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International cooperation in Distance Education which is a very popular phenomenon today can be explained by the rise of social constructivism in social sciences, namely Education and International Relations, for the purpose of this paper. Social constructive approach in International Relations with its emphasis on building social bridges via learning common values and social constructivism in education highlighting learning communities, paves the way for institutionalization of cooperation in Distance Education. Multicultural, multilingual models that adopt educational materials according to local cultures and demands, serve as a good means of meeting educational needs globally. Information and Communication Technologies ease interactions and lead to a global flow of information, some advantages of which are emphasized in this paper.

This paper explicates a notable difficulty faced by political science instructors who teach introductory courses in the scientific method to undergraduates or who, in substantive courses, wish to introduce their students to the scientific study of politics. The paper states that this difficulty arises because the majority of college students, like the majority of the lay public, accepts a number of myths about the political sciences. These myths cloud their understanding of social science and that social phenomena can be studied scientifically. The paper defines and discusses the character of five such myths, explaining the negative contrast with the social sciences that accompanies each one. It offers evidence from the physical sciences to explain how these myths incorrectly characterize scientific practice and results in those disciplines. It discusses teaching strategies by which political scientists can overcome these myths. The paper concludes that teachers must employ as much creativity in their teaching to dispel these myths as they bring to substantive research. Contains a 40-item bibliography. (Author/BT)

This essay addresses changes in perspectives, research, theories, and practices in educational administration. The first part discusses theories and studies of educational administration, taking the position that educational administration is an applied science. That is, most theories in the social sciences, like educational administration, require a process of refinement through revision and extension. This section discusses the development of thought in and research on educational administration, highlighting the differences between four major developments in administrative thought: (1) classical-organizational theory; (2) the human-relations model; (3) the behavioral-science approach; and (4) the post-behavioral-science era. The second part of the paper examines the paradigm shifts in educational administration through the lens of two academic publications, "Educational Leadership Review" and "National Council of Professors of Educational Administration Yearbook." This section examines the goals, styles, editorial philosophy, and editorial requirements of these publications, and the topics of recent editions to show the shifts in approaches to educational administration. Included is a table presenting an overview of the four major developments in administrative thought, and a list of topics in eight issues of "Educational Leadership Review" for 2002 and 2003. (Contain 14 references.) (WFA)

This document contains three papers from a symposium on issues of human resource development (HRD). "The Complex Roots of Human Resource Development" (Monica Lee) discusses the roots of HRD within the framework of the following views of management: (1) classic (the view that managers must be able to create appropriate rules and procedures for others, be good judges of people, and able to take independent action); (2) scientific (the view that, with the right training, anyone can acquire good management techniques); (3) processual (the view assuming that the economic advantage will come to those who are best able to spot opportunities, learn rapidly, and create appropriate commitment among colleagues); and (4) phenomenological (the view that management is mainly about the "study of being"). "HRD Literature: Where Is It Published?" (Larry M. Dooley) explores whether HRD professionals are continuing to publish primarily in the same five journals identified in 1994 as containing the majority of all HRD manuscripts published. "Post-Millennial Discourses of Organizational Spirituality: The Critical Role of HRD" (Sharon Turnbull) analyzes the growing interest in spirituality inside organizations and concludes that, by "colluding with the desire to colonize spirituality as a new management function," HRD practitioners may inadvertently destroy the very meaning that the spirituality movement is pursuing. The first and third papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

Several characteristics make the social sciences less amenable to bibliographic control than the sciences: inherent instability of the subject matter; the lack of a terminology that is common over time and across countries; strong political and national biases; low penalties for duplication of research; and an apparent lack of interest on the part of social scientists in improvement of information services. A large body of research carried out 25 years ago shed much light on the information needs and uses of social scientists and indicated means of improvement, but led to no action. In an information world radically changed by the Internet, researchers need to carry out new studies into information uses and needs. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/MES)

