Describes the contemporary societal context to which the work of communication studies must respond. Discusses ongoing social changes and the issue of social consensus. Discusses three perspectives (new traditionalism, science and commerce, and cynical opportunism) that propose solutions to these dilemmas. Argues that communication studies can…

Clarifies media reports that suggest that flood geology should be taught as part of the biology curriculum to provide support for the teaching of creationist theory. Analyzes the reports and provides support for response on the local level to these claims. (DDR)

Describes a national advocacy campaign to preserve funding for specialized services for older people with visual impairments. Outlines steps for developing a similar campaign, including: identifying critical issues, identifying key decision makers, developing a clear message, determining desired results, identifying potential advocates, and…

Describes a hunger project conducted in one California high school that was designed to encourage apathetic students to become activists. The Hunger at Home project taught students about how hunger was a part of their community, then had the students brainstorm, formalize, and implement a variety of action plans. Details several of the students'…

Describes the origins and characteristics of the heterogeneous French advocacy associations known as "mouvements pedagogiques." Draws on Alberoni's model of social movements and institutions. Argues that this phenomenon, which appears a uniquely French response to a highly centralized system, illustrates a universal need to "invest…

Describes the use of film documentaries by students to promote dialogue and activism in their communities, explaining that marginalized youth equipped with video cameras can transform issues that once hobbled their academic and social development into opportunities for research, problem solving, and social action. A sidebar includes an annotated…

In the early decades of the Extension system, agents' core work was to organize rural people in order to address practical problems and issues. This educational organizing fostered instrumental, communicative, and emancipatory learning. Understand the historical foundations and evolution of the educational organizing tradition can help Extension…

Considers what elements might contribute to a clear pattern of moral action in a young person who is "morally gifted." Proposes a preliminary framework for understanding unusual moral action and questions to explore. (Author)

In this article, the author suggests that the dichotomy that so frequently plagues debates about theatre for young people and whether or not it should have an educational or "interventionist" agenda may be misconceived. He suggests that the use of theatre in "applied contexts" (whether schools, museums, young offender institutions, prisons, or…

Despite the initiatives from governments and unions alike, the need for worker-centred labour education still exists. Labour educators should have to be more creative in planning and running educational programs to empower workers so that they can be liberated from all forms of exploitation, no matter how such exploitation is disguised or…

Everyone is dependent on caring labor. Because women's labor is financially beneficial to global capitalism, gender is inseparable from class, regardless of the specific national or cultural contexts.

On March 13, 1879, the "Salisbury Carolina Watchman" noted that the longest and most difficult tunnel in the struggle to lay a railroad line across the Blue Ridge Mountains has been opened. Convicts from North Carolina's new penitentiary built this transportation system and solved the state's need for a cheap labor force as well as the…

This study examines whether college students' participation in diversity-related experiences instills motivation to take actions for a diverse democracy. Results suggest that interactions with diverse peers, participation in diversity-related courses, and activities inside and outside residence halls inspire students to challenge their own…

This article discusses the origin and development of family-friendly policies and careers in Sweden. The starting-point for the discussion is that what "family-friendly" is can never be separated from the gendered labour market. Drawing on Lotte Bailyn's analysis of gender "equity", the article argues that the Swedish labour…

This article explores a particular expression of social activism by older Canadian women to consider its implications for later life learning. 'Older women', despite their heterogeneity, have tended to be pathologized as a part of the 'problem' of ageing and languishing welfare societies--i.e. stereotyped as passive recipients of welfare and…