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2. The Right to Literacy: The Rhetoric, the Romance, the Reality. ACAL National Conference (Sydney, Australia, October 9-11, 1992). Conference Papers, Vol. 1, Plenary and Keynote Sessions.
- Author
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Australian Council for Adult Literacy, Victoria. and New South Wales Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council, Inc., Alexandria (Australia).
- Abstract
This first of three volumes of the 1992 Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) Conference Papers includes 10 papers from the plenary and keynote sessions. The theme of "When Basic Skills and Information Processing Just Aren't Enough: Rethinking Reading in New Times" (Allan Luke) is the moral and political consequences of ways of reading. "Therapeutic Relief to the Psycho-Sexual Congested Conference Delegate...at a Price" (Mary Hartmann) is a tongue-in-cheek invitation to the speaker's clinics for literacy professionals who are feeling the pressure of their jobs. "Literacy Practices and the Construction of Personhood" (Brian Street) focuses on the implications for pedagogy of approaching literacy and the construction of personhood from an anthropological viewpoint."Assembling Reading and Writing: How Institutions Construct Literate Competencies" (Peter Freebody) provides examples of the developing perspective of literacy practices socially and institutionally embedded. "Being Numerate: Whose Right? Who's Left?" (Sue Willis) explores the continuing demands that levels of numeracy must be raised and the argument that mathematics is deeply implicated in social inequality. "Address to the ACAL Forum" (Paul Brock) reviews adult English language and literacy provision currently offered by the community-based education sector. "From Now to the Year 2000" (Ann Whyte) considers developments in adult and community education. "Community Literacy" (Kay Schofield) addresses community provision of literacy training. "'New Times' and Literacies that Matter" (Colin Lankshear) uses a sociological analysis of current economic and social trends within developed countries to review the main forms of literacy requirements. "Removing Cultural Barriers to Numeracy" (Alan Bishop) looks at numeracy as culturally based and socially situated knowledge. (YLB)
- Published
- 1992
3. Why Do Students Resist Assessment by Group-Work? Hearing Critique in the Complaint
- Author
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Kathryn Telling
- Abstract
The cry that today's higher education students are particularly individualist is a commonly-heard one. In England, the considerable personal cost of tuition is often blamed for creating a series of negative student traits, including consumerism (an idea that one has bought the right to a degree) and individualism (a sense of the individual as the beneficiary of the bought product, as against any sense of collectivism, or education as public good). This paper explores one element of students' purported individualism: their resistance to group-work as an aspect of assessment. Presenting interview data with university students in England, it argues that such student disquiet does not stem from a resistance to collectivism in general. Using pragmatic sociology, the paper considers students' often gentle and humorous comments about group-work as critique, not complaint. Rather than understanding students' resistance to group-work as individualist grievance about doing something they would simply rather not do, this way of conceptualising their comments understands students as making critical points about what should be assessed for at university. It argues that this way of thinking about resistance to group-work leads us to take that resistance seriously, and in turn to take students seriously as interlocuters on educational matters.
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- 2024
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4. The Search for a Value Consensus. Working Papers.
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Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY. and Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY.
- Abstract
These papers by four social scientists were prepared for a conference to analyze the current absence of a value consensus in American life and to examine grounds for a consensus. Further, the contribution of education and the media to the shaping and dissemination of values is explored. Kenneth Boulding contends that underlying moral diversity is a "constitutional consensus," or agreement about the legitimacy of processes by which differing values are coordinated. A greater tolerance of diversity develops as the constitutional consensus becomes more secure. Robert N. Bellah suggests that the dominance of "liberal individualism" accounts for the current loss of moral consensus. Marvin Bressler examines the role of the university and notes that the components of scholarly investigation (integrity, open-mindedness, humility, communalism, accountability) may aid in defining the moral functions of undergraduate education. William Miller points out the all-pervasiveness of television, which is not morally neutral, but rather an "enormously powerful phenomenon. . . about which society needs to make conscious social decisions." He emphasizes that the primary purpose of television is to deliver people to advertisers and that content is a secondary consideration. Miller concludes, however, that television justifies itself in its coverage of public events. A summary of discussions following the speeches is included. (KC)
- Published
- 1978
5. National Humanities Faculty Working Papers. The Logic of Freedom; What Makes an American an American; The Authority of Biosocial Factors.
- Author
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National Humanities Faculty, Concord, MA., Bergmann, Frithjof, Sinder, Leon, Bergmann, Frithjof, Sinder, Leon, and National Humanities Faculty, Concord, MA.
- Abstract
These National Humanities Faculty working papers are presentations from the Question of Authority Workshop. Frithjof Bergmann's "The Logic of Freedom" distinguishes two approaches to the concept of freedom--that freedom is the ultimate good and that freedom is a burden. A theory of freedom is constructed in the second part of Bergmann's presentation. It states that an act is free if the agent identifies with the element from which it flows; it is coerced if the agent disassociates himself from that generating element. This theory requires identification or self-knowledge prior to freedom. Leon Sinder contributes "What Makes an American an American" and "The Authority of Biosocial Factors." American culture is delineated in the first presentation according to an underlying system of American values. Some of those values are puritanism, efficiency, and the ideal of the man of action. The biosocial factors that exert authority on man, chosen for discussion in the second presentation, include not only requirements common to all living things, such as reproduction, but also those more peculiar to man, such as the need to belong, the passage of time, the will to power, and conservatism. Societal and individual accomodation of these biosocial factors is also considered. (JH)
- Published
- 1972
6. Group Decision-Making Performance as Influenced by Consensus and Self-Orientation. Paper No. 426.
- Author
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Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN. Herman C. Krannert Graduate School of Industrial Administration., Nemiroff, Paul M., Nemiroff, Paul M., and Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN. Herman C. Krannert Graduate School of Industrial Administration.
