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Canadian population trends were examined from a life course perspective to identify needed social policy changes. First, the following principles underpinning the life course perspective were discussed: (1) aging involves biological, psychological, and social processes; (2) human development and aging are lifelong processes; (3) individuals' and cohorts' life courses are embedded in and shaped by historical time and place; (4) the antecedents and consequences of life transitions and events vary according to their timing in a person's life; (5) lives are lived interdependently; and (6) individuals construct their own life courses through the choices and actions they take within the opportunities and constraints of history and social circumstances. Next, the following policy domains were analyzed from the life course perspective: (1) education, the transition to employment, and lifelong learning; (2) family and the relationship between work and family; (3) work-to-retirement transitions; (4) income security in the later years; and (5) intergenerational relations and social cohesion. It was recommended that Canadian policymakers responsible for public, corporate, union, and educational policy focus on the increasing inequality that develops over the life course, avoid the error of assuming a model life course, and move toward consideration of need rather than age. (Contains 166 references.) (MN)

Despite their highly divergent situations, young people largely share the same values, ambitions, and difficulties. Despite the more complex social and economic context in which young Europeans are currently living, they are well equipped to adapt. National and European policymakers must facilitate this process of change by making young people stakeholders in their societies. Youth must be regarded as a positive force in the construction of Europe rather than as a problem. Although the European Union's individual member states must still bear the brunt of putting various youth-related measures into practice, it is important to give a European dimension to youth-related activities. A new framework for European cooperation must be developed and must comprise these two main aspects: applying the open method of coordination in the specific field of youth and taking better account of the "youth" dimension in other policy initiatives. The framework must also include provisions for listening to what young people have to say and must offer a forum for local initiatives while encouraging member states to cooperate more effectively and develop concrete ideas under existing European programs. (Appendixes constituting approximately 75% of this document contain a detailed discussion of the results of the consultation and an overview of European action on the youth front.) (MN)

This document contains action paper reports from an international youth assembly that was held to enable young people from around the world to discuss a variety of social and economic issues and develop a common vision and plan of action. The report by the Committee on Youth Employment and Education examines the current state of education, its impact on employment, vocational education, and needed support systems. The report by the Committee on Water and Life discusses strategies for increasing awareness of the need to protect water resources and possible policy solutions to critical environmental problems. The report by the Committee on Peace and Justice considers the following topics: the need for formal and informal peace education; potential peace education programs; and possible roles for teachers and the media in peace education. The report by the Committee on Health and Social Development explores possible strategies for preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and juvenile delinquency. The report by the Committee on Sustainable Development examines critical issues (economic, environmental, human rights, technology and education) that must be addressed in order to achieve sustainable development. The report by the Committee on Cultural Diversity and Tolerance discusses the impact of globalization on cultural diversity and tolerance. The results of a conference nationality and country of residence survey are included. (MN)

Suggesting that U.S. society is an adversarial one that makes sure that certain groups of people fail, this paper explores the ascription of failure in the adversarial contexts of the family, the school, and the workplace. The paper argues that if Americans continue to ascribe pariah status to large segments of the society, then the United States will inevitably and perhaps irretrievably fall into decline, that one segment of American society cannot survive without the other, and that the central conundrum that needs to be considered is how to balance economic growth with social justice. The first part of the paper discusses adversarial conditions in the contexts of the family, schools, and the workplace. The second part of the paper discusses how to balance economic growth with social justice, including balancing equity with excellence in American schools and balancing economic development with the social support of families. A postscript stresses that in America the possibility exists for new ways of thinking to emerge and for the wisdom of humanity to overcome the indignities and humiliations of the past. Thirty-five notes are included. Contains 43 references. (RS)

This paper overviews the evolution of rural society in Ontario (Canada) from the author's personal experience and research. The paper defines "rural" and "culture" and discusses how these concepts are relevant to social change and the resulting effects on technology, demographics, social organization, and community beliefs and meanings. Modern technology has resulted in the closure of rural schools, churches, businesses, and post offices. Additionally, daily travel between large and small communities has closed the gap between rural and urban life and changed rural demography. For example, rural teachers are now less likely to live in the community; to know much of the child's home life; or to meet socially with the children, their parents, or other individuals active in the community. Another impact of rural change is the centralization of local institutions and loss of local control. In rural Ontario, schools are managed by a cluster of highly trained and highly paid officials with whom parents, teachers, and principals have limited influence. In essence, urbanization has resulted in the adoption of urban values and beliefs at the expense of traditional rural values that emphasize the importance of community life. A form of social action is proposed that uses "community sounding" as a way to stimulate rural community rejuvenation. This effort solicits community participation and stresses local history to reestablish an awareness of rural values. Rural people must strive to develop a new definition of rural by freeing themselves from labels and stereotypes that are impressed on them by urban opinion makers. (LP)