This paper discusses the current division of knowledge at the college and university level, its historical roots, and the application of Actor Network Theory (ANT) to arrive at an explanation of the permanence of the current division of knowledge as well as what form a new division of knowledge might take. It finds fragmentation and disintegration characteristics of contemporary American higher education, divisions within the natural and social sciences, and a high level of irrelevance. The ANT perspective argues that today's division of knowledge reflects the historical development of diverse and often conflicting networks of people and things associated with various departments and disciplines. These networks consist not only of disciplinarians, professional associations, and diverse client groups, but also include a wide range of physical objects such as laboratories, specialized instruments, money, and libraries. It shows how in fields such as agronomy new divisions have emerged in recent years and argues that the only way to dissolve the barriers between disciplines is to build counter networks between and among disciplines. (Contains 20 references.) (MDM)

In the wake of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, discussions have raged both online and in the press about free speech, online pornography, and the protection of children. This paper discusses the legal and social science issues surrounding content regulation of the World Wide Web and the Internet as a whole, with an emphasis on the indecency ban. The paper uses recent literature to address concerns that have led to legislation, including: (1) the perceived pervasiveness of online pornography (the "porn panic"); (2) the perceived intrusiveness of online communication and its accessibility to children and adolescents; and (3) the potential for societal "harms" to children or adults following exposure to online indecency. In each section, the role of social science, both in fueling the porn panic and in potentially informing the policy debate, and the broad First Amendment implications of applying broadcast regulation standards to online communication are examined. (Contains 125 references.) (Author/SWC)

The first, and perhaps the most obvious, way to incorporate disability studies into the composition curriculum is to alter the way instructors teach canonical texts. The standard literary approaches to disability are genre studies, which consider disability to be an element of the gothic or the grotesque, and rhetorical studies, which analyze its function as metaphor. Such views of disability need not be ignored. Rather they should be looked at critically. Disability does function in this way in some literature but in other literature disability is multidimensional. In Southern literature, for instance, there are texts that problematize and sometimes directly challenge cultural assumptions about persons with disability. A second way to incorporate disability studies is for the instructor to use texts by "good" writers who are themselves disabled and who write about disability as "models" of good writing. A third way to incorporate disability studies would concern classes organized around multidisciplinary readings. Most of the recent scholarly work in disability studies is in the social sciences. History is also rich in its documentation of recent paradigm shifts in culture's understanding of disability. (Contains an extensive bibliography of disability texts in fiction, poetry, drama, history, sociology, politics, women's studies, and popular culture.) (TB)

Much of what teachers know about how to teach and how to conceptualize specific academic content is learned from their undergraduate professors. In 1990, California State University, Fullerton, received a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), Project Teach, to improve the quality of instruction which prospective elementary school teachers experience in undergraduate academic coursework. Project Teach has engaged junior and senior faculty from three schools at the University (Human Development and Community Service, Humanities and Social Science, and Natural Science and Mathematics) in a discussion of effective teaching and of the relationship of their own teaching to the preparation of teachers. In this monograph, participants representing such diverse fields as child development, elementary education, health, physical education and recreation, psychology, English, political science, linguistics, anthropology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology explain their views of the teaching process through the use of metaphors and describe teaching strategies found to be effective in their own classes. (LL)

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic has included a few social science disciplines in the list of the Educational State Standards, though the content of these subjects and teaching methodologies are still weak. One of the problems, which I constantly face in Kyrgyzstan when developing a new course, is the terrible shortage of teaching/reading materials of non-Soviet authors. A few books in Russian/Kyrgyz on Political Culture, for example, cannot give diversity of theories for analytical discussions and critical choice. Two year work of collecting study materials on the subject has given me today an opportunity to develop western type of courses on Political Culture, Sociology and Intercultural Communication, which I am currently offering to University students. Yet, no textbook in Kyrgyz language on Political Sciences is still being written/translated.

