In 1972, the Maryland Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) became law in that state. The amendment provides that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged or denied because of sex." This document surveys the legislative reforms that have been enacted to implement the ERA in the 12 years following the law's ratification. It also…

A collection of essays on the 10 amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution is presented in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The following essays are included: "The First Amendment and the Virtues of an Open Society" (R. Smolla); "The First Amendment as a…

The conservative position on the crisis in the humanities is fundamentally antidemocratic and poses a danger to popular culture studies. This can be demonstrated by taking issue with conservatives' usage of the terms "crisis" and "politics." A crisis is an urgent problem, but by labeling something a crisis which is not,…

This proceedings comes from a conference whose purpose was to provide a vehicle for thoughtful discourse and analysis of such Hispanic American issues as education; access to health care; and community viability and the environment as viewed by Latino theorists, activists, and the Hispanic members of Congress. The discussions included the…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title in the ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report series. Academic freedom provides the foundation for faculty scholarship and teaching, making it possible for educators to exchange ideas and concepts freely in the classroom, to explore and disseminate new knowledge, and to speak out both…

This report synthesizes the literature and applicable case law concerning academic freedom in higher education and addresses the following issues: (1) popular notions concerning academic freedom; (2) whether academic freedom is a legal right; (3) whether faculty at private institutions have the same rights as faculty in public schools; and (4)…

Australia's economy slowly emerged from recession in the 1990s. Populist government leaders claimed that their economic restructuring policies of the 1980s were responsible for the economic turnaround. But even with greater national economic optimism, Australians have wondered why their country has not fared better economically both internally and…

After a discussion of the circumstances that led to the unification of the two German states, this paper then evaluates the challenges to political education in Germany after unification. Beginning with the focus by the media and politics on the effects of East German political changes on the two German states, the revolution in East Germany and…

This document examines political questions that surround the issue of literacy. "City Literacy Cuts" outlines effects of the most recent budget cuts in New York City. "Families, Inequality, and Power: The Cultural Politics of Literacy" (Deborah D'Amico-Samuels) focuses on the importance of understanding the different models…

Under Phase II of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, eligible legalized aliens (ELAs) can become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) if they demonstrate English language competency or show that they are satisfactorily pursuing a course of study to obtain English language skills. Certain English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs have been…

This plenary opening address on cultural and language rights emphasizes both the opportunities and constraints facing selected European minorities in their struggle both to reproduce their culture and to have their efforts recognized as a permanent, legitimate, and democratic contribution to modern society. The central thesis is that although the…

An account of the career of Isaiah Bowman, a leading figure in American science, is discussed in the context of the historical uses of geography and the contemporary perspective of that discipline. The first of three sections briefly addresses the current crisis in the field of geography: a narrowness of disciplinary perspective. Such a view would…

Focuses on the impact of major political, economic, social and psychological forces on the black community, its adaptive response, and the outcome for black students, past and present. Optimal conditions that foster education, technological change, black adaptation, and educational planning are discussed. (Author/AM)

Depending upon the framework in which questions are raised, racial minorities are seen to be growing both closer to white cultural norms and farther away from the historic traditions which defined those norms. Changes are urged for traditional manners of posing and answering questions regarding the future of racial minorities. (Author/AM)

Two factors during the 1988 presidential campaign were largely responsible for the erosion of "women's issues" and the so-called "gender gap"--the perception that a candidate is unattractive to women voters. This perception is thought to be based upon the candidate's stand on issues such as abortion, day care and the Equal…