This paper addresses education reform efforts, specifically the need to improve schooling by improving the status, power, and working conditions of teachers through professional development programs. Two issues which continue to undermine the authenticity and social value of efforts to promote teacher development are addressed: (1) underneath the rhetoric of many current efforts to empower teachers to take control of their own professional development is a reality in which teachers remain extremely limited in the scope of their power to influence the conditions of their work; and (2) even when efforts to promote teacher development and reflective teaching are not illusory, teacher development often becomes an end in itself unconnected to broader questions about education in a democratic society. Teacher development needs to be genuine, connected to the promotion of equity and social justice, a means toward the education of everyone's children, and supportive of teachers' efforts to reflect on and change the practices and social conditions which undermine and distort the educational potential and moral basis of schooling in democratic societies. Forty-two references are included. (LL)

This extended essay looks at higher education in Europe and broad issues of its role and the development of individual institutions. Chapter 1, "Higher Education and an Evolving Europe," discusses the "Memorandum on Higher Education in the European Community" which urged higher education institutions to adapt to evolving, modern, European conditions. There follows a discussion of the current implementation of the Memorandum's recommendations. Chapter 2, "New Challenges and Good Reputations," argues that institutions will not compromise their quality by addressing contemporary challenges but will, through improved quality in both research and teaching, both respond to society's current needs and qualify as a good university in the next century. The balance of the chapter touches on the role of the university and of the intellectual in moral and social debates of the time. Chapter 3, "A Basic and General Education," asks whether universities will be able to maintain or restore a basic and general education as a value in its own right with an ethical dimension. The author argues that market pressures suggest that universities should profile and promote their individual assets or strong points. Contains seven references. (JB)

This document presents the point of view that although socialism has produced benefits for the USSR, Soviet society has undertaken its own radical reconstruction. History shows that the natural basis of changes in every society tends to be objective technological revolutions. The first technological revolution was agrarian. The second was industrial. The third revolution, the scientific and technological revolution, took place mostly in highly developed capitalist countries. The first aspect of perestroika in Soviet society is dissatisfaction with the state's power and a striving to adopt democratic governing. The second aspect of perestroika is the economy and financing. Economic reconstruction is complicated by the monopoly of central ministries, strict centralization in national economy management and its branches, lack of production material and equipment for free trading at the market, and a financial system in disarray caused by the partial transition to market relations and cooperatives. Reconstruction of the ideology in the Communist Party is also hinted at. The main trends of reforms in education are decentralization of management and differentiation of education. New concepts in vocational training include new curricula and programs and differentiation of subjects regarding professions. One way to reconstruct vocational training is by "de-ideologization" of education, democratic reform, and priority in financing. (YLB)

This paper examines the relationship between politics, economic development, nationalism, and school language policy in the Marianas and Guam. Past and present developments in language policy and various rationales in support of bilingual education programs are reviewed. The author draws from Fishman's "Language and Nationalism" and Woodward and Inglehart's "Language Conflicts and Political Community" to support his arguments that (1) language difference does not promote nationalistic conflict in and of itself; and (2) while language is not a necessary component of nationalism, it does provide a link to ethnic and cultural authenticity. It is suggested that bilingual programs have been viewed as reconciling rising nationalism in the Marianas, concern over the loss of Chamorro ethnic and cultural identity, and pressures to learn English and assimilate into a dominant English speaking culture. The report concludes with the observation that in developed Pacific areas such as Guam, the use of language in schools is evaluated far less for its educational value than for its use in defining the essence of a society that is struggling for cultural survival. (JCD)

Educational needs for the future are discussed, particularly in light of how members of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) can help students prepare for the future. The document is presented in six chapters. Chapter I presents an overview of ASCD's long range school and educational plans. Chapter II defines key concepts in the field of future studies including alternatives, purposeful action, holism, extended time frames, interdependence, and perceptions of the universe by individuals. World problems examined in light of these concepts include ecological collapse, rising world population, scarcity of fuel and fresh water, and increasing oil prices. Chapter III focuses on educational implications of alternative futures. Topics discussed include identifying high priority issues, redefining knowledge, refocusing curriculum and objectives, and helping create preferable futures. Chapter IV explains how ASCD members can facilitate a futures orientation for students by joining the World Future Society, reading about the future, and participating in futures studies workshops. Chapter V considers how ASCD members can facilitate collaboration in the area of future studies with businesses, industries, schools, and social agencies. The final chapter offers a brief summary of the report. The document concludes with a directory of individuals and organizations involved in the futurist movement. (DB)

