This dissertation examines Soviet theoretical and methodological perspectives on ethnicity; the impact of political and economic policies on the study of ethnicity in the Soviet Union; and the impact of these policies on Soviet nationalities. In order to ground the theoretical discussions of ethnicity, I examine nationalities policy among two ethnic groups: the Chukchi and Asiatic Eskimo of the Soviet Far North. The degree to which these people have been able to retain "traditional" forms of their herding and hunting economies is seen, by both the state and the peoples themselves, as having a serious impact on the ability of groups to maintain their ethnic identity and cultural autonomy. In Soviet research and politics there is no doubt that ethnicity is a very real force which can have a dramatic impact on economic, political, and cultural processes, and as such is not a concept to be dealt with only in theoretical discussions, but through practical policies applied to daily life as well. Marxist-Leninist theory has provided a common framework for both the state and ethnography. The role of ethnographers has been to strengthen Marxist-Leninist theory in these areas where it is most deficient and to aid in the implementation of policy by providing information and an understanding of the peoples and cultures to which policy is directed in the Soviet Union. While development policies have varied to take into account the wide range of social and economic conditions of the minorities, all peoples and cultures have eventually been fit into the bureaucratic structure of the Soviet state. The problem of ethnicity will be examined in this dissertation at two levels. The first level is that of theory, and looks at how the Soviets approach ethnicity as a field of study, and how it fits into their world-view. The second level is that of how nationalities policies, which attempt to integrate Marxist-Leninist theory with the realities of social, economic and political life in the multinational Soviet Union, have been implemented in the Soviet Far North.

The problem this research addresses is that, regardless of training, educational background or social status, with or without work experience, most non- or limited-English speaking immigrants are forced to begin their American careers at the bottom of the occupational ladder. This study focuses on the comparison of the lives of English as a Second Language (ESL) students/warehouse workers before and after migration to try to ascertain whether these individuals have experienced upward or downward mobility. The approximately 80 participants in this study are workers in a garment distribution warehouse in Worcester, Massachusetts. The participants have been drawn from the worksite ESL classes offered during their lunch or dinner hours and extended one-half hour into work time donated by the company. A questionnaire was distributed to voluntary participants. The information gleaned was used to tabulate statistics and analyze hypotheses regarding the socio-economic transition of immigrants to the United States. As a result of this study, the following questions were addressed: (1) How do immigrants perceive the effects of immigration? (2) When immigrants come to the United States, do they feel their lives improve or worsen socioeconomically? (3) If studies prove that high-status immigrants become downwardly mobile upon entrance to the United States, does that imply that lower-status immigrants become upwardly mobile? (4) How do immigrants compare their lives in their native country to their lives in their new country? The objective of this study was to evaluate the ramifications of migration to the United States with respect to upward and downward mobility of higher- and lower-status immigrants. The population consisted of ESL students/warehouse workers from 13 different countries. This group of immigrants was chosen because, regardless of background, education, English language facility, experience, degree of literacy, or previous socioeconomic class, they were now all thrust together, doing the same job, earning the same salary, and on an equal footing here in the United States. Based on this premise, the researcher wanted to study their perceptions of life in the United States compared to their previous countries to see if, in their estimation, they had indeed bettered themselves or their lots in life by migrating to the United States, or whether their lives had taken a downward turn by coming here.

