Sixth and tenth graders and college students were asked to apply moral judgments which they had made about a familiar context to contexts in cultures different from their own. Most subjects contextualized their judgments with respect to cultures with different informational beliefs but made nonrelativistic judgments with respect to cultures with…

Asserts that most efforts to maintain professional ethics in psychology have focused on research and clinical practice. Maintains that a need also exists for ethical codes in psychology instruction. Describes the development and implementation of a code of ethics for a college-level department of psychology. (CFR)

In our modernized, changing, and dissatisfied society, values and ideologies have split into two extremes (nihilistic postmodernism and totalitarianism/fundamentalism) antagonistic to developing democratic life ways requiring rational discourse and agreement based on mutual respect. Aristotle tried to elaborate how to act well to achieve a good…

When youth lack a value system, violence becomes an acceptable activity with no need for accountability. The traditional close-knit family that taught youngsters right from wrong and expected them to act accordingly has disappeared. Ameliorative school programs in South Carolina and Chicago are described. A sidebar describes Robert Coles's 1989…

The appropriateness of the metaphor of the teacher as expert is examined through a theoretical and historical critique that examines expertise as a general social phenomenon. The metaphor is questioned because it tends to turn students and the public into passive receivers of expert service. (SLD)

By abdicating their authority and attempting to be value-neutral, teachers and textbooks have, in effect, become valueless. If the American democratic tradition is to survive beyond the end of this century, American educators must ensure that future generations of all races, religions, and cultural backgrounds respect and honor this country's…

Presents five articles on amateurism, focusing on the history of amateurism in men's intercollegiate athletics, the spirit of amateur sport, a philosophical defense of amateurism, amateurism and professionalism as moral languages, and amateurism and the nature of sport. (SM)

Discusses Joan Del Fattore's book, "What Johnny Shouldn't Read: Textbook Censorship in America," and the complexity of problems posed by current censorship efforts. (SR)

The ravages of illegal drugs and gangs are growing discernibly worse in many American cities. Schools and school boards are going to have to sustain hope by finding the courage to oppose youth violence, gang terrorism, and drug trafficking and consumption. (MLF)

Instead of emphasizing our common experience, some groups are conducting a harsh campaign against religious parents desiring to work in partnership with educators. This article summarizes what Christian parents find objectionable about multiculturalism, sex education, and rigid interpretations of church-state separation. In a sidebar, Mary Poplin…

Three experiments examined children's understanding of functional relations in economics. Found that preschoolers understood effects of demand and second graders also understood effects of supply, but even fourth graders often failed to understand motivation and morality effects. Fourth but not second graders explained how motivation and morality…

Drawing on Christopher Lasch's insights, this essay acknowledges the difficulty of applying building and renovation metaphors to educational administration. However, institutions are constantly being created and recreated. They are well served by administrators who function as "builders" and "renovators," leaving behind…

Discusses character and moral education in the classroom, suggesting that schools should reinforce the lessons of the home rather than acting as value-free zones. Modern education has the tendency to present students with a huge set of options with no distinctions made as to each option's pros and cons. Students need guidance in discerning correct…

Arguments against teachers asserting their own views about controversial issues say that neutrality enables students to develop autonomous reflection. Others claim that a nonneutral stance is morally preferable. There are some teaching situations in which a neutral stance may not be an option. (SK)

Examines the responses of senior academic biochemists to an incident of scientific wrongdoing. Concludes that these individuals endorsed less-formal action when either the actions were believed to have the potential to publicly embarrass the offending individual, or when the actions might adversely affect the professional career of the…