This monograph focuses on men's potentially positive role in family planning. In addition, it identifies reasons why so few organized family planning programs have targeted men as clients and why men have so often played a peripheral or negative role in family planning. The document is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I introduces the topic and relates the involvement of men in family planning to social and economic development, men's self-interest, public health, and men's role in the family and in society. Chapter II relates reproductive biology to the macho myth and explains how large families often mean higher social status in developing countries. Chapter III compares traditional methods of male and female contraception. Chapter IV discusses recent research on the male birth control pill. Chapter V presents an overview of family planning programs for men in developing and developed nations. Chapter VI explores considerations upon which couples and societies base their choices regarding family planning. Major considerations include effectiveness, side effects, availability, cost, and safety. The final chapter suggests how men can play a more responsible role in family planning. Changes necessary to bring about increased male responsibility include more support for male contraceptive research and male birth control programs, more liberal approaches by businesses and marketing companies toward contraception, and expanded school and community sex education programs. (DB)

Adult Learning in Australia (ALA), the lead organization in the field of adult learning in Australia and the national organization for adult learners in Australia, reviewed the current state of lifelong learning in Australia and identified why and how Australian policymakers should develop and finance a national strategy for lifelong learning. The following are among the recommendations that ALA issued to policymakers based on its review: (1) convene a national summit on lifelong learning to develop a national policy on lifelong learning; (2) recognize the leading role that Adult Learners Week can play as a sustained national promotion of lifelong learning and increase government support for the week; (3) fund a national State of Learning survey to monitor progress toward increasing participation in lifelong learning; (4) establish a Community Adult Learning Innovation Fund aimed at widening participation in learning and supporting innovative community-based education and learning; (5) examine ways of better coordinating expenditures on the education of Australian citizens and make use of existing providers of adult and community education (ACE); and (6) amend goods and services tax (GST) legislation so that government-recognized not-for-profit ACE organizations are treated like other educational institutions in relation to the GST on course fees. (Contains 10 endnotes.) (MN)

In preparation for the Seventh Regional Consultation Meeting on the Asian Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) in June 1981, some of the eminent educators in Asia and the Pacific were invited by the Asian Centre of Educational Innovation for Development (ACEID) to present their thoughts on APEID. This document contains papers by R.S. Adams, Yung Dug Lee, S.K. Mitra, and Tan Sri Dato Haji Murad bin Mohammed Noor on the topic "Experimental and Developmental Research Including Evaluation." In his paper, Adams differentiates among five innovation phases (origination, specification, operation, implementation, and consolidation) and suggests ways that experimental and developmental research can be carried out in each. Lee offers a definition of experimental and developmental research and suggests what needs to be done in connection with future APEID activities. Mitra provides definitions of experimental and developmental research and evaluation and emphasizes that experimental research should be linked to developmental research and evaluation. Finally, Noor argues for the need for a systematic evaluation of education. (LC)

This document contains two articles by Johan Galtung presented as papers at an international conference on the relationship of technology to the environment and human needs. The monograph is part of a series intended to stimulate research, education, dialogue, and political action toward a just world order. The first paper, "Towards a New International Technological Order," focuses on the negative consequences of western technology for the culture and social structure of developing nations. A major problem is that western technology carries with it a code of economic, social, cultural, and cognitive structures which are often not easily integrated into non-western nations. The second paper, "The New International Economic Order and the Basic Needs Approach," explores the political conflicts and compatibilities between the theory of the New International Economic Order (based on improving trade between developing and developed nations) and the Basic Needs approach (based on the fulfillment of basic needs at the individual level). The article concludes with the recommendation that people responsible for foreign policy in developing and developed nations and in international organizations should seek to combine elements of the two theories so that true human and social development take precedence over political objectives. (DB)

Information presented in this paper was used as a rationale for implementing a developmentally appropriate primary education program in the Redwood City School District, Redwood City, California. The purpose of the paper was to emphasize the need for intensifying the entry level program for students in order to insure a successful school experience for all. Discussion focuses on attitudes in people which engender success in school, societal changes which influence education, and the traditional characteristics of learning in the American classroom. Problematic characteristics of the District which were considered important to take into account in developing a new educational model are specified along with the hypotheses that constituted the foundation for beginning a relevant school readiness program for very young children. The envisioned program was designed to utilize the District's Child Development Center to promote children's readiness for formal learning. The concluding section of the paper provides an outline of the program and a timeline for its implementation. (RH)

The question of who should provide day care services is an unresolved issue in the current day care debate and a topic now on the national agenda because it is the common concern of a constellation of diverse, highly motivated interest groups. Motivation for extending day care in the United States stems from several factors: among these are the changing American family and labor force, the demand for equal educational opportunity, the "workfare" movement (advocating provision of day care services so that mothers can get off the welfare roles), and, generally, awareness of the importance of early childhood experience for later performance. As a result of widespread public interest, it is probable that a national program of day care for preschool children will be developed in the foreseeable future. However, before policy can be established, major issues of day care must be discussed. Specifically, the issues of eligibility, program approach, costs, personnel, and delivery agencies must be considered. Possible spillover effects of the expansion of day care on other areas of society can be envisioned and should be taken account of in the policy debate. Given the diversity of goals and the variety of interests at work in this controversy over day care provision, the case can be made that no one national system of day care should be instituted at this time. (RH)

