Il est difficile, en sociologie, de parler des problèmes éducatifs sans remettre sur le tapis les définitions de la socialisation, des normes et des valeurs; sans faire un détour sur le passé en rapport avec l’avenir; et sans questionner le rôle des sociologues dans la société. Notre travail vise à faire état des débats sur ces questions délicates, tout en proposant d’autres pistes pouvant alimenter la réflexion. Ainsi, à partir d’une étude de terrain avec des enfants du primaire, on essayera de mettre de l’avant ce qu’on appellera des problèmes culturels, dont la résolution est fonction de la capacité humaine d’innover. Le regard tourné vers les nuisances, pratiques nocives au développement de cette capacité, on s’interrogera sur les conditions de maintien de la vie sociale humaine. / Discussing educational problems in sociology is difficult without once again defining expressions such as « socialisation », « norms », « values » and without considering the relationships between the past and the future nor questioning the sociologists’ role in society. Our work intends to expose the debates regarding these delicate questions while suggesting other ideas that may further develop the reflection on that matter. Thus, through a field study involving primary school children, we shall bring forth what we label as cultural issues which solving depends on the human innovation capacity. Considering unwholesome practices hazardous to innovation’s development, we shall reflect upon the conditions for the safeguard of the human social life.

This study explores what is regarded as a workforce crisis in this country through an in-depth analysis of policy responses to job training strategies directed at the poor. Using a value critical approach which focuses on underlying ideological premises, the traditional economic and socio-political theories that define unemployment and persistent poverty are reviewed. Then, the strength of this interpretation is compared with alternative explanations, including dual and segmented labor market theories, to reframe the problems and reexamine the causes. / By tracing the history of welfare policy development and looking closely at the conventional beliefs shaping job training legislation, this research reveals how the legislative intent has evolved up until now without substantial change even though this country has experienced dramatic, structural changes in its economy and workplaces. Policymakers accept supply-side interpretations within human capital theory as an explanation for the economic crisis and blame the rise in poverty and joblessness on a skills shortage. However, a critical analysis of today's postindustrial labor markets disputes this claim and focuses attention on the underutilization of labor, and the nature of new jobs. / The enactment of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) under the Reagan administration epitomizes a reversal in policy toward a philosophy of the New Right. Changes in JTPA's design offers insight into ulterior political motivations that have impeded training the poor and jobless for meaningful work. Authority for program plans resides with business-dominated councils, training allowances are restricted, and a system of performance-management imposes national standards for job placements without accommodating other factors to ensure quality in training, equity of services, or the targeting of persons most in need. Evidence from federal investigations, a national JTPA impact study, and interviews with Florida staff, employers and trainees confirm that rather than preparing the poor for self-sufficiency, JTPA has further marginalized the workforce by subsidizing low-wage employers. In conclusion, the integration of labor market policy into a new and broader welfare paradigm is explored. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-12, Section: A, page: 4404. / Major Professor: Steven J. Klees. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.

This dissertation represents an instance of evaluation research and an embedded case study of a Catholic nonformal education and social action program in Vicosa, a city in the interior of Brazil. Named Associacao Assistencial e Promocional da Pastoral da Oracao de Vicosa (APOV), the program is devoted to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the poor inhabitants of the neighborhood of Nova Vicosa, 500 of whom currently participate in its activities. Founded in 1980 as a prayer group, APOV gradually evolved increasingly complex education and community development functions and has developed into a full-blown nonformal education strategy. / Data concerning the historical evolution of the program and concerning its current context, resources, processes, results and impact of the program are assembled in the dissertation through a combination of participant observation, document review and field surveys carried out by the researcher over a three-year period. This multiple evidence of APOV's operation is first analyzed from an evaluative or "internal" point of view to see how closely implementation and achievements fit with intentions, what factors explain discrepancies observed, and what lessons the program has learned in the process of its own growth and development. Next the results of the research are contrasted with insights and assertions about nonformal education in Latin American development and the dynamics of Catholic social action drawn from the abundant literature on these topics. / Though APOV follows no detailed and predetermined model, the program generally achieves its intended goals in the areas of individual religious and psychological development. In addition, an impressive quantity of social services is provided to its impoverished clientele, and--given the volunteer labor involved--this is done in a very cost-effective fashion. The program has to date been less successful at addressing the root causes of poverty, durably eliminating it in Nova Vicosa, or promoting full ownership or "empowerment" among its clientele. Recommendations are made in conclusion regarding possible improvements in the program's strategy and further research topics. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-12, Section: A, page: 4636. / Major Professor: Peter A. Easton. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

