Describes a collaboration among a university, a state child welfare agency, and a Native American community organization to develop a culturally driven practice model for urban, Native American child welfare. Identifies challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of urban Native American communities. Concludes with principles for…

Describes the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning, discussing the importance of sustained professional development and collaboration in achieving reflective practice and teacher change and describing how social and cultural history and literature and innovative critical pedagogy work together to enrich curricula, advance…

Examines literacy campaigns from a literacy educator's viewpoint. Stresses that misassumptions, inaccurate definitions, misused statistics, unrealistic goals, and the failure to listen to literacy students themselves have resulted in frustrated policies. Suggests 10 theses for improving literacy policy in both developed and developing nations.…

Discusses the four objectives of the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-97) as enumerated in the United Nations long-term Plan of Action. Outlines six forms of action in the plan. Stresses the importance of cultural development, enrichment, preservation, and international cultural cooperation. (RW)

Presents excerpts from a symposium in Charlottesville (VA) at which researchers, policymakers, and journalists discussed educational issues and the relationship of research to reform. Discusses issues concerning communication problems between groups and why it is important to keep talking with each other. Explores ways of improving the…

Discusses Chinese moral values, moral reasoning, and moral education in East Asia. Examines moral concepts cross-culturally. Argues that the Kohlbergian approach is useful to the study of Chinese moral reasoning. Offers suggestions for future research on Chinese morality within the framework of a culture-inclusive psychology. (RW)

Reports a research project which studied the institutionalization of a secondary school syllabus in New South Wales. Key variables in the process of accepting an innovation as a part of the school curriculum were identified and discussed. Suggests means by which institutionalization of innovations might be facilitated. (KO)

Any use of language involves the following interlocking systems: (1) referential; (2) contextualization; and (3) ideology. These together constitute culturally viable "discourse systems." Examination of these systems as they operate in daily contexts reveals a paradox in the concept of literacy. (Author/BJV)

Critiques a doctoral dissertation that examined the relationships between out-of-school factors and five musical characteristics. Praises the care taken in research design, data collection and analysis, and writing the paper. Suggests that further research is needed on the design and validation of an instrument for measuring music attitude. (LS)

Reports on study conducted to do the following: 1) explore the theoretical relationship between the concept of culture and that of behavior settings; and 2) demonstrate the applicability of ecological methods to the study of behavior cross-culturally. (MW)

Discusses the furor created when Walt Disney Studios announced plans to develop a "historic amusement park" near the Manassas (Virginia) National Battlefield Park. Maintains that the public debate over the popular understanding of history reflects an ongoing tension between academic historians and the purveyors of popular history. (CFR)

Advice for college and university fund raising abroad includes taking a long-term approach; researching prospects and cultural contexts carefully; building on existing strengths; working through alumni; cooperating across campus; recognizing cultural differences; and preparing to reciprocate. (MSE)

Describes the large Asian Indian community of Northern California and observes how this relatively recent immigration has generated a rich and diverse array of organizations, business enterprises, and community events. Subcultural and transnational practices are discussed, as is the reformulation of India in the San Francisco Bay Area. (GR)

Discusses the reliability and validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for Hispanic children and adolescents. Claims that cultural aspects of mental disorders are largely omitted. Provides a table of potential sources of bias and recommendations for reducing diagnostic errors with Hispanic children. (Contains…

Reports on a study of competition, motivation, and performance among 60 adolescents in India. Finds that direct competition with another person led to higher levels of immediate performance. Also finds that indirect competition against a pre-set standard resulted in greater intrinsic motivation. (CFR)