The Australian 1981 Census results show that the coventional nuclear family is still by far the most prominent family form in Australia. However, since the first family statistics were collected in 1966, other family forms and nonfamily living arrangements have been increasing. This paper examines changes in factors determining family structure and discusses the changing nature of Australian families. After a brief discussion of precursors of change (such as increased education for girls, removal of restrictions on the employment of women, the development of birth control devices, rising divorce rates, and increased individualism), marriage in the 1970's and 1980's is discussed. Topics also receiving attention are the decline in fertility from 1971 to 1981 and the increase in divorces in the 1970's. Concluding remarks suggest that, while marriage and family are losing their significance in the public sphere, they are taking on a far greater relevance in the private realm. In addition, it is asserted that the real needs of people are not met or even recognized by those who cry that the family is disappearing or by those who advocate that it should disappear. (RH)

Drama and non-formal education (NFE), with their links to real life, can be effective partners in achieving developmental goals. The freedom in NFE from some of the structural features of formal schooling presents a dynamic opportunity for the arts, with their affective characteristics, to help in achieving affective goals of education and development; education for socioeconomic development, a principal area of NFE, includes attitude change as a principal objective. If dramatic production is to be an effective element in NFE, it must be good theater; it must allow audiences to identify with the characters, situations and dialog of the presentation. To utilize drama for developmental purposes, national planners should collaborate with dramatic artists, educators, and existing governmental agencies in developing training programs and producing material for the mass media, which would stimulate awareness of national problems and motivate action for change which could be supported by formal educational and other services. The results of such an integrated approach to national development could stimulate the work of artists and relate their work to the development process, ignite and unite the national spirit for purposes of development, and support the goals of formal educators through use of a non-formal educational strategy. (MH)

The roles of change agents in community development are manifest (surface actions of agents interacting with clients) and latent (derived from undercurrents that give directions to the agents' actions). Manifest roles are as starter (facilitator, analyzer, leadership developer); go-between (informer, linker); and accomplisher (organizer, evaluator, administrator of sanctions). Assumptions underlying manifest roles are: the change process is goal directed; alleviation of problems/needs will bring benefits of society to local groups; change agents can foster belief in improvement; change equals development, interpreted as modernization and progress. An emerging human-centered paradigm of development, with economic growth no longer the primary/exclusive goal, questions these assumptions. Manifest roles incorporate the latent roles, which may differ, depending on the agent's view of development. As facilitator, the agent may be alienator or de-alienator; as leadership developer, either mobilizer or consciousness raiser; as analyzer, either dichotomizer or history builder; as informer, either manipulator or sharer; as linker, either modernizer or syncretizer; as organizer, either efficiency promotor or supporter of popular participation; as administrator of sanctions, either liberator from power structures or adjuster to dominant systems; as evaluator, either quantifier or qualifier. Training of change agents should foster awareness of latent as well as manifest roles. (MH)

To shed light on the social research perspectives which enable people to give coherence to daily events, educational researchers must continually scrutinize the social values and beliefs which underly their research. As social and cultural affairs are explained by the social sciences, so also are theories and methods influenced by social conflict. For example, social studies curriculum developers have recently responded to conflicts in society by developing values clarification, public issues, and citizenship education programs. Also, educators and scholars have concentrated on phenomena which they believed influenced the learning of minorities, including school practices, curriculum materials, community life, and poverty. Because the theories of social and educational research help define the political, social, and educational problems which will be emphasized, researchers must adopt a self-reflective and critical stance when choosing research topics. Further, they need to consider the social and political implications of educational analysis, examine ethical and moral premises upon which schools are founded, and allow for student values and beliefs when developing curriculum. (DB)

The controversy surrounding college admission criteria is examined. It is noted that racial classifications and preference of ethnic and racial minorities, as part of a university's admissions policy have been seen to constitute reverse discrimination. Proponents of a racially neutral admissions policy argue for a strengthening of standardized admissions criteria that would rely heavily on quantitative factors: national standardized test scores and grade point average. It is now known that the traditionally used quantitative criteria have a built-in bias, and emphasis on these measures has institutionalized discrimination against the nonwhite and poor in the past. In this essay the criticisms of traditional quantitative criteria are discussed and the search for alternatives is outlined. These alternatives include: changes that incorporate economic and educational characteristics, student motivation, and societal needs; a geographic criterion; culture-specific tests; and racial and ethnic classification as a temporary remedial criterion. The criteria recommended come from these alternatives and have two important characteristics: they involve changes to existing regular admissions criteria, and they do not include special admissions. Recent changes in attitudes toward nondiscriminatory or remedial admissions are examined. A list of references and selected bibliography are included. (MSE)