Scholars in the field of comparative education offer a multitude of opinions regarding the field's theoretical state of health. This paper outlines three major shifts over the last 50 years that have mobilized theoretical perspectives. These theoretical orientations have been referred to as orthodoxy characterized by modernization theory, heterodoxy characterized by conflict theory, and heterogeneity characterized by globalism. The paper addresses the argument that theory is unimportant, arguing that theory is and will continue to be the important foundation for all comparative research. The document outlines the history of modernization and challenges to this orientation. It describes and relates globalization processes to the previous theoretical orientations. Finally, it discusses two implications of globalization for education, educational finance and standards. (Contains 11 references). (BT)

This paper attempts to reformulate some assumptions of contemporary social science so that its knowledge becomes directly applicable in social action. A schema is presented for the interpretation of social experience in which sociological, anthropological, and psychological knowledge and knowledge of the physical and biological world enter into a concrete, aesthetically patterned, social totality incorporating the moral ordering and emotional commitment necessary for action. The philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead is used to present the dilemma of seeking the concrete from the abstract, that is, of interpreting social knowledge and social action. Tactics developed by social scientists for meeting this difficulty are sketched and the question of why the transformation of thought into practice necessitates a philosophical revolution is considered. In the course of answering that question, a more detailed statement of the basic terms of Whitehead's conception of events is provided. Finally, a discussion of changes required by social science methodology is presented. Discussion closes with a consideration of the aesthetic principles in the order of nature and society. (Author/LP)

This collection of essays seeks to offer a composite portrait of state humanities programs from a wide range of viewpoints. Topics explored include: the role of the National Endowment for the Humanities; the importance of the humanities; origins and new directions for state programs; humanities and the issues of public policy, the arts, science, and the social sciences; the use of the media in state humanities programs; political ramifications in the areas of funding and accountability; and the difficulties that threaten the continuation of state humanities programs. A listing of state humanities councils is included in the appendix. The various authors stress that the values and wisdom promoted by the humanities make the development of state programs invaluable. (JK)

The paper provides a simplified introduction to conflict theory through a series of in-class exercises. Conflict resolution, defined as negotiated settlement, can occur through three forms of communication: tacit, implicit, and explicit. Tacit communication, taking place without face-to-face or written interaction, refers to inferences made and action taken on the basis of mutual knowledge or assumptions about the other's probable responses. Implicit communication is the expression of intent to perform some act. Explicit communication is action performed. Classroom exercises illustrating each form of communication in conflict situations are described. Tacit communication is illustrated by situations in which two parties must act to achieve a common goal, without opportunity to communicate; their action must be based on assumptions made about the other's response, based on acquaintance with the common knowledge and culture shared by both. Implicit communication is illustrated by situations in which three parties engage in negotiations in which offers and counteroffers, which may benefit or injure the parties in varying degrees, are made before action is taken. Important conflict-resolution concepts illustrated in these exercises are power relationships, persuasion, inducement, and constraint. Explicit communication is illustrated by the "Prisoners' Dilemma," in which two prisoners accused of a crime are separated and given the option of confessing or not confessing. The punishment each will receive depends both on his own response and on the unknown response of the other prisoner. Important conflict-resolution concepts illustrated by this exercise are gain, preservation, trust, competition, cooperation, and perception of self and others. The author stresses that while for the purpose of the exercises the three forms of communication are separate from each other, in reality they interact with each other in almost every conflict situation. (Author/KC)

A systematic study is reported of the mathematical skills and learning abilities of new students immediately prior to entry into the Open University's (England) foundation courses in technology and social sciences. The intent was to provide predictive information about potential student entry skills for the team preparing a new technology foundation course. Basic language and mathematical skills were assessed by a questionnaire-test given to a sample of applicants for the courses. It was found that mathematical skills were an area needing special attention, and changes in course materials and schedules are proposed to assist students in developing the skills in the course. It is concluded that such systematic evaluations of critical learner skills are needed as a prerequisite to the design of instructional material for other courses, both at the Open University and in other institutions. (MSE)