Education plays a vital role in shaping social structures and influencing social mobility in a society, and thus educational equality is a concern for many societies. Considering the compulsory status of English from basic to higher education in China and its symbolic meaning in Chinese society, this study regards it as a window to explore educational inequality and its association with social structures. This study investigates the roles played by family, geographic divide, and institution, and the way in which the three interplay in structuring the educational pathways of individuals and shaping educational inequality. This study describes a qualitative case study of 36 students of different social milieus in an elite university. Data from the case interviews is complemented by classroom observation of three secondary schools within the educational system hierarchy, classroom observation of the elite university, teacher interviews from the four educational institutions, and collected documents. I draw on Bourdieu's conceptual tools of different types of capital, field, and habitus in order to understand the complexity of educational inequality in China. The data present striking differences in the educational trajectories between social groups. The success of higher-SES students is partly ascribed to the richer volume and types of their families' cultural capital, and the inclination for their families to transfer abundant economic capital to their children's embodied cultural capital. The interview data suggest that disadvantaged students rely heavily on formal education and are inscribed with institutional habitus due to the scarcity of educational resources obtained from family. More importantly, for advantaged students, their family, secondary schools (previous field) and the elite university (current field) work together in a consistent way, resulting in a positive momentum that contributes to a sense of belonging and fitting-in to the elite university. On the contrary, for marginalised students, contradictions and disconnections are found between secondary schools and the current elite field in terms of institutional habitus and practices, which to a large extent can be ascribed to the stratified school system and geographic divides. This situation leads to a negative momentum for them, which causes feelings of alienation and a sense of disorientation when encountering the elite field. This academic disorientation is evident in their transitional period. Their habitus is identified by a transformative tendency with easier access to dominant cultural capital and habitus. However, the transformation is circumscribed by their huge efforts made in overcoming the initial difficulties and their families' lack of capital. Some special cases in my study suggest a more equal admission policy and the critical role that institutions play in compensating for a family's lack of capital. This thesis concludes with suggestions for more inclusive practices for institutions and policy makers in China to achieve a more equal educational context.

Children born into poverty in the United States are at greater risk for a number of negative outcomes, including high school drop-out, teen pregnancy, drug use, and exposure to crime. Despite the negative statistics, many poor children advance socioeconomic status by adulthood. Although there is an extensive body of research identifying the causes and consequences of poverty, there is much less on socioeconomic advancement. The current study argues that in the absence of this latter group, the analysis of poverty, and particularly how to help more people advance out of poverty, is incomplete. Through life-history interviews this study considers the educational trajectories of 52 first-generation college students, half of whom were still in college and half had graduated and had middle-class earnings at the time of their research interviews. Respondents qualified for the study if they were the first in their family to attend a four-year college and had qualified for any form of governmental public assistance as children. The middle-class cohort additionally had to be earning a minimum of $34,000 annually. This study adds to the literature by identifying the relationships, events, and other factors that facilitated respondents' advancement in socioeconomic status. Additionally, it considers the durability of the narrative of the American Dream and its impact on poverty policy, arguing that an accurate detailing of the structures of inequality at earlier levels of education than are currently in place is necessary to move society in the direction of poverty policy that would effectively address American inequality / acase@tulane.edu

This thesis seeks to define liberation theology, its evolution and its relevance in economically advanced and poor or emerging societies The focus is on Paulo Freire, the lay theologian, whose Pedagogy of the Oppressed, outlines the quest for conscienticao or critical consciousness through transformational education Freire, once considered a radical, developed a rapid method of teaching both literary and critical thinking skills to the poor and oppressed people of his native Brazil. His dialogical method, called co-intentional education, provides the skills needed for participation in destiny and in the democratic process unlike banking education that indoctrinates to continue the 'culture of silence' thus avoiding change, power sharing or threats to the prevailing cultural elite Also discussed are the anti-dialogic actions Freire warns about that prevent conscientization or transformation and are prevalent in developed and modern societies as well as poor and emerging ones / acase@tulane.edu