The primary objective of this volume of 22 essays is the documentation and appraisal of Mexican women's participation in the struggle against national oppression, class exploitation and sexism. Part One deals with integration and development, with three articles referring to the Chicana and her role as activist and woman in the Chicano movement. Three other articles, addressing the political integration and development of women, focus on the issue of female liberation. Part Two deals with sterilization abuse, first presenting an overview of the predominantly punitive rationale underlying the advocacy of sterilization in this country and then describing the case of 10 women in Los Angeles who, after being sterilized without having given informed consent, filed a civil action suit against the medical institution in which the sterilizations were performed. Part Three deals with labor activity and focuses on the exploitation of Mexican women by such groups as the apparel and electronics industries. Part Four documents past struggles; its essays discuss (1) incipient labor activities in 19th century Mexico, (2) the situation of working class women in the Southwest, (3) Sara Estela Ramirez, a leader in the Partido Liberal Mexicano, and (4) organization drives of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union. The final part features a collection of four essays on the lives and times of individual Mexican women. Appended is an article titled "Profile of the Chicana: A Statistical Fact Sheet." (Author/DS)

Global interaction during the 19th and 20th centuries is examined by using an historical dialectic approach. Intervention is suggested in world affairs that will promote cooperation between developing and industrialized nations. The dialectical approach maintains that the status quo is constantly moving toward upheaval as a result of pressure for change emanating from inside the system. The author maintains that developing nations are exerting pressure on the western-dominated social system through demands for reform based on national sovereignity and autonomy. The hypothesis is that this western domination of global political, economic, cultural, and ideological affairs over the past several centuries has deprived people in developing nations of freedom and dignity. This domination is interpreted to have taken various forms including economic imperialism, political subjugation, and global management through cooperation among western nations. People interested in rectifying western domination should identify specific issues around which intervention can be initiated (such as development, peace, anti-militarism), envision desired future developments (such as socialist transformation), conceive relevant strategies for moving toward the envisioned future (such as international economic participation), and generate the necessary interventions from a variety of locations and in a variety of ways (such as encouraging countries to support international order). (DB)

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have a central role to play in mobilizing the political will of governments to change the present imbalance in the distribution, consumption, and control of the world's resources. In a time of world economic crisis, millions die unnecessarily every year for lack of food, shelter, and medical care. Thirty percent of all children born in developing countries die before the age of 5 from malnutrition and related diseases. Up to half of those who survive suffer malnutrition severe enough to leave them with irreversibly stunted bodies and minds. Many countries that suffer famine are actually major agricultural exporters to industrialized countries. Far worse conditions will occur in the near future unless attitudes change. One way to change attitudes is through development education, or education that attempts to raise awareness in the industrialized world concerning choices facing mankind and to convey the responsibility of the privileged. By reaching young people early, before narrow attitudes are formed, a global dimension that will help them understand the causes and consequences of poverty and underdevelopment can be communicated. Effective interventions in schools, however, are likely to require community participation. The active community workers of the NGOs can be mobilized to act as pressure groups on a wide range of institutions and to establish development education action groups and resource centers. In all such activities, the national committee for UNICEF would be a natural partner. Assistance could also be sought from the United Nations' Non-Governmental Liaison Service. (RH)

Curriculum becomes increasingly relevant as it is based on what exists in society and what the implications are for student learning. The growing emphasis upon scripted teacher-proof programs and regimented student tasks has marginalized time for purposeful thinking and meaningful dialogue. This loss is significant because reflection supports students and teachers in connecting with what they already know, considering alternative perspectives, solving problems, and organizing their experiences for future use. The way time is spent in schools and universities indicates what people value, and the loss of time to reflect indicates a shift away from valuing students and teachers as thinkers. This paper first considers which trends are important, pinpointing employment trends, the importance of clean air and water, conservation of energy sources, the importance of providing a good education for all, wise use of leisure time, the importance of health care coverage for people in the United States, a changing society, and democracy as a way of life and a form of government. The paper also discusses two additional trends in society: wars and rumors of wars and the necessity of working out solutions, and the excess number of individuals in penal institutions, especially from minority groups. (Contains 12 references.) (NKA)