This paper examines the controversy over the status and objectives of the social studies and suggests ways in which educators can resolve the controversy. In addition, it offers critical comments on several recent overviews of the field of social studies, including the "SPAN Report," by Irving Morrissett, Sharryl Hawke, and Douglas Superka, and "Defining the Social Studies," by Robert Barr, James Barth, and Sam Shermis. The major groups holding conflicting views which have to such a large degree fragmented the field of social studies are identified as advocates of back-to-basics, the psuedo-social science specialists, and the single-minded humanists. Arguments advanced by the first group recommend that schooling consist mainly of the basic subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic; the second group favors a heavy concentration of courses in history, geography, and civics/government; and people believing in the humanistic approach advocate basing the social studies curriculum on the humanities without proper regard for the social sciences. The conclusion is that the field of social studies will be improved if educators concentrate on a professional study of the foundations of social studies. The implication is that social studies would benefit if educators and, in particular, people who write about improving the field of social studies, would take the history of social studies into account and, specifically, if they would realize that social studies is a distinct field built on a tradition that borrows fully from social sciences and humanities. (DB)

The document contains a collection of 13 articles on the problems and challenges facing social studies educators in the 1980s. The objective is to offer the classroom teacher direction for evaluating the rationale and content of social studies education. Chapter one defines the purpose and nature of social studies. Chapter two discusses the importance of citizenship education as a role of social studies, while social studies' contribution to the humanistic experience is examined in Chapter three. Chapters four through eight consider the range of knowledge and understanding in the social studies, including history, geography, cultural pluralism, urbanization, and a global perspective, as well as law-related education and career education. Chapters nine and ten focus on basic and societal skills such as reading, writing, and decision making, while chapter eleven discusses values education as a major objective of the social studies. Chapter twelve examines the roles societal forces play in social education and the importance of educators' recognizing and understanding these forces. The final chapter discusses social studies teachers in relation to an unpredictable future and emphasizes the need for ongoing teacher education. (CK)

A series of papers was developed by the authors as part of their deliberations as members of the National Research Council's Committee of Program Evaluation in Education. The papers provide a broad range of present evaluative thinking. The conflict between preferences in evaluation methodology comes through in these papers. The selections include: An Overview of Evaluation Strategies and Procedures (Peter H. Rossi, Richard A. Berk); Uses and Users of Evaluation (Marvin C. Alkin); Who Controls Evaluation? The Interorganizational Complexities of Evaluation Research (Robert K. Yin); and, Evidential Problems in Social Program Evaluation and their Analogs from Engineering and the Physical Sciences, Medicine, and an Assortment of other Disciplines, Basic and Applied, Together with Selected Historical References (Robert F. Boruch). (Author/GK)

This monograph defines humanistic and positivistic geography, explores the dichotomy between these two thought systems, and suggests how geographers can work toward creating a humanistic positivism. Positivistic geography is interpreted as being based on a concept of 'rational' man who perceives a single objective world which has only spatial characteristics and is perceived uniformly by all human beings. Humanistic geography is interpreted as a thought system which has emerged as a reaction to positivism's stress on objective space and rationalism. Humanistic geography--which is based on existential philosophy--is characterized by a focus on human thought processes, recognition of the importance of the interaction of people and the environment, and the consideration that all human phenomena must be analyzed without making any presuppositions about them. According to humanistic geographers, the world is subjective, complex, and full of variety, rather than objective, simple, and uniform. Ideally, the humanistic geographer investigates the world as it is, unlike the positivistic geographer who begins by simplifying assumptions about the world. Rather than reinforcing differences between these two approaches to geography, geographers should recognize the need for mutual compromise. For example, geographers can accept the basic focuses of humanistic geography on interaction of people and the environment and on the relativity of an object rather than its absoluteness and can, at the same time, recognize the importance of positivism's methodological sophistication in areas such as creating generalizations, theories, and models. (DB)

Four papers discuss research exchanges between the United States and the USSR and East Europe. The first paper considers the evolution of perceptions of social scientists in these countries during the Cold War and Detente. The dominant view of American researchers during the Cold War was that the United States, as the most modern society, was the yardstick for measuring other societies. The United States experienced rapid growth of training and research related to the Soviet orbit. However, Soviet scholars were constrained by Marxist-Leninist doctrine and by educational and research policies. In the 1960s, American social scientists gained a greater appreciation for the complexities of modern societies and East European social scientists began innovative studies. The second paper discusses evaluations of research exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union. The conclusion is that these exchanges are scientifically valuable to both countries. The most serious problem is Soviet political repression of its scientific community. The third paper discusses problems and accomplishments of East European studies in the United States. Although progress seems to be steady, American social scientists have come to pursue topics that are politically safe, and thus often of secondary importance. The final paper suggests that in exchanges between the Soviet Union and the United States, both academic and government communities profit. The point that Soviet exchanges are generally in sciences and engineering and American exchanges are in history and literature illustrates that each side sends whom it wishes. Thus, the author concludes that this type of exchange is neither unbalanced nor unfair. (Author/KC)