- Abstract
The study attempts to specify and verify the decisionmaking processes utilized by groups when faced with a multistage rating task. It is also designed to upgrade group efficacy by introducing some procedural guidelines which group members are asked to follow in resolving differences. This "structured" intervention encourages members to seek out differences of opinion and dissuades them from using "conflict-reducing" techniques such as majority vote or trading. In addition the study examines aspects of interpersonal styles on group functioning, in particular self-oriented, individualistic behavior which is apparently dysfunctional to group processes. The major implication of the study is that it is indeed possible to improve group performance, even in groups with potentially"poor" members, via a simple structures intervention. (Author/WM)
- Published
- 1973
7. Searching for the Self: Transcendentalist Ideas as an Inspiration for American Teenagers in Little Women by Gillian Armstrong and Paper Towns by John Green
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Łucja Kalinowska
- Subjects
transcendentalism ,individualism ,identity ,teenagers ,ralph waldo emerson ,walt whitman ,henry david thoreau ,Language and Literature - Abstract
This paper examines two American works of fiction concerning how teenage characters explore and manifest their identity, looking up to transcendentalist ideas, whether consciously or not. The paper puts forth the most individualistic protagonists and investigate their motivation, ways of escaping the society’s expectations and the interaction between them and their environment. The first source analyzed: the film Little Women directed by Gillian Armstrong tells the story of the March family living in the 1860s Concord, influenced by the spirit of transcendentalism. The second source discussed: John Green’s novel Paper Towns employs the notion of a character coming back to transcendentalist values and authors in the 21st century. This paper shows how the teenagers use the transcendentalist ways, whether they are aware of them, and defy the rules of the society frequently represented by the people in their closest environment.
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- 2020
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8. How Are Preservice Teachers Discursively Positioned during Microteaching? The Views of Student Teachers in Hong Kong
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John Trent
- Abstract
This paper reports the results of a qualitative study that used in-depth interviews to understand the experiences and perceptions of six pre-service teachers as they engaged in microteaching at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Using a framework grounded in dialogism and positioning theory, the study describes the ways in which different discourses offer, as well as deny, positions to the pre-service teachers as they planned and implemented microlessons. The results suggest that competition between these discourses to position pre-service teachers can result in microteaching being associated with negative emotional experiences, such as disappointment, isolation, and frustration. This emotional dissonance is shown to lead some preservice teachers to question the efficacy of microteaching. The paper therefore argues that it is imperative for teacher educators to support pre-service teachers' engagement in microteaching by revealing the presence of these discourses and by exploring how the latter can exercise agency by accepting, resisting, or rejecting the positions made available to them during their microteaching experience. Suggestions for future research are also considered.
- Published
- 2023
9. How to shape academic freedom in the digital age? Are the retractions of opinionated papers a prelude to 'cancel culture' in academia?
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Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva
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Anti-intellectualism ,Censorship ,Individualism ,Public opinion ,Reputation ,Psychology ,BF1-990 - Abstract
When academics’ opinions, which are published in academic journals as letters to the editor or commentaries, are retracted based on sensitivities and objections that are raised for example on social media, there needs to be a reflection on what this might represent. On one hand, an opinion is precisely that, i.e., a subjective and biased view about an issue. Those views might even be radical, unpopular, or insensitive, but ultimately approved by editors for publication nonetheless. To maintain a truly sustainable scholarly discourse, the best academic way to counter such opinions is by allowing disagreeing voices to express themselves, also as letters to the editor or commentaries. Pressure-induced retractions of opinions not only stifle academic debate, they send the message that opinions need to be moderated and standardized to meet a publishing market that is being increasingly driven by legal parameters, political correctness, as well as business and commercial values rather than academic ones. In an environment of restrictive academic freedom, what emerges is an academia in which the way things are said, tone, and the sensitivity of those that might be affected are given greater weight than the message itself. By cherry-picking parts of the message that detractors or critics might disagree with, the original message may be drowned out by the noise of the objectors. The struggle of academics to liberally voice their opinions in the scholarly publishing realm, and to preserve those opinions, has never been more acute in this age of misinformation and radicalism fueled by polarized social and mass media. Is the politicization and/or commercialization of academia, alongside the retraction of opinions, stifling open and healthy academic debate, or expressing itself as the retraction of opinions, and does this represent a distinct form of “cancel culture” in academia and academic publishing?
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- 2021
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10. Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education. Proceedings from the Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education Workshop (Washington, DC, April 6-7, 1999).
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National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.
- Abstract
A workshop on Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education brought together leading experts on preschool education and early learning in other countries. The workshop was intended to stimulate the exchange of ideas on early childhood education by providing an opportunity for early childhood educators, researchers, and policy experts from around the world to meet and discuss common concerns. This document contains the papers presented at that workshop. The papers and presenters are as follows: (1) "Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Keynote Address" (Jerome Bruner); (2) "Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Preschool Policies and Programs in the OECD Countries" (Sheila Kamerman); (3) "Italian Early Childhood Education: Variations on a Cultural Theme" (Rebecca New); (4) "Early Learning and Human Development: The Turkish Early Enrichment Program" (Cigdem Kagitcibasi); (5) "Comments on Early Education" (Robert Myers); and (6) "Beyond the 'Average Native': Cultural Models of Early Childhood Education in Japan" (Susan Holloway). Each chapter contains references. (KB)
- Published
- 1999
11. The Paper-Doll Characters of Sinclair Lewis' Arrowsmith
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Helleberg, Marilyn Morgan
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- 1968
12. The Socio-Cultural Impress on the Promotion of Self-Directed-Learning in Algerian Universities
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Berrezoug, Hanaà
- Abstract
The Algerian universities have witnessed significant changes since the establishment of the three-tier system composed of Licence, Master, and Doctorate (LMD). The latter necessitates many changes in the learning process as well as teaching methods. Yet, to achieve self-directed learning, the learner should first achieve autonomy at the personal level. Thus, this paper is mainly devoted to analyzing the impress of Algerian cultural and social traditions on the development of self-directed learning. This study addresses the following question: Do the Algerian cultural and social traditions enhance and facilitate self-directed learning or impede its implementation at university? The main aim of this paper is to investigate the aspects of the Algerian culture that hinder the promotion of self-directed learning. The research has been conducted in Saida University among Master students. To investigate the socio-cultural impact on the development of self-directedness, the researcher used a questionnaire and an interview that was related to Hofstede's six-D Model. Discussing the Algerian culture through the lens of Hofstede's six-D Model helped the researcher to diagnose the reasons behind the failure to promote self-directedness. The main finding of this research is that the collectivist nature of the Algerian culture retards the progress of self-directed learning. This paper also suggests that if the Algerian culture does not favor self-directed learning, educators should adopt new approaches and strategies that engage their learners in the learning experiences. Educators should counterbalance the parochial and paternalistic traditions with glocalization and multiple perspective curricula.