This document contains four papers examining trends in the development of training and the role of innovation as a transferable practice. "Review of the Issue" (Anne de Blignieres-Legeraud) examines the vocational training systems of Portugal and France to identify how changes in training systems have affected trainer profiles and how transfer of innovations can be organized to benefit the European Community. "Training of Trainers in a Changing Socioeconomic Context" (Eduardo Augusto Peres Fonesca) considers the impact of globalization on innovation and experiment in the training of trainers and training services' use of multimedia technology. "New Media and Changes in the Professional Role of the Trainer" (Pol Debaty) reports on a study that examined five hypotheses regarding the new roles of trainers faced with the advances in information technology that have affected the field of training during the past 10 years. "Criteria and Parameters for the Identification of Innovation in the Field of New Technologies Applied to Education and Learning" (Anne de Blignieres-Legeraud) discusses a study conducted to develop a working frame of analysis that can be applied to training projects that use new technologies and that appear to be "transferable innovations" at the European level. Two papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This paper discusses the genius of the principle of normalization in the development of better services for socially devalued people. It argues that the definition of normalization sets a direction for learning-through-action which is clear and convincing, as well as indefinite and conditional, and rests on a deep appreciation of the everyday workings of the powers of social devaluation. In addition, some methods for teaching its application give learners the experience of stepping outside the certainties of everyday human service work, into a role that can be the seed-bed for a new understanding of the situations of people with disabilities. The paper considers the powers of social devaluation and paths to reform. It concludes that failure to appreciate either the power of social devaluation or the promise of working hard to continually expand what is possible, blunts the principle of normalization's effectiveness as a guide for the creation of better services and feeds the widespread temptation to approach deep and enduring ethical issues with superficial and transient techniques. It argues that only by forming and sustaining heart-to-heart alliances with devalued people can people concerned about improving services walk the complementary paths of detachment and creation toward a somewhat more just and inclusive community. (Contains 15 references.) (CR)

This paper discusses several of the many books and articles which have appeared during the past decade which chronicle the supposedly precarious state of the humanities in higher education. The paper focuses on the first book, the surprise best seller, "The Closing of the American Mind," written by Allan Bloom in 1987 and especially on a new book written in 1997 by John N. Ellis, "Literature Lost: Social Agendas and the Corruption of the Humanities." The paper contends that in making their analyses these academic authors ignore any events which occur outside the university campus and that they also ignore the real reasons for the changing nature of humanities education in the United States. Contains 7 references. (Author)

This essay looks at three kinds of changes in American society over the period from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. First, data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) are used to measure trends in college freshmen's political identification, materialism, concern for law and order, and concern for helping others. In all these measures the paper finds that college freshmen have become more conservative. The paper also examines the fate of various reforms and changes, such as making the liberal arts curriculum more "relevant," making academic rules and regulations more flexible, and allowing students a bigger voice in campus affairs. Again, the paper concludes that these reforms were generally failures. Moving off campus, the paper examines other social and political trends over the same period, noting particularly abortion, recreational drugs, and capital punishment. Here again the trend toward conservatism is clear. Finally, the paper finds the most vivid evidence of conservatism in the mellowing of the prominent rebels and protestors of the late 1960s. It concludes that the times have indeed changed, but not quite in the direction that Bob Dylan predicted! (Contains 30 references.) (CH)

This paper begins by discussing reasons for the failure of important aspects of Conservative education policy in the United Kingdom and finds them in contemporary Conservatism's "fundamentalist" handling of questions of culture and tradition. The term "fundamentalist" refers to certain religious, cultural, and political ideologies that invoke a narrow and authority-centered account of tradition without attempting to enter into discourse about its value or premises. The paper then discusses the cultural meaning of teachers' opposition to Conservatism, as manifested in the national testing boycott of 1993-94. The paper suggests that aspects of social-movement theory can illuminate the achievements of this opposition. It concludes by considering what space for cultural action is offered by the educational policies of the new Labour Party. A problem with the Labour Party's agenda is that it discounts the intellectual work of teachers as well as the persistence and increasing sophistication with which questions relating to learning, cultural difference, and inequality have been pursued in schools. (Contains 24 endnotes.) (LMI)

Intended for public comment and discussion, this document is the second volume of papers in which the Information Infrastructure Task Force has attempted to articulate in clear terms, with sufficient detail, how improvements in the National Information Infrastructure (NII) can help meet other social goals. These are not plans to be enacted, but the material with which the citizens and their government may have a structured conversation, a purposeful interaction, and deliberation on the issues raised in the evolution of more capable means of information processing and human communications. Eight papers are presented in this volume: (1) NII: An Investment in People with Disabilities; (2) Supply and Demand of Electric Power and the NII; (3) Improving Transportation: The NII and Intelligent Transportation Systems; (4) Promoting Telecommuting: An Application of the NII; (5) The Effect of NII on Local, State, and Federal Emergency Management; (6) Public Empowerment with Environmental Information; (7) Arts, Humanities, and Culture on the NII; and (8) Public Safety and the NII: Supporting Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Six of the papers include references. (BBM)

This paper examines at how the rapid advance of technology is transforming education and educational institutions, particularly universities and higher education. The paper contends that the ultimate purpose of education is human resources development and that contemporary communication and information technologies hold the potential for re-engineering traditional education and for creating new information-era learning communities. The paper discusses: (1) the development of Pennsylvania State University as a land grant university and its recent work in futures planning for institutional change in response to new technological and global developments; (2) the global context of technological development and the world economy; (3) human resources development and strategic planning for human resources development, focusing on economic and technological variables and on analysis of organizational change; (4) American education and its need for equity and quality, particularly in the elementary and secondary school levels; (5) a proposed role for land grant "communiversities" as a means to meet society's educational needs; and (6) collaborative educational developments in various parts of the Pacific Rim as an example of an emerging "globalversity." The paper concludes with a call for restructuring systems and human resources development infrastructure to produce knowledge workers for the new information era. (Contains 121 references.) (JB)

Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City public school system, and Michelle Rhee, who resigned October 13 as Washington, D.C. chancellor, published a "manifesto" in the "Washington Post" claiming that the difficulty of removing incompetent teachers "has left our school districts impotent and, worse, has robbed millions of children of a real future." The solution, they say, is to end the "glacial process for removing an incompetent teacher" and give superintendents like themselves the authority to pay higher salaries to teachers whose students do well academically. Otherwise, children will remain "stuck in failing schools" across the country. In this paper, the author opines that there is a world of difference between claiming, as the Klein-Rhee statement does, that the single biggest factor in student success is teacher quality and claiming, as Barack Obama does in his more careful moments, that the single biggest school factor is teacher quality. Decades of social science research have demonstrated that differences in the quality of schools can explain about one-third of the variation in student achievement. But the other two-thirds is attributable to non-school factors. Making teacher quality the only centerpiece of a reform campaign distracts everyone's attention from other equally and perhaps more important school areas needing improvement, areas such as leadership, curriculum, and practices of collaboration. Blaming teachers is easy. These other areas are more difficult to improve. Of course, the author believes that superintendents should continue attempts to improve teacher quality. They should work on developing ways to identify better and worse teachers without relying heavily on the corrupting influence of high-stakes test scores. But they will have to embed all of this work in an insistence on broader efforts of economic and social reform if they hope their school improvements to make any difference. Otherwise, their manifesto might appear to be more an example of scapegoating teachers than a reflection of serious commitment to the futures of children. (Contains 12 endnotes.)

This discussion paper examines major issues that institutions of higher education must face in their long-range planning light of such factors as changes in economic conditions, major demographic shifts, emergence of multimedia/distance education, increased acknowledgement of diversity, and the transition to information age. The key to dealing successfully with lower revenues, while maintaining quality education, lies in rethinking work already being done on current social, technical, political, economic, and educational trends. The challenge for the next decade is addressing the issue of how students learn and their skill development. Higher education must align itself with curriculum reforms already taking place in K-12, such as the California Curriculum Frameworks, and changes in demographics and multiculturalism. By the year 2000, workers will need to devote at least 20 percent of the working day to learning; workers and institutions of higher education must establish collaborative communities to handle these future challenges now. For higher education, survival in the future is the motivating force for restructuring the vehicle of achieving future success. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/NAV)

This paper focuses on English language teaching for the hospitality industry in Hong Kong, presenting a brief statement on the concept of transfer and its relevance to teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) for the world of work. The observable changes in the nature of language in the world of work in a service-oriented economy are explained, based on the premise that the goal of language training for the hospitality industry is quality communication in the service encounter. The changing nature of language at work in the service industries and the language of service in the world of hospitality are examined, and the need for communication convergence in the service encounter is highlighted as a means of achieving client satisfaction. The pedagogical implication is a need to incorporate a substantial, cross-cultural communication component into the hospitality language curriculum. It is recommended that language learning be construed essentially as a linguistic experience of culture transfer. Effective EFL teaching for the hospitality industry must consider three aspects of culture transfer: (1) teaching must be aimed at successful transfer from classroom to workplace; (2) changing cultural values of the industry must be understood and transferred to the culture of the English classroom; and (3) transfer between service staff and guest must be an integral aspect of foreign language use in the professional service encounter. (Contains nine references.) (NAV)

This paper shares the impressions of a participant from the 1996 Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Program in Mexico. These impressions address several current interest topics about international relations with Mexico including: (1) immigration; (2) politics; (3) education; (4) the economy; (5) the environment; (6) the media; (7) religion; and (8) Chiapas. (EH)

Three factors--demographic changes, economic changes, and high technology--will cause increasing diversity and consequently result in changes in school curriculum and policy priorities for the 21st century. Demographic trends will change because of changing birth patterns, aging of the population, changing family status, and increasing demand for education, and thus will call for: (1) individualized learning; (2) familiarity with cultural diversity; (3) alternative funding sources for schools; and (4) assumption by schools of a nurturing role for children. Economic changes will result in more schools as sites for retraining; more home-based schooling; increased management of schools/districts by private business; increased demands for minority teachers; and an increased high school drop-out rate, especially for minorities. The impact of technological changes will be reflected in more "expert" teaching via use of computers and videotapes, and replacement of the conventional paper, pencil, and book by computers. A global village facilitated by the technology of computers will help in creating unity among educators, providing for diversity of students, and promoting the resurgence of child-centered attitudes. Curriculum changes resulting from these factors will be characterized by instruction in problem-solving, critical and analytical thinking, and creative thinking. Individualized education plans, computers in every classroom, and cooperative learning will be emphasized. Besides public schools, nonprofit agencies will become involved in teaching. Priorities for policy planning will include: (1) quality child care and equity for all children; (2) emphasis on prevention (or early intervention) more than on maintenance; (3) emphasis on cooperation more than competition; (4) encouragement of flexibility, creativity, and the ability to adapt positively to change; (5) a global focus while keeping in mind the needs of children at the local and state levels; (6) involvement of parents in early childhood education; and (7) adaptation of schools to make them ready for the children. Contains 39 references. (BAC)