The Florida legislature granted local school boards the option to abolish corporal punishment in schools in 1989. Fourteen Florida school districts did so from 1989 to 1992. This study proposed to answer the following questions related to assessing the impact of Florida's public policy authorizing districts to prohibit the use of corporal punishment: (1) What is the legal context for addressing corporal punishment policies in the United States? (2) What Florida school districts have banned corporal punishment since legislative authorization in 1989? (3) Within those districts which prohibit the use of corporal punishment, what trends are discernable with regard to such discipline alternatives as suspension, in-school suspension, referrals to courts or juvenile authorities, referrals to dropout prevention programs, and expulsion since enactment of the law? (4) Is there a difference in disciplinary actions taken for misbehavior in districts that have banned corporal punishment versus those that have not banned corporal punishment? (5) Have discipline alternatives been developed in districts which banned corporal punishment? / The study utilized an historical-legal case analysis of selected cases relating to issues of civil liability, criminal prosecution, cruel and unusual punishment, due process of law, equal protection of the law, and teacher dismissal affecting the use of corporal punishment in schools. The courts support the view that the use of corporal punishment is permissible when properly authorized and administered reasonably and in conformance with clear policy guidelines. / The study involved two survey approaches. First, Florida school districts were surveyed to identify districts that had banned corporal punishment. Second, selected school administrators were surveyed regarding the administration of student discipline. Survey data was compared with district reports relating to instances of discipline. / Trends that were noted include: (1) For districts banning corporal punishment, the incidence of suspension (both types) has increased. (2) Districts that have not formally banned corporal punishment reported modest declines in its use. (3) No new discipline alternatives were reported to have been developed in districts banning corporal punishment. (4) The use of suspension and parent conferencing increased markedly in districts banning corporal punishment. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section: A, page: 2950. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

Hard-of-hearing individuals currently possess an ambiguous status in the Deaf and Hearing worlds. Neither Hearing nor Deaf themselves, they often exhibit characteristics of both groups. Current educational policy maintains that the public school environment represents the best placement option for hard-of-hearing children. Yet, there is a large body of research which points to academic, linguistic and social difficulties in the mainstream. In addition, there is some evidence that hard-of-hearing individuals often experience confusion in their sense of personal identity in mainstreamed environments, upon recognition that they often cannot fully present themselves as a "Hearing" person, which is what is often expected of them. However, the literature suggests that hard-of-hearing people often gain an enhanced sense of self-identity and esteem upon learning of, meeting, and interacting with Deaf people. The placement of hard-of-hearing children in a school for the deaf, especially one offering an ASL/English Bilingual/Bicultural program, is one possible means of resolving the academic, linguistic, social and identity conflicts of hard-of-hearing individuals. However, this placement option is met with resistance by some who fear that advances in education, speech skills, or identification with Hearing people will be lost. The results of an ethnographic study of four hard-of-hearing adolescents educated within an ASL/English Bilingual/Bicultural program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children are presented. Aspects of the academic achievement, linguistic, social and identity development of these students are introduced and compared to both within-group and previous research findings. Implications of this research are discussed and strategies for further educational and personal growth of these students will be offered.

The initial purpose of this study was to better understand issues of gender in classrooms in relation to language and literacy. In particular, this research was designed to examine the construction of gender in the talk and text of adolescent girls in one Canadian urban grade eight classroom. This research was based on the theoretical premise that gender is a social construct, talk is a social construct, and text is a social construct. In order to demonstrate the social construction of gender with middle school girls, this analysis was framed within the larger Canadian society. This linguistically informed ethnographic research included classroom observations, interviews with students and teachers, analysis of tape recorded classroom talk, and an examination of classroom written texts. The data from these observations, interviews of students, and oral and written texts were analyzed for themes. The following themes emerged from the data: classroom talk and text are gendered, youths construct their gender identity through talk and text, the "genderlects" and "genderprints" reflect the lives of these youths in a modern world. Conflict, toughness, violence, friendships, relationships, and modernity were salient constructs in the social construction of gender for these youth. These micro social processes contributed to the macro social process or gendered relations in Canadian society. The findings from this study suggest implications for schools. The main implication is that the gendering of discourse in schools is important and that gender identity is linked to both talk and text. Classroom teachers need to develop an awareness and understanding of what and how gender implicates all classroom interactions and that the social phenomena of classroom interactions are important to the success of girls in middle schools. Another contribution of this study is that it contributes to the growing body of knowledge on gender and language at a time when gender equity is emerging as central to the educational success of girls yet is seldom the focus of examination of educational research.

As the 20th century comes to a close, humanity faces an unprecedented global ecological crisis. The postmodern tapestry which constitutes this dissertation is an educator's response to the crisis. My theory of Ecofeminist Literacy, a critical ecofeminist postmodern epistemology, constitutes the central design of this tapestry. The genesis of Ecofeminist Literacy represents the interweaving and synergism of diverse theoretical threads: Ecological Literacy, Ecofeminism, Critical Postmodern Hermeneutics, The Sociological Imagination, Gandhian Non-Violence, and Curriculum as a Process of Inquiry. Ecofeminist Literacy and its accompanying pedagogical theory, the Ecofeminist Inquiry Process, provide the basis for a politicized form of intentional culture change at all levels of schooling. Examples of the pedagogical implications of Ecofeminist Literacy and the Ecofeminist Inquiry Process for teacher education, professional development and education in the schools serve to further emphasize the significance of this critical ecofeminist postmodern epistemology. Ecofeminist Literacy provides a viable pathway towards a just and ecologically sustainable future for all living and non-living entities on Mother Earth.