This study investigated three major cultural theories of cross-cultural conflicts: (1) perceptual differences; (2) absence of cultural awareness; and (3) inability to accept cultural differences. The methodology in this study included: (1) a review of literature, which explored the need to cross cultures and investigated three major theories responsible for cultural conflicts; (2) in-depth interviewing of a small group of Cape Verdeans, which revealed incidents of cross-cultural conflicts experienced by them when they attempted to break through cultural barriers; (3) an analysis of these cross-cultural conflicts, which manifested their connection to the three major theories; (4) a review of the three major approaches to teaching cross-cultural communication: (a) the didactic; (b) the experiential; and (c) the humanistic, which examined their strengths and weaknesses; and (5) a presentation of some generalized strategies designed to surmount cross-cultural conflicts. The study concluded that: (1) global interdependency emphasizes the need to cross cultures; (2) perceptual differences, absence of cultural awareness, and the inability to accept cultural differences inhibit effective communication across cultural boundaries; (3) the three major theories of cultural conflicts that were proposed were causes of cross-cultural conflicts experienced by the Cape Verdeans in this study, although they may not have been the only causes; (4) the three major approaches to teaching cross-cultural communication (didactic, experiential, and humanistic) would be most effective when used together; and (5) some generalized strategies can be designed to overcome cross-cultural conflicts. Recommendations are made for the future study of the causes of cultural conflicts.

From 1947 to 1996, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operated a foster program that placed Native American children into Latter-day Saint (LDS) homes to attend public schools and be immersed in Mormon culture. This program, the Indian Student Placement Program, is described through LDS perspectives as being generally successful. The children were baptized into the LDS church, removed from the reservations, and relocated to live with white Mormon families where they attended public schools and were expected to conform to white cultural life ways. Critics charge that the program was a missionary tool used to assimilate children into white Mormon society, often at a great cultural, familial, and psychological cost. Although historians and scholars are writing more about Native American education experiences as of late, little has been recorded about this particular phenomenon. This study pulls together what has been recorded about the program and adds additional perspectives and information provided by past participants via an interview process. There are both negative and positive outcomes suggested by past program participants and researchers. Perhaps the most important contributions this study makes, however, concern the Native Americans themselves and their responses of accommodation, resistance, and, ultimately, resilience in the face of acculturating and assimilating forces.

Most of the pedagogical efforts in the field of English as a Second-Language teaching of this century have been devoted to the skills of speaking, listening, and reading. The development of appropriate methodologies for teaching the skill of ESL writing has been neglected until recently. This dissertation addresses itself to this area. Its focus has been the development of a new approach to teach the writing of simple sentences to elementary ESL Hispanic college students using syntax as a pedagogical tool. The study is based on the assumption that one basic problem elementary ESL college students encounter when writing sentences is that they use their native-language syntax to construct sentences with the lexical and grammatical English structures they have acquired. To avoid this situation, the approach purports to help the students in the transition from thinking in the native language to writing in English. The study was conducted in the Eugenio Mar(')ia de Hostos Community College of the City University of New York. A specially designed manual was developed for the study. The manual was field tested with four groups of ESL Hispanic College students, two groups each of low elementary and high elementary ESL students. The dissertation analyzes the results of the study and presents recommendations for further study.

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Bilingual education is controversial in many places in the U.S. Some traditional bilingual education programs only stress teaching a second language to non-native English speakers. Sometimes in these programs, non-native English speakers remain separated from native English speakers, have low expectations placed upon them, and do not learn English proficiently. Diverse groups have proposed eliminating bilingual education, and bilingual education was banned in California and Arizona. Hillcrest Elementary School, located in Orlando, Florida, has a large percentage of students who speak English, Spanish and Vietnamese as their first languages. Hillcrest Elementary is distinctive, since it teaches bilingual education to both non-native and native English speakers. Second-language instruction at Hillcrest Elementary differs from the standard model; for example, students are taught science in their second language. Students also have what is called "Community Time," where students who speak different native languages are mixed together, and are taught subjects in English. The purpose of my research was to gain an understanding of the type of bilingual education taught at the school, including how the curriculum is set up and taught. I began ethnographic fieldwork using the cultural anthropology method of participant observation by volunteering in an after-school program at Hillcrest Elementary starting in Spring 2004. I also observed language classes at Hillcrest, carried out interviews with administrators, faculty members, teachers, parents and students at the school, and examined FCAT scores. My analysis shows that students are succeeding at learning a second language, and that Hillcrest Elementary has an effective bilingual program.

The present study focused on the impact of mandatory diversity education on the University of Central Florida student body. Currently, UCF cites a requirement of at least one diversity course for every student completing a first bachelor's degree. One hundred forty-six undergraduate students were surveyed using a web-based questionnaire containing general demographic and attitude/behavior-assessing items. The survey was designed to assess students' attitudes toward diversity education in general and as a requirement for graduation, as well as the degree to which the mandate's goals are being met. The data analysis indicates a comparable level of agreement with mandatory diversity education among UCF students surveyed and those surveyed in other studies. Additionally, UCF students experienced a "cumulative positive effect" as was measured by significantly higher ratings of "new knowledge or understanding of others" gained after completing three or more diversity-oriented courses as compared to completing fewer than three courses. The possible influence of demographic variables on students' educational outcome and agreement with mandatory diversity education was also examined. Implications for future research to gain a more comprehensive view of the impact of mandatory diversity curricula on UCF students are discussed.

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Abstract not available