This paper presents a synthesis of a national literature search on community climate and quality of life. Its primary focus is on community development as it affects people, i.e., their relationships and interactions with each other and with institutions. The document addresses five major topics: Section I provides definitions of terms and…

Providing a basis to help Alaskans determine future spending levels and priorities, this report traces how the state spent more than $26 billion in general funds from fiscal years 1981 through 1986 before oil prices crashed and brought state revenues tumbling down with them. Figures indicate that cumulative general fund expenditures over the…

Designed to assist practitioners of both formal and non-formal settings, this 18th volume of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education's Teaching Activities in Environmental Education series specifically focuses on the theme of hazardous and toxic materials. Initially, basic environmental concepts that deal with…

This paper argues that just as imagination has been important for the inception and promotion of invitational education, it is also necessary for the development of inviting research strategies. Applying the educative process to the study of inviting, recommendations are made for relating the constituent parts of the inviting stance (optimism,…

The historical development and future goals of a UNESCO project to establish a network of educational systems throughout Central America are described. In 1975, the project began to search for solutions to social, economic, and educational development problems in the region. Objectives of the project are to conduct a critical analysis of the…

To determine the significance of selected social issues in the social studies and non-social studies curriculum, a questionnaire was completed by principals, social studies teachers, and teachers from other subject areas at the middle school level. Respondents of both sexes, identifying themselves as conservative or liberal, were asked to rank 18…

This report on the educational concerns of Hispanic Americans is part of a four-part study of minority education in the United States by the National Education Association (NEA). Data were gathered from site visits to a wide variety of urban schools and programs, and from the testimony of representatives of community organizations, the U.S. Bureau…

Two things make water a unique natural resource: (1) water is essential for human survival; and (2) the total amount of water in the world is constant. This document focuses on the increasingly difficult task of satisfying the collective thirst of people, industry, and agriculture without damaging the world's limited resources of fresh water. It…

During the second year of a 3-year study involving 112 Iowa farm families, mothers of children aged 4 to 10 years old expressed expectations of independence, responsibility, and hard work from their children during home interviews. The importance of the parent-child relationship together with the lack of sufficient child-rearing research on rural…

The economic crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa threatens to condemn an entire continent to human misery unless stronger action is taken to control population growth, reverse ecological devastation, eliminate distortions in domestic economic policies, and increase external development finance. Substantial increases in financial assistance to Africa are…

Contributions of rural high schools to their local economic climate are both underestimated and undervalued. Functions that high schools can and should perform in rural economic development today include providing occupational training to meet immediate labor market needs, raising community educational attainment levels to meet long-term…

The first phase of a longitudinal research project, "Assessing Rural Communities' Viability and Associated Factors Under Conditions of Population Change," was conducted in 1975 in eight Utah communities (Panguitch, Richfield, Salina, Delta, Moab, Duchesne, Roosevelt, and Vernal) to provide useful information for planners, researchers,…

This paper reviews in detail the history and current status of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), since its beginning in 1934, as the only world-wide, voluntary, non-governmental, interdisciplinary, mental health coalition comprised of both volunteer and professional organizations as well as individual members. The relationship of the…

The basic needs and services that the vast masses of the population in developing countries must have to improve their quality of life are examined. Chapter 1 of nine chapters discusses implications of rapid population growth for social and economic planning. Rapid population growth in the developing countries is discussed in chapter 2. Food…

Although self-actualization is often considered a need to be met after more basic needs are fulfilled, experience with a development project in four impoverished and isolated Colombian communities indicates that development of human potential can be an integral part of overall development. An environment that supports the development of human…