The central question this study addresses is how one school of human services (SHS) became more fully racially diverse while embedded in a predominantly White institution of higher education. The goal was to collect data to answer three questions: (1) How did SHS evolve into a racially diverse organization? (2) How did this transition impact the faculty at SHS? and (3) How does SHS maintain its current level of racial diversity? To conduct this study a descriptive qualitative case study approach was utilized that incorporated 74 hours of field observations, sixteen qualitative interviews with the SHS faculty, and a documentation review of materials relevant to the School's development. The study was carried out from February 1990 to August 1990. To analyze the results of the interviews a White peer reviewer was used to assist the Latino researcher in the verification and reliability of the interpretations of the data. The seven major conclusions and recommendations of this study are that: (1) There is a need to incorporate organizational theories relevant to higher education when undertaking organizational development (OD) or multicultural organizational development (MCOD) in a college or university setting; (2) A mission statement directly tied to teaching and service to communities of color is central to SHS's evolving into a racially diverse school; (3) "Word-of-mouth" networks play a key role in the success of SHS's recruitment and retention processes; (4) By expanding the concept of "qualified" to include racial diversity and the ability to work in a multicultural setting, SHS consistently succeeded in attracting "qualified" candidates (both White and of color); (5) The multiracial collegium at SHS is an intense place to work, full of rewards and challenging conflicts involving vision, trust and issues of organizational power for both White faculty and faculty of color; (6) Therefore, attending to issues of social justice (via MCOD) and effective community building (via OD) are essential to creating more multiracial collegium; (7) Units, schools or institutions interested in racial diversity should consider an open systems approach including more fluid boundaries with communities of color. Finally, this study raised serious methodological concerns about utilizing individualistic qualitative research in examining multiracial settings.

The question of how to design educational programs which are relevant to Native American Indians, has plagued both Indian and non-Indian educators for more than a century. How does an educational system provide instruction which is vital for survival in mainstream society and at the same time, maintain a Native student's rights to think and exist in the world as an indigenous person? The devastating shortage of Native American Indian teachers, and administrators, as well as the urgent need for bilingual education and culturally appropriate curriculum, continue as unresolved obstacles. Perhaps in order to constructively alleviate the dilemmas of contemporary Indian education, one must look to the past and determine where failings and successes occurred. Historically, a major contributor to the American Indian education of the twentieth century, has been the off-reservation boarding school system. Both the school system and the educational training programs have had a direct effect on Native American Indian cultures. The model for the off-reservation boarding school was established in 1878 at Hampton Agricultural and Normal School, in Hampton, Virginia. The Hampton Indian educational plan had two major components, the instruction of English and the development of vocational skills. In 1879, Hampton Institute established a summer outing system program. The study presents a historical record of the significant events which lead to the development of the Hampton Institute's outing program in western Massachusetts, its influences on Indian education and its historical connection to the Americanization policies for Native American Indians during the late nineteenth century. The time period examined by this research is from 1878 to 1912, the years during which Hampton's Indian educational program received funding from the United States government. The process of using education as a means of Americanizing Indian students continues to exist in contemporary times. The research conducted for this study further reveals and confirms this and provides some broad generalizations and recommendations which may lead to the development of Native and non-Native educators guiding principals for modification of current and future Indian educational programs.

This dissertation is a study of the religious and ethical influences on the lives of three American Jewish women: Anzia Yezierska (ca. 1880-1970), immigrant-born author from the Lower East Side who gave poignant voice in her fiction to immigrant Jewish women's lives; Rose Pastor Stokes (1879-1933), immigrant-born political activist and an early member of the American Communist party; and Maud Nathan (1862-1946), an upper-class, American-born Jew who fought for female enfranchisement and better working conditions for store clerks and sweatshop women. In a thematic approach drawing comparisons among the three women, this study explores the role and impact of Jewish religion and values on their personal and professional life choices. Related to this main question are the following secondary questions: As deviant women--women who did not fulfill traditional gender and religious prescriptions for home-bound domesticity--how did these women negotiate their deviance within the Jewish and larger American communities? In their autobiographies, how did they present their lives, and to what extent did they reveal any awareness of the impact of their Jewish birthright upon their life choices? And how did their relations with the significant people in their lives--friends, families, and mentors--influence both their gender and Jewish consciousness? Through close reading of their writings, especially their autobiographies, augmented by selected theoretical work in the presentation of self, I examine how they each defined their Jewishness in ways consonant with their personal and professional aspirations, and how they all drew on their cultural, religious, and class values to play an active public role in their time.

