Hans Weiler's conception of the political utilities of decentralization are applied to case study data of a school district's decision to enact site-based management. It is argued that site-based management may have considerable political utility in crises. (SLD)

Rather than avoid stress, superintendents need to control and use it to their advantage. They should become familiar with the stress cycle, which progresses from stress traps through perceived stress, coping responses, and consequences (burnout). Superintendents can avoid burnout by focusing on important matters, confronting conflict positively,…

Examined the endorsement of interpersonal conflict resolution tactics and links to personality and teacher-related school adjustment. Subjects were 162 African, Mexican, and European American sixth through eighth graders. Across all three ethnic groups and both sexes, negotiation was consistently rated the best choice for dealing with…

This column examines how to reconcile differences in parents' and teachers' ideas of learning and prevent the negative effects on children when teachers and parents do not agree, recommending that good conversation and communication are the best ways to prevent such conflicts from happening in the first place. (SM)

Conflict-management programs help students of all ages find peaceable ways to handle disputes. Students most likely to become effective mediators are confident individuals who write clearly, care about others, listen well, and ask appropriate questions. Principles of conflict should be taught along with strategies for settling disputes. A sidebar…

Examined responses of 6- to 7- and 9 to 10-year olds to adult-child conflict, compared them to responses to adult-adult conflict, and further examined responses in relation to verbal and physical expression of anger. Participants in the conflict, the form of anger, and the age and gender of the subject moderated some responses. (DR)

The story of an encounter between a male student and a female instructor illustrates the subtle but powerful interaction between gender and individual development in adult education. Productive instructor responses include taking a nondefensive stance, using a repertoire of techniques, practicing self-management, focusing on learning, and…

Interviews with 319 middle-class professionals in India found that 57% reported using "acceptable" violence in rearing their children, whereas 42% engaged in "abusive" violence and almost 3% admitted to employing "extreme" violence. Correlations between parental attitudes and/or expectations and the use of different…

Students from a variety of colleges comment on their personal experiences on campus with racial/ethnic bias or bias based on homosexuality. A number of the students embraced activism as a coping strategy. The institution's role in attending to the needs of all students, minority and majority, is discussed. (MSE)

This article reviews the basic tenets of the Situational Leadership model, examines the steps of the Conflict Model for decision making, and presents a conceptual model that integrates the two. The integrated model aims to provide a systematic means for allowing individuals to learn how to participate in organizational decisions. (JDD)

Fourth and fifth grade boys who were or were not rejected by peers reported how they would handle conflictual interactions described in vignettes. Rejected boys who were aggressive or residual, that is, neither aggressive nor submissive, exhibited less integration of personal and relational goals than did nonrejected boys. (BC)

Explains ways to resolve training session conflicts in four contexts: supervisor/employee teams, trainee interaction during breaks, group work, and trainer/trainee interaction. (SK)

Reports the nine-year history of the Centre for Peace Studies. Identifies the aims of the project. Discusses the extent of interest in, and reactions to, the center. Describes "World Studies 8-13," a curriculum program of the center that continued under the direction of the World Studies Trust after the center ceased to exist. (SG)

Finds that five composite beliefs about arguing (enjoyment, self-concept, pragmatic outcomes, dysfunctional outcomes, and ego-involvement) explain significant variance in underlying motivation to argue and to discriminate between individuals who vary in the predisposition. Discusses implications for pedagogy and curriculum design in argumentation…

Looks at the views of some of the seminal contributors to the development of conflict theory and then describes the broad range of library conflicts, the value and danger of those conflicts, and some techniques for lowering or raising the level of conflict. (14 references) (LAE)