This digest provides a historical review of some current literary theories and practices which developed from contemporary philosophy. Structuralism, associated with Ferdinand de Saussure and Claude Levi-Strauss, with a seemingly scientific view of language and culture posited a systemic "center" that organized and sustained an entire…

This resource explores how mutual friendships and diversity of social contacts influence literacy learning (such as in reading and writing workshops) in the primary grades. The strengths of friends working together seem to be a function of the cycle of conflict, resolution, and reflection that occurs. This cognitive decentering and the…

This paper presents a case study exploring the impact of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on the formation of ethnic social groups, or communities, by examining the case of Chinese students in North America and other parts of the world. The paper (1) reviews the relationship between communication and community; (2) traces the development of…

A series of three studies looked at argument across significant contexts to understand what students must learn to "argue" in these contexts and carry out their practices. Study 1 involved 19 pre-college minority writers who were asked to take a "rival hypothesis" stance to their source texts that discuss issues in minority…

A study examined what children learn in their transition from home life to the world of school and how they learn it. Subjects were students enrolled in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes at 10 public schools in Baltimore, Maryland, their teachers, and their families. A total of 42 families, each with a 4-year-old child enrolled in…

Three influences on second language learning, one individual (intelligence) and two sociocultural (social class and social context) are discussed. All three factors are seen as difficult to measure and resistant to change through deliberate educational policy action. Each is defined, particularly in relation to the language learning situation.…

The articles collected in this book use the testimonial narrative of Rigoberta Menchu, a Mayan-Quiche of Guatemala and winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, to engage students in vital and relevant cross-cultural learning in a variety of disciplines, locations, and levels. The book tells teachers' stories of using Menchu's testimonial in their…

An exploratory study focused on United States and Japanese college students' perceptions of their communication apprehension, willingness to communicate, and sense of humor in various communication situations. Subjects, 110 students selected from several scientific and technical communication classes at the University of Minnesota and 108 students…

The Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games (ACOG) has introduced official pictograms for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. These black-on-white silhouettes of 31 athletic events were purported to represent both women and men performers. In order to test that assertion, a study was conducted to determine if the Olympic pictograms were…

This paper analyzes the mission statement of a small liberal arts college: (1) to establish a rationale for examining a mission statement from a postmodern perspective, which will aid in the understanding of the context within which the mission statement and accompanying goals were developed and produced; (2) to clarify the multiple voices and…

A study examined the scripts or schemata--cognitive structures that represent story prototypes--used by African-American children and how they differ from story telling patterns of White middle-class children using a Western, linear "problem solving" story schemata. Samples of oral narratives were collected from 50 African-American…

This paper examines the cultural context of day care in Germany and examines the quality of child care within the wider context of child care and education, especially with regard to values defining the roles of families with young children in society. Even parents who use child care question its advantages. Seeking child care is often an…

This paper argues that the goals of education, whether in university or kindergarten, are not achieved by the one-way transmission of knowledge, but through a dialogue between teacher and learner which has as its aim the co-construction of meaning in relation to tasks and topics of mutual interest and concern. The paper first addresses how the…

To understand the myths and assumptions upon which most people's knowledge of themselves is constructed, there must first be a way to identify them that releases the individual from their control. Thus, a new way of knowing is needed. A new way of knowing requires a new means of interpreting, which stems from a discovery of assumptions and a…

The challenge facing the nonnative instructor is make his or her cultural uniqueness an asset instead of a liability. If nonnative speakers can never be fully accepted by American students because of their accent and different communication styles, they can employ teaching styles and methods that showcase their strong points. One teaching method…