences, and learning styles. The purposes of storytelling in culture, in the classroom, and in the special education classroom are discussed. (JDD)

The present controversy over the canon of U.S. education is a fact of the dynamics of cultural change. Received culture as represented in the educational canon is heterogeneous and subject to change, and participation in the process of change is what the canon affirms. (SLD)

In an examination of power in speech, the linguistic practices of Japanese men and women giving directions to subordinates were studied. Explanations of gender differences are discussed in terms of a general theory of politeness and the culturally specific strategies for encoding politeness and authority in Japanese. (43 references) (Author/LB)

Current efforts to enhance children's self-esteem are critiqued, and an alternative direction is proposed that is based on the notion of self-esteem as a crucial aspect of human dignity. This approach connects self-esteem to both cultural and social conditions and works toward the reconstruction of school and society. (LB)