For some time, cultural anthropologists have attempted to explain regularities of behavior in large groups (nations, tribes, etc.) through a series of studies generally known as "national character" or "modal personality" studies. The investigation reported here attempts to adapt the "modal personality" approach to…

There has been little research on the communicative behaviors of Afro-Americans, whose language and public messages rarely fit into traditional patterns of Anglo-Saxon discourse. Intensive study is warranted in numerous areas. One is the area of linguistic continuity research, which investigates similarities in vocabulary and expression between…

In determining whether black freshmen are ready for college, the author examines the social-psychological realities from which they emerge. A poor concept of efficient utilization of time and organization, coupled with a weak academic self-discipline perpetuates a dangerous beginning for the black freshman. Parental lack of exposure to college…

To achieve the goal of communicative competence, second language instruction should incorporate the results of ethnomethodology research. Ethnomethodologists are interested in the shared rules of interpretation which members of a culture utilize during their conversational interchanges. "Applied ethnomethodology" in the ESL classroom would mean…

Identifying criteria instrumental in stimulating Mexican Americans to complete high school or college, this report presents interview results with 51 Mexican American college graduates and 51 high school graduates having the same identifying characteristics. Questionnaire data were analyzed by means of the Chi Square Test, the Median Test, and the…

Certain concepts that are sometimes confused in discussions on testing socially disadvantaged children are clarified and a history of testing, beginning with Binet, is presented. Finally, five problems in using tests to evaluate educational programs for the disadvantaged are considered. (AG)

In February 1969, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church established a National Committee on (American) Indian Work (NCIW). This was in keeping with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church's policy of supporting self-determination among the poor and the powerless in American society. This document is the NCIW's analysis of the…

An Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III program for attacking education problems in the rural areas of Pinal County, Arizona, is described in this report. The program serves approximately 3,174 children in grades K through 8, many of whom are minorities. Included in the program are these resource or supplementary components: a math…

The papers collected in this volume support the theory that the language skills of the dialectically different child can form a solid matrix upon which a viable reading/learning environment can be organized. Chapters under the section "Focusing on the Problem" discuss nonstandard dialect problems and make some observations on cognition and…

The author examines the peculiarly crucial role played by spoken communication in the development and advancement of Indian cultures, with special attention to the challenges and contrasts the American Indian student presents for the speech communication educator. Three specific aspects of traditional speech communication behavior, unique to the…

Included in this essay is a historical review of Federal policy and practice in Indian education from 1500 to 1970. The earliest period, the missionary period, is representative of the religious zeal of the 16th and 17th centuries wherein the missionaries had as their responsibility the education of the Indian--including the dual effort of…

In this experiment designed to trace the development of rivalry in Anglo American and rural Mexican children, rivalry (behavior intended to lower the outcomes of a peer) was measured by 4 choice conditions wherein the rivalrous alternative in all conditions was the choice that left fewer rewards (marbles) to the chooser's peer. After all choices…

This book focuses on two contrasting ways of life: the individual-centered American way and the situation-centered Chinese way. In the American way of life, the emphasis is placed upon the predilections of the individual. This is in contrast to the emphasis the Chinese put upon an individual's appropriate place and behavior among his fellow men.…

Developing teachers for multicultural education is an essential assignment for teacher education and school administration today so that educators might help their students learn to live in a multicultural society. In an earlier view, public schools were considered the "great equalizers" among America's social institutions. The assumption was that…

The first article is a condensation of an essay and lesson plan focusing on racism in the English language. All language transmits and reinforces societal values. Through a discussion of color symbolism, politics and terminology, "loaded" words and the syndrome of "blaming the victim", this article shows how subtle--and not so subtle--racism…