The 10 precepts offered in this paper in a spirit of tentativeness respond to the questions, "What ought society do when families crumble?" and "What ought government do when children are endangered?" The following ideas are discussed: (1) public policies and government programs should be differentiated according to the social capital accumulation…

Second in a series of studies examining the patterns of poverty in the South, this report analyses the level of government benefits available to the southern poor from 1980 through 1984. The examination is restricted to four programs: Aid to Families With Dependent Children, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Supplemental Security Income. The states…

Statistics reveal that about 90 percent of all working women in the United States will bear a child. Yet the United States is the only highly developed nation that does not have a national maternity leave policy. What can and should be done to address this disparity? Perhaps valuable lessons can be learned from the 117 countries that guarantee…

If a loss function is available specifying the social cost of an error of measurement in the score on a unidimensional test, an asymptotic method, based on item response theory, is developed for optimal test design for a specified target population of examinees. Since in the real world such loss functions are not available, it is more useful to…

The guide is designed to help educators integrate the study of aging into the high school curriculum. Objectives are to promote and support the study of aging and the aging process, dispel popular misconceptions surrounding aging, aid educators in establishing programs with, by, and for seniors, and provide a list of helpful resource groups.…

This document reviews the problem of family violence, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse. The role of the Justice System is outlined with recommendations for law enforcement, for prosecutors, and for judges. Needs and recommendations for victim assistance are discussed, as are the issues of prevention and awareness, education and…

The first five papers in these proceedings focus on the organization and process of the International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education (ILSCAE). They are "Product into Process: The International League, Its Background, Organization, and Structure" (Anette Svensson, Alan Tuckett); "The Language Question" (John Payne); "Gender Issues"…

This digest discusses the issue of stopping drug abuse as a national priority. Several aspects of the drug abuse issue are covered in question-and-answer format: (1) Why should educators be concerned about drug abuse by students? (2) What are school districts doing to stop drug abuse? (3) What social issues are involved? (4) How can schools plan…

Faced with the task of reading literature on themes perhaps foreign to their own experience, students can explore their reactions to these issues by using a case study approach, bridging the gap between the novel and the student's own experience. In a case study, the issue of racial hatred can be objectively discussed as students gather evidence…

The problems and extent of adult illiteracy are presented in this workshop report, which explores how computer and communication technology might be applied in adult literacy education. The introduction provides statistics and a discussion of past and current attempts to teach illiterate adults. The major portion of the report focuses on what…

A case study of the first 10 years of the University of Papua New Guinea is presented, with attention focused on the function, structure, and character of a new university in a newly independent nation. The analysis is based on the three issues of adaptation, conflict, and change, and the case study is designed to test how well past social…

The development of an individual's commitment to school and society begins with his present interests, no matter what they happen to be, and is based on six components of maturity. Currently, American culture is experiencing the arrest of mature development; we know what needs to be done to solve our most critical problems, but lack the commitment…

Research and intervention on burnout have focused on the worker and the work setting. Since these factors are influenced by social, political and economic forces in society, alienation or burnout in the human services requires critical examination in a larger context, especially the history of the human services prior to 1976 when concern about…

The dynamic and emerging social reality of the liberal/capitalistic Western World has created a new type of personality, the characteristics of which the educational community must be aware. Although early capitalism stressed production, the present emphasis features consumption as the dominant activity. The acquisitive, hardworking individual has…

Presuming that rhetorical discourse comes into existence as a response to a situation in the same sense that an answer comes into existence in response to a question, or a solution in response to a problem, then Mexico is fertile ground for rhetoric and the study of rhetoric. Mexico is a country under fire. Economic and political problems threaten…