The formation and development of newcomer ethnic organizations, particularly mutual assistance associations (MAAs), result from specific social forces and interactions unique to the refugee and immigrant communities they represent and serve. As such, they reflect and become part of a newcomer community's culture and ethnic identity. As bicultural organizations, MAAs have unique roles as vital links between ethnic and mainstream communities. However, MAAs struggle to adjust to dominant models of organizations, an adjustment needed to function effectively in American society. Their problems result partially from their own process of cross-cultural adaptation as they learn to govern themselves, adjust to new roles, and adapt to differing values and norms. Conforming to the dominant standard of formal organizations creates conflicts among indigenous organizational members. This study examines various dimensions of cross-cultural adaptation during the formation and development of a Cambodian MAA. Based on the Samakom Khmer (SK) organization, the research explores cross-cultural issues experienced by SK's ethnic board and staff as they contend with conflicting Cambodian and American cultures. Participant observation, in-depth interviewing, and document analysis are the primary methods used for an "insider's", Cambodian's view of social reality. Several findings emerge which underscore this social phenomenon's complexity and uniqueness and its significance for the field of organizational studies. Culture and acculturation are vital and interrelated concepts in understanding SK's dynamics and behavior. The process of acculturation implies cross-cultural transitions occurring at individual, group, and organizational levels. Conflicting ethnocentric traditions and dominant norms caused SK to respond to issues of cultural convergence or divergence, acceptance of or resistance to cultural change. Consequently, members underwent processes of cross-cultural adaptation, including interpreting new symbols; understanding and making new roles; negotiating and restructuring social relations; maintaining and reshaping ethnic identity; creating images; and establishing and defining relations. The adaptive mechanisms of creating, rejecting, blending, and synthesizing elements of old and new cultures influenced the organization's structures and processes. Gleaned from SK's experience, it is critical to recognize that MAAs are cross-culturally embedded in the larger context of its sociocultural environment.

Multiculturalism and a committment to an ideology of cultural pluralism has been both a high profile and contentious government policy since its origin in Canada in the early seventies. Multiculturalism has also influenced educational practices and opened the way for multicultural and race relations education. With continuing high immigration, successfully meeting the challenges of cultural pluralism in society and education, and gaining support for its commitments from the public, is increasingly important. This study examines these challenges by considering the ideals, strengths, weaknesses, evolution and misconceptions of a philosophy of multiculturalism with emphasis upon educational implications. Three fundamental elements of multiculturalism are considered: ethnic identity, social integration and intergroup relations. This research contributes to the literature by providing a qualitative component focusing upon the experiences and perceptions of immigrant youth who are experiencing social integration into the Canadian multicultural society. The above themes are examined through the relevant literature and an exploratory study. Group discussions were held with adolescents, mostly immigrants, in homogeneous or similar ethnic/cultural groups--Latin Americans, Chinese, Vietnamese and South Asians. The conversations focused upon ethnic identity development, acculturation, intergroup relations and the youths' perspectives on North American culture and multiculturalism--particularly in the context of secondary schools in Vancouver. Three of the groups were held in the mother tongue. The themes are discussed by respective ethnic/cultural groups and comparisons and commonalties between the groups are explored. The interviews emphasize the development of "new ethnicities" as the youths engage in "cross-cultural analysis" and accommodate their new environment without forfeiting their ethnic identities. The latter part of the study exposes misconceptions around multiculturalism and, supported by the findings from both the literature and the interviews, illustrates both the evolution and potential of multiculturalism as an approach to managing cultural diversity. The final section examines the implications of the findings for schooling in a culturally pluralistic society. Although the study is set in the Canadian context, it has applicability for various culturally diverse nations concerned with social integration, intergroup relations and their educational implications.

