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The article discusses issues related to subjective powerlessness in the U.S. The paper focuses on changes since 1952 in citizen efficacy or feelings of control over government for various sub-groups in the U.S. population such as blacks, blue collar workers, Southerners, Jews, young and old people. As with most issues in the study of social change, there is widespread disagreement on trends in citizen efficacy for industrial societies such as the U.S. Most theory predicts trends in objective powerlessness, rather than subjective powerlessness, although it is possible that trends in objective powerlessness do not match trends in subjective powerlessness. Within the U.S. at each point of observation, powerlessness does not vary much by stratum, except when education and race are used as indicators. And within the white population, some of the differences are heavily explained by educational differentials. It therefore seems fair to conclude that white subordinate interest groups are not oriented toward government as a result of what would seem to be objective powerlessness but more on the basis of their educational achievement.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether, using 1960 census data, differences do exist in occupational and educational attainment for second-generation males of United Kingdom, German, and Italian background, in Northeastern United States. The data are presented with controls for age so that analysis may be made separately for those who were becoming educated and becoming employed in two quite different periods in our nation's social and economic development. Additional data from the 1960 census are presented to view the educational and occupational pattern for the three groups throughout the entire United States, by geographical regions, and for a smaller age category (25 to 34) than that presented in the other tables, in order to determine how typical the Northeast region is of the entire country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the address given by the author during the general session of the Midwest Sociological Society's 25th anniversary meeting on April 13, 1962, in Des Moines, Iowa. It discusses the author's experience with the society and his participation in its previous annual conferences. During his term as secretary of the society he has observed the changes in the structure and the functions of the society since its reorganization in 1937. The most important phenomenon having implications for a regional society is the decline in regionalism of American sociology. Regionalism, in the sense that it existed in 1937 has disappeared. The birth of the society have a significant impact on the origins of modern American sociology. The educational institutions established by notable members of the society have contributed to the production of doctor of philosophy degree in sociology.

This paper examines top institutional leadership in both the public and private sectors of society-industry; communications, transportation, and utilities; banking; insurance; law; civic and cultural affairs; government; foundations; education; the military; personal wealth; and political finance. The purposes are to develop a systematic definition of a national, institutional elite; to measure the concentration of authority in top institutional positions; to examine the extent of interlocking and specialization among institutional elites, and to describe the pattern of recruitment to top institutional positions. The study data do not really permit any inferences about interaction, communication, informal association or mutuality of interest, among the institutional elites. But it is believed that debate over the concentration of power in the U.S. will be better informed by continuing attempts to systematically define institutional elites, to measure the real extent of interlocking and specialization, and to examine the actual paths of recruitment to top institutional positions.

The article reports on the third annual Student Literary Award competition in the U.S. The award was sponsored by the Council for Exceptional Children Division for Children with Communication Disorders. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in audiology education of the learning impaired, psychology, speech pathology, or special education. The participants must prepare a paper which is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, education, and/or treatment of communications disorders in children. It will be evaluated on the basis of accuracy, use of relevant references, significance of content, originality, clarity, and organization. The paper may be of a review, discussion, or research report format. The entries must not exceed 3,000 words. There will be three copies to be submitted, it must be type written, double spaces on eight and one-half by eleven inches of paper. The first place winner will receive 50 dollars and second place winner will receive 25 dollars.

The article reports that the board of governors of the Council for Exceptional Children has authorized the establishment of (1) a policy commission, (2) a standing committee on professional standards and (3) an ad hoc study committee on professional membership requirements. The policy commission would be charged with developing basic papers on selected topics regarding basic papers on selected topics regarding policy positions in situations concerned with the education of exceptional children. The commission would report to the executive committee and boards of directors, and policy statements developed would come before the delegate assembly for adoption. The continuing committee on professional standards is established to (1) consider possible revisions and refinements of the professional standards report adopted by the delegate assembly in Toronto and (2) explore a possible means of implementation of the report.