The central purpose of social studies education is the development of citizenship. In social studies education four elements are essential. The first element is knowledge. Social studies must draw heavily upon the social sciences, including history, and from related fields such as law, psychology, the humanities, journalism, and the arts. Young people must come to see that the ideas which make up the body of the scholarly fields change over the year. Knowledge must be balanced between understandings needed in young people's own immediate social worlds and society at large, and it must be intellectually honest. The second element is values. Identifying their own values must be a part of students' education in social studies. So also must be recognizing the values of others. The third element is skills in acquiring information and thinking about social affairs. Young people need skills to make their knowledge and values active and so continue in the lifelong process of learning. The fourth element is social participation. Everyone lives as part of social groups, which influence and are influenced by their members. Without direction toward action, social studies education becomes passive. The paper concludes with a description of the characteristics of programs which must be implemented if these four elements are to be translated into actual learning opportunities. Included among these characteristics are that objectives must be clear, learning activities must be appropriate for objectives, varied instructional materials are needed, the classroom climate must be supportive, and there must be assessment and evaluation. (Author/RM)

This publication contains exerpts from interviews with international scholars in the natural and social sciences about the future of education. Part I discusses educating for a new millennium. The scholars suggest basic concepts in their fields of expertise that young persons should understand if they are to survive the troubled years that lie ahead. For example, one concept youth need to grasp is the increasing interdependence that exists among nations and people everywhere. Among the concepts that cut across all disciplines, the one most often mentioned or implied by social scientists was the need for students to develop a set of carefully examined values. This concern with moral development appeared to be worldwide. Part II discusses what kind of schooling, what kind of lifelong education and what sort of learning experiences will be part of the future. A few examples follow. A multicultural tone must be incorporated into the curriculum. Helping children understand other cultural groups was one of the most important lessons to be extracted from the interviews conducted. The future curriculum will utilize teaching practices that involve genuine student participation in society's problems and processes. To enhance educational resources, the establishment of a Coordinated Educational Network is proposed. The future structure for schools must accommodate a seamless lifelong ability age curriculum that is based on the abilities and needs of individual learners rather than a lockstep graded school based on chronological age. (Author/RM)

This edited volume contains 16 social science-related educational research articles based on papers presented at the 1979 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The articles and associated commentary are organized according to six symposia held at the meeting--anthropology, evaluation, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. The objective of each symposium was to identify the values imposed by the social science discipline and to determine how researchers tend to treat this subject matter, with particular regard to methodology and concept formation. Titles include "Anthropological Fieldwork: Comments on its Values and Limitations;""Values and Policy in Educational Evaluation;""Democratizing Evaluation;""Distortion of the Historiography of American Education;""Neo-Conservatism and National School Policy;""Values Imposed by Political Science: Implications for Educational Research and Development;""The Influence of Psychology on Education;" and "Sociological Arrogance." (DB)

"The Later Middle Ages: Civilization Reborn" in Ginn's "Our World," a chapter from a sixth grade social studies textbook, was assessed by the author, who used specific evaluation criteria. Although four strengths were indicated, the author dealt primarily with weaknesses of the text and made many suggestions for improvement. Some of the author's criticisms were that (1) vocabulary was not consistent, i.e., some words were defined, others were not; (2) the grammatical construction of sentences was poor; (3) topic sentences were unclear and paragraphs sometimes contained several topics; and (4) headings, transitions, and connecting words were not used in paragraphs. In addition, students reading this chapter would be required to infer many ideas and to recall information from previous chapters. It was recommended that more summaries and explicit labeling of topics be used, as well as more examples. Overall, to improve the chapter, the author suggests that it be completely rewritten by a single author with a less authoritarian style, keeping the sixth grade reader in mind. Appended are the original version and the author's improved version of the chapter. (BY)

