Urges emphasis on the economic and political aspects of geography to help students understand the relevance of geography in contemporary world situations. Presents activities to guide students into a study of developing countries. Focuses on population growth, distribution and movement, options for growing poor populations, and causes of uneven…

Describes the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the political arena, as well as in development and public welfare roles. Traces the recent history of grassroots efforts to solve social problems in Latin America. NGOs can strengthen institution building and influence national policymaking. (KS)

Describes the economics course that makes up part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at a Georgia high school. Emphasizes the international outlook of the program with its focus on international economic relationships and comparisons. Includes discussion of sections on international trade, economic growth and development, and…

Multinational corporations bring both economic opportunities and technological hazards to developing countries. Discusses the trade-offs between the profit and development objectives and the environmental, health, and safety objectives as seen in three case studies involving Occidental Chemical and Du Pont corporations in Thailand, and Xerox…

The conjunction of development funding and educational research in Africa and the dominating role of a single agency, the World Bank, have consequences for research and educational policy: structuring of research according to agency constructs and policies, legitimation of poorly supported propositions, lack of critical review, a fixation on…

Describes Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC), a nonprofit community development organization that creates jobs and helps small manufacturing businesses succeed in nine "perpetually poor" rural Kentucky counties. Outlines KHIC services: loans for both expansion and working capital; equity and real estate investments;…

Craig raises concerns about the Movement for Canadian Literacy's proposal in terms of jurisdictional and organization issues regarding literacy and government role. Quigley examines the notion that workplace literacy is a panacea for economic development and warns of dangers in a major shift of funding to this form of literacy. (SK)

Vocational education projects in developing nations often fail because they are based on empirical theories that ignore cultural context and change. A critical inquiry framework allows a more participatory, adaptive planning approach and enables decentralized decision making, participation of beneficiaries, technology transfer, information…

The relationship between education and socioeconomic development is reviewed, and a case study of school improvement efforts in an East Tennessee school district is presented. The district and surrounding Clinch County have been economically underdeveloped throughout this century; their schools represent structural barriers for human capital and…

Training policy should try to match changing demand for skills with a labor supply that is changing qualitatively and quantitatively. Infrastructural reform involves establishing closer links between education, training, and the workplace and redirecting funds to new training priorities. (Author/JOW)

A comparison of literacy efforts and outcomes in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Botswana suggests that, when national literacy efforts are viewed within the framework of an exploitative and dynamic world economy, few general rules can be deduced about the importance of literacy or how to achieve it. Decisions about African societal priorities must be…

Analysis of educational expansion in Brazil between 1940 and 1980 indicates that, in most circumstances, enrollment rates were positively related to urbanization, diversification of the occupational structure, and aggregate economic growth. States experiencing heavy in-migration showed a negative effect of migration on enrollment rates during…

In 1981, Jackson County, North Carolina, appeared on the first list of "distressed counties" in Appalachia. Since then, the rural county has made significant improvements by investing in its physical infrastructure (which also promotes tourism); fostering economic-development partnerships among governments, small businesses, and local…

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (Oregon) provides a wide range of social services to stimulate community development, based on reuse, repair, and recycling. Job training and jobs are provided in the woodshop, appliance center, mattress factory, glass shop, and environmentally friendly housing construction projects, with priority…

Discusses the available options for resolving imbalances between training for employment and previous basic education. States that training in specific skills cannot replace basic education. Asserts that the process of technological change corresponds to an increased demand for workers with a high level of education, and identifies overlooked…