- Published
- 2021
13. Individualism and Collectivism: Examining Student Mathematical Identity in Hierarchal Grouping Arrangements
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia and James, Jennifer
- Abstract
This paper is an investigation into the impact of a hierarchal and exclusive ability grouping framework on the self-perception and mathematical identity of diverse students in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Research interest in the low achievement of certain groups of students is growing as a result of increased understanding of the impact of cultural and societal norms. However, there has been less research into factors that influence how to support student perception to promote effective learning. This case study examines how perceptions of ability can be viewed as either exclusive or inclusive, and how this can be used to capture and cater to the complexity of a student's identity as a mathematician.
- Published
- 2019
14. The role of individualism, collectivism, and promotional reward type on consumer response to amplified word-of-mouth strategies
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Rawal, Monika, Saavedra Torres, Jose Luis, Bagherzadeh, Ramin, Rani, Suchitra, and Melancon, Joanna
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- 2024
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15. National cultures and the asset growth effect
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Chou, Robin K., Ko, Kuan-Cheng, and Rhee, S. Ghon
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- 2023
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16. Individualism and climate change policies: international evidence
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Vu, Trung V.
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- 2023
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17. The 'American Dilemma': Individualism, Diversity, Pluralism, and American Society.
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Timm, Joan Thrower
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This paper posits that Americans have three frames of reference (individualism, diversity of origin, and pluralism) that impact values and actions. Individualism includes understanding relationships with others. The paper identifies and describes five different types of individualism in U.S. culture: (1) Protestant; (2) republican; (3) utilitarian; (4) expressive; and (5) economic. Diversity of origin is identified by horizontal diversity (race, ethnicity, and gender) and vertical diversity (socioeconomic status and educational levels occurring in all horizontal groups). Pluralism refers to the holding of two or more viewpoints simultaneously. Forms of pluralism include: (1) coexistence; (2) cooperation; (3) co-explorers; and (4) co-enjoyment. These forms of pluralism may be used in multicultural education programs to enable students to learn an ethics of caring and hope for the country's future. (EH)
- Published
- 1994
18. Reggio Social Capital
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Stejzygier, Aneta
- Abstract
The paper presents the social capital as the essential element of success of the Reggio Emilia preschools known for their unique approach to the early childhood education. The collaborative effort is introduced through examples of the currently ongoing "Reggio Narrates" project of Reggio preschools, the "Dialogue with the Places" and "The Amusement Park for Birds" projects, and ongoing works of the Andersen preschools on "Geography" and "Work of Human Body". What makes Reggio approach truly unique is interdependence between preschools and the city; such a reciprocity is also presented as a defining feature of the social capital concept in opposition to individualism dominating both American and Polish societies. The paper is based on the knowledge acquired during the Dialogues on Education International Study Group organized by the Reggio Children and the Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia on April 19-24, 2009 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and comes from presentation by Antonia Monticelli and Tiziana Filippini, both educators of the Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
- Published
- 2009
19. The Morality of Individuality and Autonomy and the Co-Dependence of Education
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Parsons, Jim and Peetoom, Adrian
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This beginning paper attempts to explicate the myth of autonomy and individuality and the impact of this myth upon people in Western society. Focusing upon the work of the Dutch philosopher Gerrit Manenschijn, the authors briefly explore: (1) the history of autonomy as a myth as well as (2) how the West's monomythical culture shapes human thinking. In part two of the paper, the authors set out two examples to suggest how this myth works within education: (1) assessment at the K-12 level and (2) life as it is currently "competed" within higher education. The authors suggest how current educational practices might be complicit in the extension and support of autonomy and individuality as a moral compass that pushes those in the West towards materialism and extends current economic and market-driven curriculum. (Contains 6 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2008
20. Teachers as Reflective Practitioners: From Individualism to Vygotskian Social Constructivism
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Shah, Muhammad Athar
- Abstract
The paper presents a critical review of major works on reflective practice in teaching that mainly define reflection as a technical and isolated process, taking place in an individual's mind. Critiquing the cognitive nature of reflective practice promoted in mainstream research, the paper directs attention to the increasing recognition of sociocultural factors in teacher professional learning, and highlights the significance of reflection as a social practice. Starting with the ideas of John Dewey on reflective practice for teachers, the paper delineates Schön's successive works on the subject, followed by a discussion of Wallace's reflective model. The final part of the paper describes how Vygotsky's sociocultural theory provides a theoretical framework for teachers to effectively engage in reflective practice by moving from individualism to social constructivism in their efforts to enhance their professional competence.
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- 2022
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21. The Influence of National Culture on Educational Videos: The Case of MOOCs
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Bayeck, Rebecca Yvonne and Choi, Jinhee
- Abstract
This paper discusses the influence of cultural dimensions on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) introductory videos. The study examined the introductory videos produced by three universities on Coursera platforms using communication theory and Hofstede's cultural dimensions. The results show that introductory videos in MOOCs are influenced by the national culture of the country in which the university is based. Based on this finding, this paper raises interesting questions about the effect of these cultural elements on potential learners from different countries and cultures around the world. The paper also makes suggestions about introductory video production in MOOCs.
- Published
- 2018
22. Nationality and Culture as Factors Influencing Creativity Levels in Candidate Teachers: A Comparative Study between the United States and Turkey
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Lozano, Ricardo and Antrim, Joanne
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Through this study, students in their corresponding countries were led in identical activities allowing them to express themselves freely. The study observed differences in creativity among diverse students. The findings of this research challenge fundamental assumptions concerning levels of creativity displayed by particular cultures. [For the complete Volume 16 proceedings, see ED586117.]