The objectives and skills promoted by college general education studies are considered, including objectives identified by President Truman's Commission on Higher Education and by a task force of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Purposes of the general education program are to: develop skills to complete college and live actively in society; promote awareness or the diversity of human endeavors in intellectual, creative, social, and technological spheres; and develop analytical and critical skills. Minimum goals include basic skills and knowledge, intellectual awareness of the global heritage and the value of cultural activities, and judgment development and values clarification. The basic skills of communication, English composition, oral communication and rhetoric, and mathematics are discussed. Criteria for a general education program are identified for: writing and learning, speaking and listening, mathematics, cultural heritage, American heritage, social institutions, natural science, fitness and wellness, "across the curriculum," and integration. The Memphis State University (Tennessee) general education model is briefly addressed. (SW)

Four questions are posed: (1) Is knowledge utilization a rhetorical evocation? (2) Is the conjunction of knowledge with utility part of a cultural system of common sense? (3) Is utility a normative or a descriptive concept? and (4) How does the concept of knowledge utilization figure in the specialized discourse of social scientists? This paper analyzes the concept of knowledge utilization from the perspective of philosophy of language and philosophy of science. Knowledge utilization is a rhetorical evocation that implies concepts of action and knowledge. It is supported by two conceptual fusions. The fusion of value and utility draws on common sense, but does not exhaust colloquial understandings about knowledge and action. The conceptual fusion of knowledge and truth is consistent with common sense but disregards scientific criticism. Both conceptual fusions are thus problematic. But empirical conditions associated with the concept of knowledge utilization mask and reinforce the problematic aspects of this concept. (Author/JD)

Two basic concepts of the social sciences--society and culture--are analyzed and new definitions are proposed. Concepts are the basic building blocks of scientific theory. A science with poor concepts will, therefore, be incapable of producing powerful scientific theory. When commonly used social science definitions of society and culture are evaluated according to standard rules for the formulation of definitions, they are found to be fundamentally unsound as scientific definitions. Because the very foundations of the discipline have been poorly constructed, the social sciences have failed to develop elegant scientific theories. The old concepts must be replaced with a set of firmer concepts. Working from a base definition of system, definitions for society and culture are reformulated. Related concepts are also redefined. The new definitions are proposed as foundations for an alternative social science paradigm. (Author/RM)

Described in this document are three stages in the emergence and acceptance in West Germany of the situation-oriented approach to education for "kindergarten" children (ages 3 to 6 years). In brief, this approach stresses learning in real-life situations within the community and values the contributions of children, families, and communities. Specifically discussed are three variants of the approach: the situation approach, the situative approach, and the situation-oriented approach. Respectively, variant approaches emphasize the social sciences; the socialization process; and the integration of socialization, situation, and social sciences. Criticisms of these variants are reviewed, and arguments for the priority of social education in early childhood are offered. It is concluded that (1) the situation-oriented approach and its instructional materials have legitimized preschool education as an academic field and have given it an educational perspective in its own right; (2) research has validated the approach, and criticisms resulting from economic crisis and political conservatism therefore carry little weight; and (3) materials associated with the approach are ready for use in any developed country, and associated methodology may be used for curriculum development throughout the world. An appended chart lists characteristics of each of the variants of the approach. (RH)

Reasons for the glaring gaps in recommendations for humanities and social science emphasis in the National Commission on Excellence in Education report, "A Nation At Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform," are examined; and remedies are proposed. It is important to recognize that only 4 of the Commission members represented the social sciences and humanities; of the other 14 members, 7 have degrees in business or education, and 7 have degrees in science and mathematics. Further, in regard to the responsibilities with which they were charged, the Commission changed the mandate given them by Secretary of Education Bell and sought information that reflected the dominant expertise on the Commission. Because business, science, and technological interests dominated both the process and product of the Commission, both social scientists and humanists must question the validity and breadth of the resulting report. At the top of the list of five proposed remedies is the recommendation that a second presidential commission carrying a similar weight as the first and comprised of a balanced representation of the disciplines be impaneled. (RM)