The ethnic and cultural makeup of classrooms is changing rapidly, the percentage of school children of color is increasing, and the percentage of teachers of color is declining. This paper examines the challenge of preparing primarily white, middle-class teachers to create culturally responsive classrooms for all children. Teacher education programs should help teachers understand the broad concept of multicultural education, acquire basic cultural knowledge about ethnic pluralism, learn how to analyze their own and their students' ethnic attitudes and values, and develop a variety of culturally responsive methodological skills. Teacher educators can prepare culturally responsive teachers by helping them develop a clear understanding of the aims and goals of multicultural education and create a philosophical context from which to view ways in which multicultural education addresses cultural diversity. It is a commitment to basic human rights which implies that teachers in a pluralistic society have the ethical, legal, and moral responsibility to provide each child with a chance to succeed academically. Instructional strategies with sensitivities to individual and cultural differences can play a significant role in improving learning for all children. (Contains 11 references.) (LL)

This paper examines the creation of new knowledge bases in higher education in light of the ideas of Alvin Toffler, whose trilogy "Future Shock" (1970), "The Third Wave" (1980), and "Powershift" (1990) focus on the processes, directions, and control of change, respectively. It discusses the increasingly important role that knowledge bases, the body of knowledge and structure of a discipline, play in higher education. The increasingly rapid change that such knowledge bases are undergoing in light of the technological and information revolutions brought about by computers are also reviewed. The ultimate effect of a knowledge base is seen as increased legitimacy for higher education as well as reaffirmation of higher education's control, authority, and influence over specific disciplines while responding to the new power brokers of knowledge and requests for accountability in a rapidly changing world. (MDM)

It is recognized that the character of American society is changing. Schools face a difficult set of conditions as they attempt to respond to the challenge of increasing the academic achievement of America's multicultural children. A number of proposals have advocated collaboration between human services and schools to provide a more systematic response to the problems of poverty, poor housing, family instability, and health that undermine the ability and willingness of young people to become educated. In addition, school/private-sector collaboration has been urged. This paper presents a conception of collaboration that argues that greater comprehensiveness, coordination, and efficiency of human service delivery are not sufficient to respond to the problems of disadvantaged youth, nor to the needs of the larger society that wants a more competent work force. A broader and theoretically more powerful conception is of collaboration that includes parents and the private sector as well as human services. Explored is collaboration aimed at building "social capital" for youth and their families. A view of collaboration that builds a new moral and political commitment to a "social contract" with youth that explicitly links school achievement to employment and higher education opportunities is given. (37 references) (RR)

One of a series of studies related to the Delphi research project: "Policy Instruments for Higher Education in the Western Europe of the Future", this paper presents interviews by a Dutch researcher with 15 authorities on U.S. higher education and the written contributions of two other experts: M. Peterson, E. Hines, M. Gade, G. Rhoades, A. McGuinness, F. Volkwein, E. Boyer, R. Geiger, T. Manning, P. Smith, T. Marchese, P. Hutchings, D. Bok, J. Folger, A. Tomlinson, C. Kerr, and E. El Khawas. Each of the interviews touches on some or all of the following topics: the present situation and expectations of the U.S. higher education system; specific characteristics of higher education in the U.S. in particular autonomy, multiplicity of funding sources, diversity, competition and accessibility; the federal government's role; the state government's role; methods for assessing teaching quality; accessibility of higher education; institutional behavior, in particular adaptability and responsiveness to new social demands; the role of faculty; the role of institutional mission statements; and the importance of public sector education. (JB)

Following the Kentucky Supreme Court's 1989 ruling that declared the state's common school system unconstitutional, lawyers and educators sued the state legislature for failure to provide an efficient school system. The role of litigation and lawyers in Kentucky education reform is examined in this paper. Part 1 describes how a group of lawyers and educators collaborated to win the case. Part 2 assesses the role of nonlegal factors, such as publicity and public support, political connections and status, and public perception of the lawsuit. The multiple roles played by lawyers in the process are examined in the third part. A conclusion is that the litigation outcome was a result of legal, social, and political forces meeting at the right time in history. Lawyers played crucial roles in enhancing legitimacy, providing effective navigation through the courts, drafting legislation, and monitoring the Education Reform Act of 1990. (308 endnotes) (LMI)