- Published
- 2018
23. Education and environmental sustainability: culture matters
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Komatsu, Hikaru, Silova, Iveta, and Rappleye, Jeremy
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- 2023
- Full Text
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24. Occidentalism, Undergraduate Literary Reading, and Critical Intercultural Pedagogy
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Huang, Wen-Ding, Morrissey, Paul, and Chan, Pao-Jing
- Abstract
The purposes of this paper are to investigate Taiwanese undergraduate students' responses to a selected fictional text, and to propose a critical intercultural pedagogical approach of reading global literature in the EFL educational context based on the insights from the research findings. The authors first critically analysed Xiaolu Guo's third novel, "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," in terms of Occidentalism, in order to unpack the ideologies underlying her representation of the British and the Chinese. The analysis of the text was conducted through a qualitative approach of critical content analysis. After that, a semi-structured interview was adopted to scrutinise Taiwanese undergraduate students' perceptions of the ideologies underlying the fiction. The analysis of the text identified three themes of British-Chinese binary opposition together with the juxtaposition of ethnocentric Occidentalism and reverse Occidentalism. The findings obtained from interviews indicated that two of the three dichotomies, i.e. individualism versus collectivism and cosmopolitan versus rooted, underlying the fictional text were commonly perceived by the interviewed undergraduates while they had diverse views on the second dichotomy, sexual freedom versus sexual reticence. Furthermore, some students? responses to the fiction signified a subtle, implicit and delicate form of reverse Occidentalism. Based on the above research findings, the authors configured a critical intercultural pedagogy for raising students' capability of decoding and deconstructing Occidentalist ideologies underlying global literature.
- Published
- 2022
25. Classrooms as 'Places, Spaces' for Communion.
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Weidner, Heidemarie Z.
- Abstract
An educator was encouraged to examine the community that sometimes, "almost magically," forms in classrooms. Particularly, she wanted to research what or who fosters such communal spaces for students and how educators might harness those forces to become more adept at community building. Her findings forced her to reevaluate her own concept of a communal classroom. Instead of the peace the educator had stipulated, she learned that true communities demand a "yin and yang" of harmony and chaos. Discussion in this paper is structured in the following way: Characteristics of Community; Ways to Build Community in the Classroom; and The Role of the Teacher in Community Building. The paper notes that Americans often downplay community and praise individualism. It states that M. Scott Peck (whose stages of community building are discussed in the paper) warns of the "fallacy of rugged individualism" which describes only partially what it means to be human. According to the paper, Peck points out that when people accept their interdependence, "in the very depths of our hearts...real community begins." Includes an excerpt from Walt Whitman. Cites 18 works consulted. (NKA)
- Published
- 2001
26. Unpaid Child Support: The Abuse of American Values.
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Kobayashi, Futoshi
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Noting that fewer than half the single mothers in the United States receive complete and regular child support payments, this paper discusses reasons for unpaid child support, examines whether stricter enforcement of child support obligations will help solve the overall problem, and proposes another option for solving the problem of unpaid child support. Typical cases of unpaid child support are presented to illustrate the range of situations considered. The paper examines the current trend of forcing fathers to pay child support and describes recent legislation to increase fathers' financial contributions or to locate delinquent fathers. The paper notes that child support payment enforcement is not sensitive to fathers' individual situations, such as differences in social ties or changes in the family structure, and asserts the need to consider how to help fathers and mothers increase their incomes. Further, the paper maintains that legislation has contributed to the dissolution of families because financial contributions are guaranteed to divorced and never-married mothers. It is argued that American family dissolution and problems in obtaining child support are related to American values of freedom, individualism, and independence. The paper maintains that stricter enforcement of child support does not help to solve the overall problem because it is related to the abuse of the values of freedom, individualism, and independence. The paper concludes by proposing an after-school prevention program targeting junior and senior high school African American males in high unemployment areas. Contains 28 references. (KB)
- Published
- 1999
27. Community and Individuality in Civic Education for Democracy.
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Patrick, John J.
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The interactions of individuality and community in a democratic republic have remained the great object of civic inquiries, the perplexing civic problem throughout the more than 200 years of U.S. constitutional history. This paper argues that this inquiry should be at the center of civic education today. Five recommendations for civic educators to meet this challenge include: (1) teach the analysis and appraisal of public issues about community and individuality and emphasize those issues that have been landmarks of public debate in U.S. history; (2) teach comparatively and internationally about public issues pertaining to community and individuality in different constitutional democracies of the world; (3) conduct the classroom and the school in a manner that exemplifies the conjoining of community and individuality in a democratic civic culture; (4) use service learning in the community outside the school to teach civic virtues and skills needed to conjoin community and individuality in civic life; and (5) teach civic knowledge, skills, and virtues that constitute a common core of learning by which to maintain the culture of a community and coterminously teach individuals to think critically for the purposes of freeing themselves from unworthy traditions and to seek improvement of the community. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)
- Published
- 1996
28. The Impact of Partnership-Centered, Community-Based Learning on First-Year Students' Academic Research Papers.
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Feldman, Ann M., Moss, Tom, Chin, Diane, Marie, Megan, Rai, Candice, and Graham, Rebecca
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SERVICE learning ,EDUCATIONAL programs ,COMMUNITY-school relationships ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,COLLEGE students ,SOCIAL services ,SOCIAL change ,INDIVIDUALISM ,SOCIAL psychology ,TECHNOCRACY - Abstract
This article presents a control group study of the influence of a partnership-centered, community-based learning program on students' academic writing. The improved writing of first-year students in the Chicago Civic Leadership Certificate Program (CCLCP), we argue, results from the deeply situated learning that took place in the context of reciprocal, community-based relationships. We also argue that research on the impact of community-based learning should take into account the contemporary university's emerging paradigm of engaged learning and research, which calls for a redefinition of partnership and reciprocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
29. On the Educational Task of Mediating Basic Values in an Individualist Society
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Samuelsson, Lars and Lindström, Niclas
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Besides the task of conveying information, methods and skills to their pupils, teachers are also expected to mediate certain basic values. In this paper we are interested in the educational task of mediating such values in societies imbued with individualist values and attitudes. As a background we use the results from the recurring "World Values Survey" (WVS) which maps the evaluative profile of citizens in about 80 different countries worldwide. The results from WVS reveal that Swedes in general stand out as remarkably individualist with respect to their reported value judgements. Hence, Sweden constitutes our example of an individualist society, i.e., a society whose members to a large extent share an individualist evaluative profile. One important feature of such an individualist evaluative profile is a tendency to regard questions of value as largely a private matter and to downplay the importance of ethics in general. Against this background we investigated the evaluative outlook of 134 Swedish teacher students, using questions from WVS as a point of departure. The results indicate that these students do not differ to any significant degree from the Swedish population in general as regards their evaluative outlook, and yet they are supposed to mediate both individualist and social basic values in their coming profession. The purpose of this paper is to make visible and problematize the tension between an individualist evaluative profile and the educational task of mediating a set of basic values. This tension, it is argued, poses special challenges for teachers and the teacher education in societies on the individualist side of the scale.
