Uses the Public Arenas model to examine the historical roots of the greenhouse effect issue as communicated in scientific literature from the early 1800s to modern times. Utilizes a constructivist approach to discuss several possible explanations for the rise and fall of global warming as a social problem in the scientific arena. (PA)

Explains how the growing trend toward having children but failing to marry is a sign of impending disaster for U.S. society. It argues that, although cultures differ, those that survive do so by being built on a foundation of marriage and examines why this is so. (GLR)

Examines infant mortality rates in the District of Columbia and explains the causes. Comparisons are made between infant deaths in the district and in the United States as a whole, infant mortality rate differences by socioeconomic class and between blacks versus whites, and the influence of low rates of prenatal care and illegitimacy. (GLR)

McKinney et al. assert that most studies of child development focus on European-American middle class children and do not consider the ecology of children's development. They recommend that researchers include diversity and context in the research agenda. Fabes et al. respond by advising researchers how to evaluate the importance of social…

This paper examines how and why individuals with mental retardation were seen as a public menace between 1900 and 1920. Degenerationism is presented as a phenomenon that supports God's creation of humans in a civilized state, that explains human pathology as a medical/psychiatric degeneracy, and that characterizes degenerates as atavistic…

Contemplates the meaning and misunderstanding of the works of West Virginia author, Breece Pancake, who took his own life at age 26. Pancake used a "realistic" representation of a place to create an effect in his fiction, not to develop a regional image. Contains comments from other Appalachian writers concerning Pancake's work. (KS)

The author's experiences in community service at a Quaker summer work camp 30 years ago taught him more about himself than about the community in which he helped. National service needs to include an organizing orientation that allows the strengths of both participants and community members to flourish. (SLD)

Finds that voters who ascribed an ethical interpretation to issues were more likely to use a noncompensatory decision-making strategy, which focuses on one or two key issues in the decision-making process, than voters who ascribed a societal interpretation to issues. (SR)

Presents an account of the Mondale Initiative, i.e., an attempt during the period from 1967-73 to develop a national system of social indicators to improve social policy. The role of social scientists in national decision making and policy formation is examined, and a legislative history of the Mondale Initiative is appended. (51 references) (LRW)

An interview with a former president of the International Council on Adult Education covers the literacy movement, the challenge to women's participation, grassroots participation, and adult education's future role in social issues. (SK)

Describes some of the goals and methodologies of ropes and wilderness adventure interventions as they satisfy the definition of therapeutic recreation, specifically with reference to emotional and/or social dysfunctions among adolescents and adults. The two interventions have some characteristics in common, including supporting theory and group…

Missing in curriculum revision/school restructuring links is a curriculum paradigm that incorporates reflective intelligence while promoting social and utilitarian responsibilities. The "social-reconstructive wedge" model described in this article addresses this paradoxical issue by treating the school system as a social system where constituents…

Addresses racial separatism on today's college campuses and examines why it continues to be a problem. The author explores the tension experienced by black students when seeking acceptance and hospitality within an environment that constantly reminds them of their differences and describes what some campuses are doing to become more racially…

A philosophical discussion of current trends in cultural, language, and literary studies criticizes so-called progressive education. Relationships between cultural life and the marketplace, between the culture industry and state institutions, and among culture, politics, and ethics are considered. (16 references) (LB)

Presented are the highlights of a press conference featuring biomedical ethicist LeRoy Walters of Georgetown University and attorney Andrew Kimbrell of the Foundation on Economic Trends. The opposing points of view of these two speakers serve to outline the pros and cons of the gene therapy issue. (CW)