General education, or learning that should be common to all, is considered in five essays adapted from colloquium addresses and one essay, summarized in chapters 1 and 7 of this volume, that provided the colloquium theme. In "The Quest for Common Learning," Ernest L. Boyer identifies six essential objectives of general education. Wayne C. Booth's essay, "Mere Rhetoric, Rhetoric, & the Search for Common Learning," distinguishes a type of rhetoric that is important to five kinds of general education. Next, "Heritage and Traditions" by Frederick Rudolph discusses the importance of history in general education, including three models for incorporating history in general learning programs. In "Contemporary Organizations," Rosabeth Moss Kanter emphasizes the importance of understanding social structures and organizations and identifies aspects of organizational life that challenge individualistic or voluntaristic assumptions. The essay "The Natural World" by Lewis Thomas considers instruction in science, and specifically biology, at the college level. Fred Hechinger discusses the need for educational coordination in providing a general education curriculum in "The High School-College Connection." Finally, "Prospects for the Future" by Arthur Levine considers prospects for improving general education. (SW)

It is proposed that, contrary to traditional thinking, interdisciplinary communication can be enhanced, not limited, by specialization. A thorough understanding of common elements within any one discipline provides the bridge between disciplines. Two sets of examples of issues are examined. The first focuses on three disciplines in the social sciences (cognitive science, sociobiology, and behaviorism), and suggests that theories in these disciplines share common ground in terms of providing mechanistic explanations of human intelligence and human development, and critiques of the theories share common ground as they move to reinstate the primacy of such qualities as meaning, intentionality, consciousness, and free will. The second set of examples focuses on how issues pertaining to objectivity and subjectivity pervade such disciplines as philosophy, moral-development psychology, psychoanalysis, anthropology, sociology, and English literature. Again, common features of critiques are highlighted to illustrate how understandings within one discipline can help with understanding common problems and issues in others. The way in which specialization, and not simply a broad, liberal education, provides a powerful means for interdisciplinary communication is discussed. Includes 47 references. (MSE)

These essays are the first of an annual series that brings to the public the distinctive views and approaches of the humanities to urgent issues of the day. David Rothman, in "Lessons from an Opium Eater," examines how the nineteenth-century confessions of a famous English opium addict, Thomas De Quincey, has relevance to the present, how it might be used to help find solutions to the current problem of drug abuse. Ann Henderson offers a commentary on the issue of drug abuse and public policy. Joan Scott, in "The History of Families," argues that, far from being fixed and immutable, the family is a varied, changing, adaptable institution. Whether women work to support their families or to find meaningful, productive activity, or both, their wage-earning activity does not in itself disrupt family stability or impoverish their children emotionally. Rather, the attempt to impose idealized models of the family on diverse and changing families undercuts their ability to adapt to changing economic and social circumstances and so to survive. Margaret Kingsland adds a commentary that focuses on the issue of day care. Donald Worster in "Devastating Nature" examines some of the threats to the environment and relates them to the changing values and ideals of modern society. If society wants to stop the devastation of the earth, it must be willing to change itself. David Tebaldi's commentary illustrates the distinction between the anthropocentric and the biocentric view of nature and the environment. An appendix lists addresses for humanities councils in all 50 states. (JB)

Educators should assess the economics curricula in order to determine whether the latest and most accurate views of economic life in the United States and the world are taught to high school students. Economic literacy involves knowing and applying fundamental economic theories in order to make rational decisions about the use of limited resources. This digest considers the nature of economic literacy through an exploration of the basic economic concepts that students should learn, a definition of economics as a way of thinking, and desired outcomes of education for economic literacy. Fundamental themes of economics education should include scarcity, productive resources, economic systems, exchange, incentives, the market place, and managing the economy. An economic way of thinking refers to decision-making as the central skill of economic literacy and emphasizes the application of this skill to decision-making. While the ability to conduct objective and reasoned analysis of economic issues is the most important benefit of economic literacy education, students also learn to understand the economic dimensions of issues, to evaluate the consequences of economic decisions, and to participate intelligently in the political process. (JHP)