- Published
- 2017
30. Beyond Basket Weaving: Multicultural Education and Whole-School Reform.
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May, Stephen A.
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This paper outlines the various limitations of several multicultural education initiatives and explores the conditions necessary for making multicultural education actually work. The conditions examined include the centrality of first language maintenance and the reconstituting of curriculum, pedagogy, evaluation, and organization at the school level. In addition, the paper discusses the controversy of multiculturalism versus antiracist education and assimilation. The multicultural educational program initiated at the Richmond Road School in Auckland, New Zealand is offered as an example of what can be achieved when multicultural education is combined with a critically conceived approach to whole-school reform. Reasons for its success are examined, focusing on the facts that: (1) the various school structures necessary to establishing an effective approach to multicultural education have been developed over many years; (2) the change process has involved staff cooperatively and collaboratively; (3) a high degree of theoretical literacy in multiculturalism was developed among teachers; and (4) a conversancy with theory resulted in an approach to multicultural education that was considered workable for staff and served the interests of all concerned. It is concluded that the structural changes implemented at Richmond Road demonstrate that multicultural education can be effectively reconceived in order to make a difference for minority children. (Contains 54 references.) (GLR)
- Published
- 1993
31. From a Politics of Self-Interest to a Multiculturally-Based Politics of Needs.
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Brettschneider, Marla
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This paper demonstrates that the problem of a theory of politics based on self-interest is that it squelches diversity behind a mask of "the common good" that results in a theoretical justification of inequality. Through philosophical critique, this paper presents the case for a move from a politics of self-interest toward a multiculturally-based politics of needs. The first part of the paper analyzes the roots of the assumption of self-interest in contemporary group theory. To this end, an analysis of traditional liberal philosophy is provided in order to unmask the notion of the "common good," that can be set apart from and opposed to private interests, as a mythic construction of the particular interests of some, called upon to justify the stifling of others. Such an analysis demonstrates the inegalitarian bias inherent in group theory's assumption of narrowly self-interested groups at odds with the public good. The leap from humans seeking to fulfill benign and uncontestable needs to the hierarchically organized protection of a class of private property owners is the Hobbesian paradigm, where fear of difference and the need to suppress it are made more explicit. The second part of this paper demonstrates specifically how, through a bourgeois process of commodification, legitimate and concrete needs come to be understood in abstract terms as interests. As educators seek to develop multicultural education, the experience of those excluded and oppressed in the current system based in sameness and fear of difference can be used to develop a curriculum that actively encourages diversity. Contains 55 references. (DK)
- Published
- 1993
32. Two Cultures, Two Dialogists and Two Intersecting Theories
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Ravenscroft, Lesley
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This paper presents some possibilities for applying the linguistic and psychological theories of two dialogists, Mikhail Bakhtin and Jacques Lacan, to the classroom. There is a short summary of how the two theories may interact with each other and then a discussion of their two opposing views of identity formation. Bakhtin was a Russian, coming from the collectivist paradigm and Lacan's theories were arcane combinations of Freud's emphasis on the needs of the individual and French post-Revolutionary individualism. Lacan insisted that one could only become "whole" at the cost of incompleteness for another. Bakhtin opined that completeness could only be achieved within experiences shared and co-constructed by others. This paper concludes with the question of how teachers can ensure the positive experience of co-construction rather than one person paying a cost for the other's identity-formation and whether it is possible to fully implement insights from a collectivistic paradigm in an education system where the stated aim is to enable each individual to meet his/her potential. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)
- Published
- 2012
33. Understanding the Effect of Culture on E-Book Popularity during COVID-19 Pandemic
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Malaquias, Rodrigo Fernandes, Malaquias, Fernanda Francielle de Oliveira, and Albertin, Alberto Luiz
- Abstract
Coronavirus Pandemic has changed the way that people live, interact and communicate with others. Some modifications are transitory, while others seem to be permanent. Seeking for social and human development, many individuals find in educational courses a way to get a better quality of life. During the lockdown periods, reducing human contact, information technology plays an important role to enable the access of books by individuals. Cultural factors at a country level also can expand or decrease the interest in information technologies to access electronic books (e-books). Therefore, considering the lockdown limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper tests the effect of culture on e-book popularity among different countries. First, we observed a significant increase in the popularity of e-books during the lockdown period, which reinforces the potential that information technology has to generate different values for individuals and firms during lockdown restrictions. Large countries, and countries with better levels of information technology tend to search more for e-books during the lockdown. Moreover, masculinity and power distance are two dimensions of culture that seem to be related to the changes in the interest of e-books during pandemics. These results highlight new questions that can be explored in further research.
- Published
- 2021
34. Teaching Methodology in a 'Large Power Distance' Classroom: A South Korean Context
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Jambor, Paul Z.