The purpose of this study was to find out more about the college choice process of minority high school seniors. The research questions were (1) Do minority high school seniors consider important the same college attributes that the literature of college choice suggests? (2) Do minority students consider important other aspects of colleges, such as those attributes suggested in the college climate and retention literature as influential in the college success of minority students? The population of the study included 1155 Southeastern Massachusetts high school seniors segmented into five sub-groups: Asian, black, Cape Verdean, Hispanic, and white. Data were obtained from two questionnaires administered in January and May, 1993 in all high school English classes. The results were compared with the college choice literature. In addition, the results were analyzed in relation to the college climate attributes of social opportunities, curriculum, campus diversity, and academic support. The conclusions included the following: (1) Not all sub-groups are the same. There were significant differences between black and Cape Verdean sub-groups and among all sub-groups. (2) Geographical proximity is a factor. (3) Financial aid and academic support supersede academic reputation. (4) Models of college choice need to be modified to include student location and deferred application. (5) Mother is a primary influence on college as identified by all sub-groups. Recommendations for institutional responses are based on these conclusions.

This study investigated the perceptions of fifteen minority preservice teachers about teacher education. Research questions guiding data collection included (a) what is the life history and past educational experiences of the participants, (b) what is it like to be a minority preservice teacher in a teacher education program, and (c) what meaning do the participants place on these life experiences? A phenomenological interviewing format was used with each participant, where three 60-90 minute interviews were conducted 5-7 days apart. Focusing questions for each interview (respectively) were the research questions. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and coded into categories using constant comparison. Member checking, peer debriefing, and prolonged engagement assured triangulation of the data. Four distinct topics emerged from the interviews with the participants: (a) feelings about being a minority, (b) features of elementary and secondary school experiences, (c) coping strategies, and (d) presence of support systems. Participants' feelings about being a minority varied from those who were proud and vocal to those who did not publicly recognize or acknowledge that participants' feelings about being a minority varied from those who were proud and vocal to those who did not publicly recognize or acknowledge that part of their identity and even suppressed it. Participants' elementary and secondary school experiences were interpreted as feelings of discontinuity among their minority identity and the structure of the dominant society's educational system, to those participants who did not view their school environment as incompatible with who they were as a minority. A collection of coping strategies was identified by participants which helped them survive as a cultural minority in a dominant society. These coping strategies ranged from actions that were culturally introverted to behaviors that were culturally immersive. The presence of support systems was discussed. These were addressed by participants as giving them a sense of belonging and structure to their daily lives. Ultimately, participants identified daily anxieties that European American preservice teachers simply do not face. These included (a) feelings of incompatibility between their teacher education program and their cultural heritage, (b) inability to speak English effectively (ESL), (c) feelings of alienation due to a lack of minority support, and (d) feelings of isolation as the only or one of a few minorities in their program or classes.

This dissertation describes how and why high school students in a developing country may resist educational processes intended to make them into modern citizens. The research set out to illuminate in-school processes which affected students' academic engagement and to help explicate an eight-year decline on the Grade 10 School Certificate Examination in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. The report is based on one year of ethnographic research conducted in Pere village on the southeast coast and two high schools in Lorengau, the provincial capital, in 1994-95. I claim that at the time of study a shift away from the village in critical economic resources, rising unemployment, the ongoing viability of the subsistence base, and a need to maintain a degree of control over those living in towns led many Pere Villagers to be discouraged about the value of educational investment and to make claims to a somewhat invented "traditionality." In the high schools in Lorengau, students were aware of the limited opportunity structure after grade 10, and that they could return to their villages after finishing school and make their living from subsistence economics. A critical mass of students rationalized that school success, with its unlikely rewards, was not worth its requirements of hard work and conformity to rules. These students pursued social experience in school, resisted teachers, and valorized an egalitarian village-based identity within the student culture. I argue that the ongoing construction of this identity led these students to conduct routine surveillance of their peers for signs of acting "extra:" Appropriating Western behaviors which were associated with hierarchical status positions in the cash economy, or making strident efforts in school to obtain such a position. Accordingly, I show that Manus high schools functioned as social fields for the negotiation of Melanesian personhood. I conclude that people in Pere and Manus high schools lay claim to a moral "good" inherent in Melanesian egalitarianism, and that these were creative and rational responses which both critiqued the tendency of capitalist development to create hierarchical status differences and served to maintain these peoples' sense of worth in contexts of increasing powerlessness.