The position of public school superintendency in the U.S. is the most powerful position in schools. Yet research has shown that women who hold the position have difficulty talking about power (Brunner, 2000). A survey designed to measure perceptions of power was sent to 210 women school superintendents in four Midwestern states during the…

A series of individual and small-group interviews on self determination for individuals with disabilities was conducted as part of the Vermont Self-Determination Project, a 3-year project to implement a statewide system change designed to allow people with developmental disabilities to have control and choice in their lives. The interviews were…

Three articles discuss: (1) the importance of play for developing children's self-esteem and sense of control over their environment; (2) features that will probably characterize children's play in the future; and (3) the need for a national commitment to better playgrounds. Activities of national and international organizations concerned with…

Examined the effects of social age status and gender on perception of control of work, home, and school situations. Adults perceived the greatest control through the ability to influence powerful others. Adult females perceived greater influence than adolescent or retired females but the same as males of any age. (Author/JA)

Client expectancy of powerlessness can lead to actual powerlessness. Once counselors recognize that personal power is healthy and beneficial, they have to begin to structure institutions and agencies to encourage the development of personal power. (Author)

Project R.I.S.E. (Resourceful Individuals Seeking Education) seeks to empower minority students and parents, phasing them in as equal members of the school and community. Active participation and discussion of intergroup issues are encouraged. This description is part of a theme issue on community education in Hawaii. (SJL)

Examines the initial reactions of type A and type B boys and men to uncontrollable events. Type A individuals are characterized by extremes of competitive achievement striving, impatience, and aggression, a pattern of behavior implicated by recent research in the etiology of coronary heart disease. Type B individuals exhibit the relative absence…

Presents findings from a study comparing the ways that three high and three low self-empowered (LSE) teachers' worked with colleagues and their principals. Finds that LSE teachers had little personal commitment to work with others. Discusses intrinsic and extrinsic factors of empowerment and its relation to teacher motivation. (50 citations) (AJL)

Life histories of 794 Mexican women, ages 25-31 and 40-49, revealed that wives faced diverse circumstances with respect to marital power and husband dominance. Results support the modernization perspective on the consequences of economic development, in that educational attainment affected wives' exposure to domestic violence and participation in…

Discusses author's observations of poverty-related problems within rural Sri Lankan schools. Juxtaposes literature on Third World education problems at national, district, school, and individual levels. Concludes high educational expectations in developing world are tightly constrained by poverty, negative attitudes, and weaknesses of systems.…

Considers Directive to Physician, Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare Decisions, and Medical Ethics Decision Form. Notes importance of process individuals go through in defining what quality of life means to them. Sees current struggle being individual articulation of one's wishes based on personal definition of quality of life set forth in…

Presents four studies using a criterion measure of political activity to compare overall (locus of control), political, and situation-specific believed efficacy. Reports that the more situation specific the feelings of efficacy, the greater the predictability of political behavior. Concludes that even situation-specific efficacy did not predict…

A Purdue University study looked for significant differences between adherers and nonadherers to exercise. A questionnaire explored self-motivation, attitude toward physical activity and exercise, and lifestyle habits in 293 people. Results showed no difference between the groups for lifestyle and self-motivation but a significant difference in…

Examines the concept of empowerment as a movement to foster the democratization of the workplace and staff development. Empowerment versus participative management, the relationship of empowerment to organizational theory, factors influencing empowerment in organizations, and possible consequences of successful empowerment for employees and…

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data indicate that sense of personal control increased from age 14 to 22. Dropping out of school hampered development; teen pregnancy did not. Adolescent sense of control and further adult development correlated positively with cognitive skill and parental education. Low perceived control predicted subsequent…