- Abstract
This paper looks at South Korea as an example of a collectivist society having a rather large power distance dimension value. In a traditional Korean classroom the teacher is at the top of the classroom hierarchy, while the students are the passive participants. Gender and age play a role in the hierarchy between students themselves. Teaching methods and methodologies need to be carefully weighed and examined before applying them to the Korean classroom setting as there are many determining factors that need to be taken into consideration before they can be used effectively in the second language classroom. Examples of these determinants are student motivation, cultural background and the intended use of the L2 (Second Language). Effective and ineffective teaching methods and methodologies for the Korean L2 classroom are both examined. The Korean classroom setting will be used as an example, as it is set in a collectivist environment with a history of Confucian influence, facilitating a large power distance teacher-student and student-student relationship. (Contains 1 figure.)
- Published
- 2005
35. Exploring Education Culture by Employing Hofstede?s Cultural Dimensions to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Current ERP Training Approach in Thailand
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Chayakonvikom, Monta, Fuangvut, Parin, and Cannell, Stephen
- Abstract
ERP training is a critical success factor in ERP implementation. The current ERP training was largely ineffective and caused user resistance and ERP implementation failure. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether the current ERP training approach can accommodate the cultural learning behaviors of end-users. Hofstede's cultural dimensions are employed to explain end-user dissatisfaction toward the current ERP training approach. The research is founded on the idea that different people learn in different ways, and cultural diversity may also influence how they learn and are taught. The current ERP training approach was design based on a Western learning culture and applied without concern for different learning cultures, which may be problematic. To achieve the objective, a qualitative method was adopted in this research. In-depth interviews were conducted with seventy-two end-users from twenty-two companies that had adopted an ERP system and had experienced ERP training in a Thai context during the implementation phase. The findings support the assumption by showing that the current ERP training approach did not accommodate Thai cultural learning behaviors in many areas. The content in this paper is a part of a comprehensive research to propose an ERP training framework to support the variety of end-user learning styles and different cultural learning behaviors.
- Published
- 2016
36. Aesthetic Education: A Korean and an Austrian Perspective
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Choi, Jin and Sojer, Thomas
- Abstract
Korea and Austria: two very different schooling systems, and different approaches to educational reform. Yet for both, the renaissance of aesthetics has great potential. This paper analyses the arguments in Korea and Austria for aesthetic education. For each country, we identified a distinctive philosophical approach to meeting the individual needs and challenges of each country's schooling system through aesthetic education--yielding some fascinating insights and resemblance: in the context of Korea, the American philosopher Jenefer Robinson is taken into account. By contrast, the situation of Austria is connected with the thoughts of the French philosopher Simone Weil. A comparison of these subtle distinctions in thought reveals the intercultural perspective of each country. The final aim of this paper is to highlight the common substance of both approaches and to suggest it as a basis for further intercultural cooperation for the revival of aesthetics within the field of comparative education.
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- 2016
37. Incorporating Eastern and Western Learning Perspectives into a Western Learning Environment
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Chang, Bo
- Abstract
This paper focuses on incorporating Eastern and Western learning perspectives into an American learning environment. The design-based research approach is employed. The following principles influenced by the Eastern and Western perspectives of learning were implemented in course design: providing pre-sequenced materials with high structure and flexible options, valuing group collaboration and individual autonomy, and promoting diverse ideas and critical thinking. Responses from 38 participants show that students from the Western learning environment also favor the pre-sequenced course materials with high structure. Even though they prefer independent and individual work, in an online environment a certain degree of collaborative work is necessary to create interactive dynamics and a sense of presence. Critical thinking in an online environment is not always adequately executed, which does not support the Western learning perspective of favoring critical thinking.
- Published
- 2021
38. The Practice of Religious Tourism among Generation Z's Higher Education Students
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García-del Junco, Julio, Sánchez-Teba, Eva M., and Rodríguez-Fernández, Mercedes
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the possibilities offered by religious tourism according to Generation Z's education in values. Both the theoretical and empirical frameworks of the research have focused on Hofstede's Cultural Model, aiming to predict with a certain level of success the influence of cultural and social values on the consumption of religious tourism by the young age segment of Generation Z. A cross-cultural analysis was performed using exponential sampling (Snowball Sampling). All respondents were higher education students. The surveys were carried out using "Google Forms". The results obtained allow the design of a communication plan for the management of Religious Tourism according to the dimensions of Masculinity-Femininity, Individualism-Collectivism, Distance to Power, Risk Aversion, and Long-term Orientation.
- Published
- 2021
39. Fostering Creativity, Individualism, and the Imaginative Spirit: Are Collaborative Thinking and Cooperative Learning Overemphasized in Education Today?
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Hillmann, Paula J.
- Abstract
Are creativity and imaginative thinking impeded by the emphasis that many American schools place on cooperative learning and collaborative thinking today? This paper explores past and present philosophies concerning individualism and creativity as they relate to education in the USA. A person's ability to individuate is based on the premise that freedom of personal choice and opportunity are essential to the development of self-reason, self-interests, and self-esteem. Curriculum and instructional programming that emphasize cooperative group learning and collaboration at the expense of individual ideation may undermine and erode individualism and the imaginative spirit. Might this also suggest that a de-emphasis on individual creation, imagination, and production weakens intrinsic motivation and problem-solving and decision-making, and impedes personal freedom to be creative?
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- 2004
40. School-to-Work Transitions Support: 'Cruel Optimism' for Young People in 'The State of Insecurity'
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Chadderton, Charlotte
- Abstract
In this paper, I argue that current arrangements for school-to-work transitions support in England, now school-based, are designed to contribute towards ensuring the consent of the population for what I refer to as the 'state of insecurity' (Lorey, 2015): the neoliberal relationship between the individual and the state in which insecurity is promoted as freedom. Based on an analysis of policy, the paper argues that the government careers strategy for young people aims to contribute to shaping the precarious subjects which inhabit the state of insecurity, by encouraging them to internalise neoliberal values around freedom and individualism which accompany governmental precarisation. Drawing also on the work of Judith Butler (2011), I suggest that throughout the careers strategy, neoliberalism functions as performative or hegemonic norm which is cited to constitute notions of 'good' or 'normal' labour market arrangements, aspirations and selves. I suggest that this strategy is an example of Berlant's (2011) 'cruel optimism', which constitutes a fantasy of a 'good life' which is in fact likely to be unattainable to many young people, especially the more disadvantaged.
