The language of geriatrics and gerontology reflects the generally held belief that potential for growth and development disappears when the elderly are severely disabled. To counter this mystique, the right to flourish must be advocated through policy, behavior, and attitude change. (SK)

College students who worked as interns for the Chinese Progressive Association in New York City in 1988 describe their experiences. They helped the organization with their energy, knowledge of computers, and bilingual skills. However, they were dismayed to see the political disenfranchisement and the gerrymandering which occurs in the Chinatown…

Many of the programs established for women often perpetuate stereotypical roles. The most useful nonformal education programs for women should provide them with skills and knowledge related to reproductive tasks, productive work, emancipation, and empowerment. Nongovernmental voluntary organizations, especially those run by women, play a critical…

A health education program in Brazil trained 26 women as community health educators. Only four used their roles to foster social change. Discussing women's reproductive health in the context of religion and social values contributed to successful training; economic and political empowerment was hampered by perpetuation of traditional role…

Early political struggles over principles of governance culminated in our "commercially competitive civil society" in which numbers equate with power, resulting in disempowerment of rural people, decreasing rural influence on public policy, and consequent irrelevant education in rural communities. Education can provide the basis for a…

This study investigated the psychometric characteristics of the Family Empowerment Scale (FES) with 228 families having children with severe emotional disturbance or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Factor analyses provided a four-factor solution (systems advocacy, knowledge, competence, and self-efficacy) and supported the use of the…

Strategies to promote student empowerment in the nursing practicum at Clarkson college include having students (1) select practicum sites; (2) write learning contracts; (3) choose clients to care for; (4) evaluate themselves with weekly logs; (5) read nursing literature; and (6) present a one-hour seminar. (SK)

Explores ways in which predominantly female voluntary organizations are empowered to take on roles and responsibilities. Considers significance of volunteerism under a shift from state to free-market social services, through the eighteenth-century "civil society" concept, and an emerging "third-way" alternative. (SK)

Describes family policy analysis course, Child Care Think Tank, which was expanded to include off-campus version of the course. Explains how courses were redesigned and linked as an advocacy and empowerment process. Describes how students in resident course planned and organized statewide conference, prepared technical information for advocacy,…

Suggests that professional training does not always adequately prepare women to enter and manage university careers. Concludes that women often encounter barriers because they may not know "how to play the game." Proposes two models that provide powerful tools women can use to evaluate their work settings, form realistic expectations, and…

Reviews childhood trauma/abuse experienced by Maya Angelou and discusses how Angelou survived and triumphed over these experiences. Relates Angelou's story to moral developmental theory for women proposed by Carol Gilligan, focusing on Gilligan's metaphor of having a "voice." (NB)

A case study of the use of ethnographic approaches in community organization and development demonstrates their utility in achieving health empowerment among communities of color. The importance of citizen participation in community-based health initiatives is stressed. (SK)

School bashing has been a national pastime for years. Government officials and business leaders demoralize teachers and administrators carrying out improvement efforts by telling them how poorly they are doing. Although many educators truly believe in a national desire to improve education, there is no national will to compensate and empower…

Under school-based management, principals are there to help staff members make the best possible decisions. The principal's job involves six discernable roles: (1) facilitator; (2) trainer; (3) expert adviser; (4) resource coordinator; (5) communicator; and (6) advocate. (MLF)

Paul Norton Elementary School in Bettendorf, Iowa, was one of 27 schools chosen to participate in the NEA's Mastery in Learning Network project to empower teachers through site-based management. This article describes the school's ongoing progress at pursuing community-school partnerships, creative fund raising, and time management. (MLH)