Argues that Western civilization's use of formalism in art criticism is hierarchical and eurocentric. Suggests a more anthropological approach in which production of art is considered in the context of its native culture. Recommends emphasizing the human meaning in art over consideration of form or design. (MJP)

Discusses the role of human information gatekeepers. Topics addressed include gatekeeper research in health sciences, education, science and technology, communication studies, journalism, and library and information science; cultural context; information needs and use models; cross-cultural research; ethnolinguistic gatekeepers; and research…

Reports on the research and development of a history textbook on Puerto Rico. Discusses the issues of historical synthesis and the special problems associated with writing a book about an island that is neither an independent nation nor a colonial possession. (CFR)

The background and rationale for the 2 tests are described and results of a norming and validation study involving 804 Mexican-American college freshmen in 5 border community colleges are reported. The results provide evidence that the DTES and VAT are reliable and effective for Mexican-American students, having overcome inadequacies of other…

This article discusses reading and writing as (1) cognitive processes influenced by social and cultural contexts; (2) sociocognitive processes; (3) a social relationship between authors and readers; and (4) social and cultural activities. Pedagogy and politics in the whole language classroom are also discussed. (JDD)

Describes a series of instructional activities designed to help student develop a conceptual foundation necessary for learning about other cultures. Suggests a study of the classroom culture and subcultures. Discusses using a culture artifacts box for observation, grouping and labeling, and making generalizations that later will be compared to…

The role of cultural context in the communicative interaction of young Inuit children, their caregivers, and their non-Inuit teachers was examined in a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted in two small communities of arctic Quebec. Focus was on discourse features of primary language socialization of Inuit families. (32 references) (Author/LB)

Explores ethnic identities of first- and second-generation Chinese-Australian (n=96) and Chinese-American (n=141) high school students. Responses to ethnic identification questions of both groups were remarkably similar. Results confirm importance of analyzing distinctive components of ethnic identity separately. Internal aspects of ethnic…

Discusses the evaluation of bilingual education programs, surveys the results of seven bilingual education evaluations, and presents their diverse findings. Argues that such research cannot say whether bilingual education is good or works. Describes a "bilingual immersion" program where language minority and majority students learn from…

Discusses distance education efforts in Indonesia and examines problems that have been encountered with adopting Western models that have not been adapted to the cultural behavior of Indonesian teachers and students. Indonesian heteronomy is discussed, the oral learning tradition is examined, and suggestions for changing the distance education…

Teacher education structure and content must be addressed if national and international cultural understanding is to be promoted. This article, which focuses primarily on teacher education in Norway and other European countries, discusses culture in teacher education; determining conditions; and how culture should be used to transfer knowledge,…

The implications of developmentally and culturally appropriate practice for early childhood education are explored from the context of selections from classroom journals and personal narratives of 30 early childhood educators. The ability of developmentally appropriate practice to respond to cultural diversity is discussed. (LB)

Classifies types of photographs, describing which are most effective in social studies and history instruction. Explores problems in textbooks' use of photographs. Outlines a six-step question model to help students make inferences when analyzing photographs. Develops three lessons using historical photographs to discover more about a photo's time…

Argues that close examination of prevailing school "meanings" must occur for schools to adjust to the diversity of the "new demographics." Examines some factors that cause U.S. schools to shun change and innovation in their design: culturally biased meanings of concepts associated with schooling. (JB)

Draws on a Los Angeles research project with Hispanic immigrant women with limited English to address the ambivalence with which many women approach the task of becoming literate in English. Gender differences and the relationship of literacy to sexuality, violence, and the public/private split between male/female worlds are considered. (22…