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- 2020
- Full Text
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41. Organization Development. Symposium.
- Abstract
This document contains four papers on organization development and human resources. "Identification of Key Predictors of Rapid Change Adaptation in a Service Organization" (Constantine Kontoghiorghes, Carol Hansen) reports on the results of an exploratory study, which suggests that rapid change adaptation will be more likely to occur in an organizational setting within which there is an emphasis on process and quality improvement, innovation, rapid technology assimilation, and internal customer focus. "Research and Theory Internationalization of Organization Development: Applying Action Research to Transnational Health Organizations" (Carol Pavlish) addresses the cultural competencies organizational development professionals need as they implement action research and work with transnational health organizations to construct a more socially just and healthy world order. "The Design and Development of an Instrument to Measure Organizational Efficacy" (James G. Bohn) discusses the development and testing of a new research tool, the Bohn Organizational Efficacy Scale, which can be used to assess the perceived ability of an organization to work together and persist regardless of obstacles. "The Relationship of Individualism and Collectivism to Perceptions of Interpersonal Trust in a Global Consulting Firm" (Ghazala Ovaice) reports on a study of the national cultural values of individualism and collectivism as they are reflected in managers and employees. The major implication is that the building of trust awareness in workplace relations varies among a multinational workforce. All four papers contain substantial bibliographies. (AJ)
- Published
- 2002
42. Trust in Organizations. Symposium 6. [AHRD Conference, 2001].
- Abstract
This document contains three papers on human resource development (HRD) and trust in organizations. "Organizational Trust: An Orientation for the HRD Practitioner" (Christina L. Lafferty, Brad D. Lafferty) reviews research on organizational trust that was conducted with a focus on cognitive-based theories, affect-based theories, and combined cognitive- and affect-based theories. The paper explores what studies based on these theories have contributed to HRD knowledge about the mechanisms of organizational trust and the relationship between organizational trust and performance. "A Conceptualization of Interpersonal Trust in the Workplace" (Sandra L. Williams) examines the existing literature on interpersonal trust in the workplace and develops a conceptual framework for understanding interpersonal trust in work settings. The framework includes consideration of the multidimensional characteristics of personal trust as well as the antecedents to and outcomes of interpersonal trust. "Organizational Trust and Attachment to an Immediate Leader: A Pilot Study" (Colleen E. Duffy, Christina L. Lafferty, Brad D. Lafferty) reports on a pilot study that examined the organizational trust scores of individuals having positive attachment to an immediate leader and demonstrated that attachment to an immediate leader does not significantly affect organizational trust scores. All three papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)
- Published
- 2001
43. Understanding Cultural Determinants of MOOCs Offering: A Cross-Country Study
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Malaquias, Fernanda Francielle de Oliveira and Junior, Romes Jorge da Silva
- Abstract
Massive Open Online Courses, also known as MOOCs, figure as the main trend in the international educational market in recent years, characterized by the offer of free, open access and global courses. Although many current studies address issues like design, quality and acceptance of these courses, little attention has been given regarding cultural aspects that could influence this global open learning movement. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate cultural determinants of MOOCs offering, through a crosscountry analysis. To this end, four cultural factors proposed by Hofstede were considered. Through the multivariate regression analysis, we evaluated the relation between these factors and the number of MOOCs offered in each country. The results show that Individualism presents a significant and positive effect on MOOCs offering. Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity dimensions of culture do not present significant effect on MOOCs offering. This means that although individuals from countries with higher rates of Masculinity and lower levels of Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance are more likely to attend online courses, universities in these countries are not necessarily the ones offering more MOOCs. The results of the study may be useful to support the implementation of strategies for the diffusion and internationalization of MOOCs.
- Published
- 2020
44. Who Am I? Transforming Our Understanding of Identity and Moral Education
- Author
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Splitter, Laurance J.
- Abstract
When I was invited to edit a special issue of "Education Sciences" on the theme of "Moral education and identity", I saw an opportunity both to gain a better understanding of how scholars across a range of disciplines construed the task of moral education in terms of identity and--I can now confess--to defend the claim that moral education, when properly understood, depends upon an account of identity which is quite different from that which dominates the social sciences, the media and popular opinion. My aim here is to provide such an account and, thereby, to suggest how we might construe the challenge of moral education in a world, and at a time, in which self-centered, short-sighted and narrow-minded thinking dominates much of the socio-political landscape. I argue that the dominant view of identity--that our own identities are constituted by those collectives and institutions with which we "identify"--actually reinforces narratives which bind us to tribal perspectives--in national, religious and cultural terms--in which we increasingly see ourselves and others in terms of who is "in" and who is "out". I propose a relational view of identity in which each person sees her/himself as "one among others", where the relationships in question both bind us in familiar and concrete ways to others--i.e., other persons but also other objects in the world--and transcend the boundaries imposed by belonging to this or that nation, religion, culture, or tribe. This idea of what it means to be a person goes hand-in-hand with a framework for moral education which is also both concretely relational and appropriately transcendent. Put briefly, we need to create the conditions in which young people engage one another "dialogically" in taking responsibility for tackling what I term "the Big Questions", including: "What do I/we stand for?", "What/who really matters?", "What kind of society/world do I/we want to live in (and leave for future generations)?", and "What is my place in the world?". (In taking this approach, I aim to address at least some of the questions posed in the original "call for submissions" for this special issue, as outlined at the Special Issue "Moral Education and Identity").
- Published
- 2020
45. Teachers' Perspectives on Global Citizenship Education in Central Appalachia
- Author
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Moffa, Eric D.
- Abstract
This paper reports on a sequential mixed-methods (quan [right arrow] QUAL) study that explored rural Appalachian teachers' perspectives and pedagogical decisions about Global Citizenship Education (GCE). In phase one, a questionnaire was completed by social studies teachers (n=19) from remote and distant rural high schools located in Central Appalachia across two states. Closed-ended items were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Open-ended items were coded to elicit themes that helped to answer the research questions. In phase two, two participants from the original sample were interviewed to uncover their experiences navigating GCE in their unique community contexts. Findings suggest social studies teachers in rural Appalachia, while not using the exact terminology of global citizenship, support multiple types of global citizenship aims. They tend to perceive their communities as homogenous, isolated, and conservative, which presented both challenges to and stimuli for teaching global curricula. Participants tend to perceive much of their global curricula as contrarian in their communities and, therefore, rely on professional tact and community-based knowledge as rural natives to inform their pedagogical decisions.
