The need for citizen involvement in foreign policymaking is discussed. Two factors in the inability to perceive, interpret, and participate in international dimensions of our lives and institutions include: (l) the socialization process through which we learn about the world, and (2) perception of little opportunity for personal participation in…

Examines the communitarian argument on schools, families, and youth culture expounded in Amitai Etzioni's influential book, "The Spirit of Community." In lieu of detailed policy proposals, Etzioni's readers are challenged to a general change in attitudes and values. Includes a discussion of Ray Pahl's critique of communitarianism. (MJP)

Possible reasons for the underparticipation of gifted girls in science fields are discussed in terms of: disparity in cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, attitudes toward science, differences between in-school and out-of-school learning experiences, gender differences in mathematics preparation, and socialization factors. Suggestions…

Suggests that parents who are aware of the differences between home play and school play more fully understand and value the role of play in the early childhood curriculum. Discusses benefits of school play along several dimensions, including interaction with peers and adults, group size, materials, planning, and guidance. Suggests ways for…

Investigated Gilligan's hypothesis on the origin of moral orientation through analysis of sibling-conflict interactions in 40 dual-parent families with 2 children, ages 2 and 4. Found only partial support for hypothesis in that, regardless of the child's gender, mothers used significantly more care than justice orientation, whereas fathers used…

Distinguishes social capital from societal cohesion. Argues that education acts in different ways for each. Develops a distributional model showing the relationship between equality of educational outcomes and various measures of social cohesion. Discusses theories explaining country trends and variations in educational inequality and social…

Provides a case study in support of inclusion of autistic children in regular school classrooms. Argues that special needs children must experience an environment that resembles the typical outside world. Examines the role of special education, experience in the classroom, and preparation for life. Reiterates that skills acquired to manage life…

Observed home interaction between parents and 2- and 4-year-olds at Time 1 and 2 years later. Found that parent mental state talk to children varied by child's age, context of talk, and parent gender. Four-year-olds with older siblings produced and heard more cognitive talk and less desire talk than children without older siblings. Time 1 family…

Recommends application of social learning theory to medical education in ambulatory care settings, including preceptor attention to orienting and creating legitimate and appropriate roles for learners; provision of competent role models; careful organization of the experience to include modeling, discussion, and both guided and independent…

Summarizes a study that reveals that light-skin-toned and European-looking Mexican Americans receive about 1.5 more years of schooling that darker and more Indian-looking Mexican Americans. Differences in schooling by phenotype persisted with and without controls for other factors. Includes tables of statistical data. (MJP)

The eight chapters of this theme issue use quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the nature and nurture of young participants in the mathematics Olympiad from five countries. Parallel studies are presented of winners from China, Taiwan, and the United States, along with descriptions of programs in Japan and Russia. (SLD)

Notes that teachers have differing views toward children who bully. Addresses characteristics of bullies and their victims, incidences of bullying among children, the effects of bullying on children, and recommendations for teachers' support, including school-wide, classroom, and individual interventions. (DLH)

Examined association of family-related factors with children's depression and conduct problems among low-income Mexican American (English- and Spanish-speaking) and European American mothers and children. Found ethnic differences in children's depression, maternal inconsistent discipline, and hostile control. Also found language differences within…

Investigated the family as a context for gender typing of adolescent science achievement. Findings indicated no child gender or grade-level differences in science-related grades, self-efficacy, or interest. However, parents were more likely to believe that science was less interesting and more difficult for daughters than sons. Parents' beliefs…

Investigates the relationship among teacher beliefs about control, perceptions of behavior problems, and preference of interventions in classroom management. Administers two questionnaires to secondary faculty that showed a correlation between control beliefs and interventions. Control beliefs ranged from custodial to humanistic. Includes tables…