This article discusses transition planning for students with special needs from diverse cultural backgrounds. First, an overview of individualist versus collectivist values is presented. Then, a comparison is made between individualist and collectivist values and how they may impact transition planning with respect to family involvement,…

The paper discusses different approaches to foreign culture in the works of four Balkan writers: Ismail Kadare, Milorad Pavi, Yordan Radichkov and Jadranka Vladova in the context of the works of the English traveller, Edith Durham. It studies the specific function of travel and exploration and the use of different languages (dictionaries) as a…

The White Paper Success for All set out a vision to transform post compulsory education in the United Kingdom. A key theme was "Developing the leaders, teachers, trainers and support staff of the future," reflecting a belief that leadership is one of the key elements in achieving the national vision. Alongside this positive affirmation…

This study critically examines the discourses of Japan as employed by young people in the United States. In particular, it analyses the free writings of US middle school students that were collected at three schools with different community environments (rural, urban, and suburban). The study identifies the features and styles of the discourse(s)…

In this article I ask whether disciplinary distinctions are pertinent to multicultural education. Are pedagogical prescriptions aimed at providing access and success to students of diverse backgrounds equally applicable across domains? I review cross-cultural cognitive research to depict defunct deficit and extant pluralistic approaches to…

The human capabilities approach developed by the economist Amartya Sen links development, quality of life and freedom. This article explores the key ideas in the capability approach of: capability, functioning, agency, human diversity and public participation in generating valued capabilities. It then considers how these ideas relate specifically…

After completing a measure of adherence to Asian cultural values, 62 East Asian American clients talked about personal issues in a counseling session with a European American counselor who either disclosed personal information or refrained from disclosing personal information. Disclosure condition and client adherence to Asian values did not…

In this paper we explore the relationship between language acquisition, and the construction of a symbolic world. According to Bowers (1989) language is a collection of patterns regulating social life. This conception is close to that of Symbolic Interactionists (Charon, 1989) who see society as made up of interacting individuals who are symbol…

In this essay, the authors aim at contributing to the debate on "International Perspectives on Cultural Studies in/and Education" by presenting a perspective from Turkey, and problematizing the issues that are encountered in the country in the instruction and practice of cultural studies. They start with a brief survey of the Ege…

Using ethnographic interviews this study reveals that a great deal of discontent and criticism surfaces when Moroccans who live in Belgium and the Netherlands speak about the education their children receive in these countries. They often see Western schools and society as immoral and racist while they portray themselves as first-class educators.…

Emerging adulthood refers to a time period (18-25 years of age) between adolescence and adulthood. Recent research suggests that it may be a cultural construction. More traditional, non-Western cultures may have a shortened period of emerging adulthood, or no emerging adulthood at all, because these cultures tend to place greater emphasis on…

This study explored cultural differences in the criteria young people have for becoming an adult. Specifically, the study sought (a) to compare Chinese and American responses concerning whether they believe they have reached adulthood; (b) to examine whether adulthood criteria could fit a common statistical model for both cultures; and (c) after…

Social and cultural attitudes toward aging provide a framework for assessing one's own aging experiences as well as one's attitudes toward older men and women. Ageism, or prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory practices toward older adults (Butler, 1980), has been found to be widespread around the world. This study focuses on a comparative…

Characterisations of "the Chinese learner" in education and applied linguistics have frequently taken a "large culture" approach, which involves describing the values, attitudes and learning practices of individuals in terms of fixed, homogeneous, reified national cultures. A shared Confucian cultural heritage is offered by way…

One of the most comprehensive studies to highlight the achievement gap between students in the United States and those in many other countries is the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS showed that a handful of countries (with Japan near the top) consistently outperformed the others studied (including the United…