The cult of ethnicity in general and the Afrocentric campaign in particular do not bode well for U.S. education or for the future of the country. The debate over ethnocentric curricula is traced. Commentaries by R. Walters and D. D'Souza elaborate on issues of multicultural education. (SLD)

Examines human rights violations in education in Guyana, and identifies the socioeconomic factors that produced the current condition. Findings indicate that, although education is highly valued in the culture, the state has abandoned the educational needs of the nation to ensure the survival of the elite political regime. (JB)

Traces the elusive search for a social studies definition since 1916. Explains debate over social studies as social science or as selective use of knowledge to promote citizenship. Attributes social studies' indeterminate focus to its objective of reflecting social reality. Suggests definition should recognize social studies as a field of applied…

The problems of rural children are discussed. Rural children are threatened by many of the same social and health problems that urban children face, complicated by distance, which affects access to health care and other services. Recommendations are made to assure that rural children receive the services they need. (SLD)

In spite of prevailing opinion, U.S. cities are alive and well and continue to play a major role in the nation's social fabric. The federal policies of recent years must be reversed to keep cities functioning as the place where the United States reimagines itself and learns to manage difference. (SLD)

Provides an overview of the history of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the United States. Surveillance data are given for several groups of African Americans, including women and men who have sex with men. AIDS cumulative incidence among African Americans in the next several years is projected. (SLD)

Synthesizes research findings from 10 studies on urban homeless families; and details their demographic characteristics, including the number of children, race, ethnicity, and family composition. Focus is on mothers with children and the effects of homelessness on children. (SLD)

The mental health resources available in American Indian communities fall far short of the demonstrated need, especially for Native American adolescents. The Indian Health Care Amendments of 1990 and 1992 are reviewed, and recommendations are made to facilitate community-based programs for American Indians. (SLD)

Over 150 years, public and professional awareness of child sexual abuse has emerged and been suppressed repeatedly. Research now indicates the prevalence of sexual abuse and its injurious impact on human development, but in the contemporary mental health professions, courts, and media, a backlash has emerged against the latest discovery of child…

Examines cultural dynamics resulting from the interactions of minority Latino high school students and their "majority" teachers in an inner-city Los Angeles (California) high school. School represents an arena in which the boundary between Latino and Anglo culture and the cultural identity of the educational system are being negotiated.…

Compares differences in resource exploitation and energy development in Louisiana and western mineral-producing states. Identifies socioeconomic impacts of Louisiana's offshore drilling and western coal, oil, and natural gas mining, noting the boom and bust cycles and "hyperurbanization" that attends both. Stresses the necessity of…

Argues that teaching authentic civic values in schools frequently requires teaching about controversial issues. Asserts that adequate teacher preparation and continued inservice education is essential for effective instruction about contemporary social problems. Includes two model lessons and a list of organizations that offer materials for civic…

Focuses on the academic decision making of several female African Americans in a rural southern (primarily African-American) town by considering their personal school experiences and their interpretations of the value of education in their community contexts. Preliminary findings show many contradictions between educational beliefs and actual…

Argues for new analysis of language rights of Native-American students as enunciated in the Native American Languages Act (NALA). Current efforts to model federal legislation on "English Only" referenda potentially violate NALA's statement of rights and policy in favor of supporting students' native languages. Does not take into account…

Shows that despite moves during the 1840s in England to use teacher training to raise working-class members into the lower levels of white-collar society, elementary teaching was dominated by the lower middle class. Provides evidence from a sample of pupil teachers in Birmingham during the years 1850 through 1900. (DSK)