Considers claims from sex-comparative research that sex-related differences are small, unusually unstable across studies, very often artifactual, and inconsistent with the content of gender stereotypes. The article contends that feminism created a political climate that has led to research that inaccurately minimizes psychological gender…

Reports on a study of professional socialization and the emergence of career aspirations among 566 graduate students in sociology. Finds that access to initial funding and mentoring have substantial effects on students' professional socialization. (CFR)

Assessed parental characteristics; children's physiological and self-reported reactions to a sympathy-inducing film; and children's dispositional traits. Parental sympathy was related to low distress in same-sex children, and to sons' sympathy. Same-sex parental restrictiveness of hurtful emotional displays was related to children's sympathy. (BC)

Japanese and U.S. mothers of three- to six-year-old children answered questionnaires about child-rearing practices. U.S. mothers expected their children to follow more rules than did Japanese mothers. Japanese mothers were more likely than U.S. mothers to use physical punishment when their children showed disrespect for authority. (BC)

Five case studies from the mid-1980s explore changes junior faculty experience as they interact with other faculty in departments and institutions. Findings suggest the interaction between the newcomer's view of social interdependence and that of the department governs those changes. Relationships between gender, socialization, and acculturation…

Analyses the effect of religious schools on the moral education of English secondary school students. Derives four scales to measure students' general religious attitudes, specific Catholic beliefs, specific Jewish beliefs, and secular morality. Concludes that religious schools produce stronger, more uniform attitudes toward religion and morality…

Presents strategies to prevent substance abuse among young African-American males, using family and cultural storytelling techniques. A theoretical framework is included, and the techniques are illustrated in an ethnographic study of 20 African-American males (ages 13 to 18 years). The techniques seem generalizable beyond prevention to treatment.…

Examines the socialization process of physically challenged children mainstreamed in an elementary school program. Concludes that an open and flexible classroom environment encourages individual independence, adaptation, and acceptance. (FMW)

Interviews conducted over a 10-year period assessed the political attitudes of Chicano adolescents and young adults living in 3 U.S. cities. Subjects' attitudes were affected by the social and economic conditions in their city; and by family, school, peer, and media factors. (BC)

A model for predicting organized youth sport participation readiness has four predictive components: sport-related fundamental motor skill development; sport-specific knowledge; motivation; and socialization. Physical maturation is also important. The model emphasizes the importance of preparing children for successful participation through…

A university-educated art historian examines her transition to teaching at a small southern college. Challenges faced included a new clientele of students, the metamorphosis from graduate student to content expert, committee demands and overcommitment, and finding a personal niche. Significant benefits of small-college professional life are also…

The development and present state of research on the sociology of education in the United States are reviewed, drawing on the literature and on interviews with 10 educational sociologists. To answer the challenges of the field today, sociology needs to go beyond its traditional borders. (SLD)

Discusses research concerning individual differences in children that appear to be associated with vicarious emotional responses and a tendency to engage in prosocial behavior. Focuses on research concerning parents' influence on children's methods for coping with their own and others' emotions and children's social behavior. (BB)

A discussion of the role of graduate education in preparing future college faculty looks at efforts over the last 45 years to integrate graduate study and professional socialization. Issues examined include the importance of specialized academic preparation, the role of teaching assistantships and internships, and the contribution of schools of…

It is proposed that the prestige and protected environment of graduate study can inflate a student's sense of personal authority and identification without adequate preparation for realities of college teaching. Contact with faculty outside the home graduate school, as in a new interinstitutional program, is seen as healthier professional…