The result of 6 months' observation of an American Taoist commune, this paper examines and interprets two episodes of confrontation, involving the persistently antagonistic Chinese director of the commune and one or more members, as a way of making sense of commune culture. The paper first examines the assumptions and values with which the…

Wilderness Adventure, an Elderhostel course sponsored by Unity College in Maine, gives people over 60 the challenge of living and traveling in a remote wilderness environment. Each course consists of four days of canoeing and a day of rappelling in northern Maine. The program attempts to provide older adults with a personal growth experience via…

This study investigated the effects on group performance of both the promotion origin of new leaders (from within the group or brought in from the outside) and the reassignment of the former leader (either remaining with or leaving the group). Using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) moon survival exercise, same-sex groups of…

The concept of a functional "we" in a school setting and the idea that people who make up a school community relate school experiences and interpret school phenomena in the form of organizational "stories" provide the theoretical bases for a model to initiate strategies for school development and improvement. The functional "we" concept refers to…

Investigated with 17 special education practicum students was the effectiveness of structured experiences designed to foster interpersonal skill development. Administered as pre- and post-tests were the Helping Relationship Inventory, the Personal Orientation Inventory, and the Firo-B. Following a group workshop, the Ss differed significantly from…

A discussion of the interpersonal and organizational underpinnings of group living and residential care for children. (Author/CS)

Use of the group home in combination with the services of larger institutions for disturbed adolescents has many treatment advantages if the home program is tailored to the specific needs of the youngsters served. (Author/CS)

Research indicates that sex role orientation may be a better predictor of leadership behavior than biological sex. To provide support for the integration of sex role and leadership theories, two studies were conducted using college students as research subjects. In the first study, female and male students completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory…

IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT ORGANIZING CHILDREN FOR LEARNING, A SURVEY OF THE RESEARCH AND LITERATURE ON GROUPING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE U. S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION. AFTER MANY RELEVANT STUDIES WERE EXAMINED, THE AUTHORS CONCLUDED THAT--(1) LEARNING RESULTS FROM MEMBERSHIP IN MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS, (2) ACHIEVEMENT GAINS…

This brief report discusses the development of mass participation in the provision of preschool education for 769 children of 3 to 6 years of age in Tan Tien-- a pilot commune located in the Red River Delta, Hai Hung province, North Vietnam. Tan Tien commune is described and the targets of the preschool movement are indicated. Phases of the…

Role play is discussed as an aid to the implementation of New Careers programs in human service agencies. Goals of the New Careers programs include: (a) expansion of health, education, and welfare institutions, (b) meaningful jobs for the underemployed, (c) advancement opportunities for all human service agency employees through in-service…

The current importance of growth groups in fostering and enhancing individual development gave rise to the research effort described herein. Its purpose is to determine whether or not an individual's self concept will change after involvement in a single twelve hour growth group. Subjects were four heterogeneous groups comprised of 39 individuals…

Beginning students in guidance and counseling comprised the two research groups: (1) a sensitivity-participatory group with activities ranging from T-grouping to sensory awareness to creative exercises; and (2) a didactic group in which the main focus was on instructor presentation of material relating to groups. The author sought to determine:…

This research, developed by the Ford Training and Placement Program, observed a cadre or work group as a miniature replication of the social system of a school. The interim report presents the conceptual framework of group development and recording techniques used for analysis. The conceptual framework emphasized three phases of group development:…