A controversial April 1991 proclamation made Spanish the sole official language of Puerto Rico, replacing a 1902 law declaring English and Spanish as the languages of government. This paper discusses the emotional debate and suggests that the law resulted from a powerful group opposed to U.S. statehood. (27 references) (Author/LB)

Presents three related metaphors for understanding the relations among rhetoric, social forms, and social processes (and thus among text, context, and culture): contemporary America as empire, empire's concern with feeding, and empire's feeding habits as pornography. (SR)

Responds to several essays in the same journal issue. Suggests distinct yet equally important roles of theory and lived experience, concepts, and materiality in speech communication research. Argues for an engaged scholarly attitude that views the self as relational, others' accounts as valid, research as self-critical, and judgment as a…

Proposes an instrument for assessing the extent to which either sound arguments or power are found in scientific and political discussions. Empirical research is described that investigated the relation between the quality of evaluation research and the quality of discussion in policy-making processes in which the research is used. (Contains 47…

Suggests several high school writing assignments with civic themes. Includes assignments on the Iowa caucuses, the political and economic future of Iowa, and city-administrator government. (RDS)

The Ulster People's College is a community education center committed to radical social change and individual and collective growth. Its major concerns are assisting with social and economic problems and studying and bridging cultural and political divisions through an antisectarian approach. (SK)

Considers whether libraries are artifact-bound institutions and therefore will be replaced as the dominant technology for information communication moves from tangible objects to electronic bits on a network. Topics include what libraries are for; libraries as information subsidy; subsidies for networked information; and the digital library as…

Examines administrative, political. and ideological aspects of decentralization in the South African educational system. Discusses current policy development with special focus on the South African Schools Act of 1996. Highlights the tension between national and provincial educational competencies and decision making. Contains 30 references. (MMU)

Suggests that despite intuitively evident connections, there are difficulties with identifying language as a significant cause of conflict escalation. By looking at links between language, discourse, conflict, and conflict resolution, this article aims to see of a discussion of these four key terms can contribute to a better understanding of…

Examines the life of W.E.B. Du Bois, looking at his autobiography and his 3-year stay in Berlin as a graduate student from 1892-1894. Uncovers an excellent example of learning outside of one's own culture through the series of social, political, and ideological encounters Du Bois experiences, reflects on, and remembers. (Author/VWL)

Examines the rise and fall of media coverage of the issues of gun control and political conflict in Australia after an incident of mass murder in April 1996. Aims to reveal the issue management process that occurred and the hidden agendas that motivated the political and media activity. Demonstrates the media's role in the creation of issue…

Contributes to research on news media impact on presidential elections. Examines relationships of exposure and attention to various news media with information learned about the issue positions of 1996 presidential candidates; level of interest in this election campaign; and intention to vote. Finds statistically significant associations only…

Describes Vice President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign efforts at one Michigan high school, from the arrival of advance Secret Service agents to scope out the school, to determination of what the Vice President would do during his 7-hour visit, to who would host the Vice President, to how students and staff responded to the visit. (SM)

Addresses issues surrounding a 1998 study on the effects of childhood sexual abuse from the perspective of the editors who accepted the manuscript, discussing the appropriateness of their editorial decision, inferred motivations of the authors, the editor's role in specific study recommendations and in minimizing mischaracterization of study…

Describes a portion of the authors' work with a group of elementary teachers during the first eight months of an ongoing study investigating critical literacy in classrooms. Examines the understandings and classroom practices of two groups of teachers: newcomers and novices. Provides insights into the concerns teachers have when they begin…