The Supreme Court's controversial "community standards" ruling in "Miller v. California" (1973) states that for materials to be judged obscene, they no longer need to be "utterly without redeeming social value," but must lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, and that the question of…

A questionnaire regarding the teaching of media ethics courses was sent to communication program administrators in 1977. This paper reports the responses obtained from 237 programs (96% response rate). For the 27% of schools reporting specific courses in ethics, the paper notes the number and types of schools with ethics courses, the place of…

In reviewing the ancient, well-worn debate on the relationship between literature and values, it may be seen that the current pedagogical theory of developing response to literature is parallel to the argument for helping students articulate their own values. Two approaches to clarifying values are the values clarification approach (Louis Raths,…

The purpose is to codify some program evaluation principles and provide a framework for program evaluation practices. Specifically: (1) common evaluation purposes are listed along with the general methods of investigation most apt for each purpose; (2) types of sources of evidence are listed and are associated with general methods of…

The first part of this manuscript relates the initial efforts of a teacher who attempted to apply the value clarification approach in an eighth grade social studies class. The approach is based on Louis Rath's seven-part approach to values clarification which encourages children to choose and to prize one's beliefs and behaviors, and to act on…

A four-part series of papers on values education comprises this document. Part one presents a brief background of moral education in the United States, beginning with the Puritans, and including references to Horace Mann, William Holmes McGuffey, and others. Tracing its history, the author defines values education and its need in the school…

In this position paper, the authors respond to the frequent criticisms and charges that values clarification is value free, relativistic, superficial, and without a cogent theoretical or research base. The authors first examine values clarification as theory. As originally developed by Raths, values education is a theory based on the thinking of…

The views of Hans Deiter Betz regarding the role of theology in higher education are discussed. The suggestion that the church challenge the concept of knowledge that is presently advocated in the technology oriented university is considered. Views of various other theologians are also described, and the need for Protestant churches to invest…

Ways junior high teachers and parents view moral education are examined. Interviews, conducted with a sample population of teachers and parents in Philadelphia, Memphis, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, indicate there was virtually unanimous agreement that schools inherently play an important part in moral education since teachers are seen as role…

The 1975 Code of Faculty Responsibility is part of the University Regulations, and, as such, has the force and effect of law at the University of Utah. The code contains general provisions; academic rights of faculty members; ethical canons governing faculty conduct with regard to duties to students, his professional obligations, obligations to…

The project consisted of several independent sub-experiments focusing on factors that affect moral reasoning among young children. Preschool children, following brief training programs, reasoned more maturely about intentionality, punishment, sanctions following behavior, relativity, and immanent justice. Two methods of training were compared. In…

Compiled to provide raw material for parents and teachers to use in storytelling, discussion, dramatization, and reading programs, this annotated bibliography consists of 110 books chosen for literary merit and for presentation of a provocative moral dilemma with a value decision (rather than a value statement). the bibliography is divided into…

The controversy over which books should be included in school reading lists and library shelves is outlined and analyzed. The three standards generally accepted for a "good" book are identified and discussed. The problems which arise in book selection are described, along with the stages of selection and use at which challenges are most likely to…

Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Rappaccini's Daughter" reflects the author's view that inherent in the human dilemma are ambiguous ironies which cannot be resolved. Although Hawthorne (unlike Ralph Waldo Emerson) perceives evil as an extraordinarily potent force, he offers no clear moral solutions in this story, but examines various…

An examination of the omnipresent problem of censorship, especially as it affects public high school literature programs, emphasizes the need for book selection policies and formal procedures for handling a complaint against a book. This study concerning censorship of "The Catcher in the Rye" may prove useful to school personnel in…