- Published
- 2020
46. A Framework to Support Global Corporate M-Learning: Learner Initiative and Technology Acceptance across Cultures
- Author
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Farrell, Wendy
- Abstract
Corporations are growing more and more international and accordingly need to train and develop an increasingly diverse and dispersed employee based. M-learning seems like it may be the solution if it can cross cultures. Learner initiative has been shown to be a disadvantage of distant learning environments, which would include m-learning. Consequently this study will look at the influence of Hofstede's cultural dimensions on Learner Initiative (LI) and how LI influences technology acceptance of m-learning. A prototype will be designed and shown to representatives of various cultures along the cultural dimension who will then answer a questionnaire. Responses will be evaluated in two phases with the first phase focusing on the cultural influence on LI and the second phase focusing on how LI influences technology acceptance. [For the full proceedings, see ED562096.]
- Published
- 2015
47. Tensions between the Individualism and Community in Educational Settings Today: Choices and Prospects - A Classroom Perspective.
- Author
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Boge, Wolfgang
- Abstract
Although academics in Germany are engaged in extensive theoretical discussions over individualism ("liberalism") and communitarianism, this paper argues that the modern question of "individual freedom versus the community" is not currently an explicit component of the German civic education curriculum. Because of the difficult and vague nature of German academic theory, potentially valuable and relevant theoretical discussions often do not affect education practitioners. A classroom teacher's perspective is formed first not by theory but rather by the expressed interests of students and the topical conflicts in society as mirrored in the media; the teacher's field of interest, educational background, and teacher training; and the availability of applicable teaching materials. The treatment of the "liberal freedom versus the community" concept in various teacher materials including German civic education curricula, textbooks, magazines, "brochures," and teaching units is evaluated. The concept's relevancy to high school civic education is demonstrated and examples of questions to apply in the civics classroom are provided. (Contains 17 references.) (CB)
- Published
- 1996
48. The Implications of the Individualism/Communitarian Debate for Civic Education: Observations and Prejudices.
- Author
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Smith, Duane E.
- Abstract
This paper evaluates how civic education in the United States currently is impacted by the competing theories of individualism ("liberalism") and communitarianism. Each theory's intellectual history and meaning is explained briefly. The implications of the "debate between the defenders of liberalism and their communitarian critics for civic education," although few, include: educators' excessive concern for the affairs of the community ("mandatory voluntary community service" school programs); students' ability to evaluate liberal and communitarian claims (responsibility of citizenship); students' comprehension of democratic theory and the history of democratic practice; students' behavior in terms of the requirements of basic civility and responsibility (be on time, do homework, treat others with respect); and students' awareness of and desire to experience life's possibilities (including political involvement). Comparing democracy to the theater, civic educators need to prepare their students of democratic politics, when not acting, to be an audience of "enlightened and critical viewers, readers, and listeners" who attend most (but not necessarily all) political performances. (CB)
- Published
- 1996
49. The Implications of the Individualism and Communitarian Debate for Civic Education: The Task of Democratic Orientation.
- Author
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Duerr, Karlheinz
- Abstract
Although the demise of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 was described as "the ultimate victory of Democracy," this paper asserts that serious internal problems exist within modern democracies throughout Europe and the United States today. However, civic education offers a potential remedy. Part 1, "The New Democratic Question," identifies the main problem area as the relationship between the individual and the community, the so-called "communitarian debate." With the decline of many formerly dominant social institutions (religions organizations, the family, and school) that defined and provided answers to basic moral and ethical questions, the new replacements are often factions and small organizations that offer an almost infinite variety of moral norms, resulting in a new sense of uncertainty, a lack of social and cultural orientation, and a rise in individualism. In Part 2 "The Crisis of Democratic Orientation" is evidenced in the following three societal developments: the decline of central political institutions; the growth in distance between citizen and state; and the rise of special agenda organizations (social movements, interest and lobby groups). These developments represent a change in democratic attitudes resulting in a growing divide between the way democracy works in practice and its normative and legal foundations as set in its constitutions and laws. Part 3, "Implications for Civic Education," proposes that civic education is the best arena in which to ensure that democratic principles are embedded firmly in the social framework of a society and in the hearts and minds of the people. However, a new civic education framework should include expanded methods that reflect social change and the multiplicity of the factors at work in the public sphere. (CB)
- Published
- 1996
50. The Political Economy of Sentiment: Paper Credit and the Scottish Enlightenment in Early Republic Boston, 1780–1820 (review)
- Author
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Cathy D. Matson
- Subjects
Cultural Studies ,Value (ethics) ,History ,Instrumental and intrinsic value ,Sociology and Political Science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Scottish Enlightenment ,Individualism ,Market Revolution ,Mercantilism ,Political economy ,Sympathy ,Internal improvements ,Sociology ,media_common - Abstract
The Political Economy of Sentiment: Paper Credit and the Scottish Enlightenment in Early Republic Boston., 1780-1820. By Jose R. Torre. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2006. Pp. 251. Cloth, £66/ $99.00.)Reviewed by Cathy MaisonThe Political Economy of Sentiment traces the transformation in thinking about "value" that began in late seventeenth-century England and reached maturity before America's market revolution. Jose Torre argues that profound changes in the meanings of value spurred innovations in the paper credit and banking systems of the early national political economy, but he also invites the reader to consider parallel intellectual transformations among New England's Unitarian ministers, sentimental novelists, and decorative artists who articulated new views about value through the concept of "sentiment."In Torre's background stand the traditional defenders of the intrinsic value of money (silver and gold), a "beggar thy neighbor" mercantilist model of commerce, and the regulation of personal behavior in the marketplace. Among them, John Locke is cast not as the herald of liberal individualism, but as an advocate of unchangeable intrinsic value in money. Slowly, under the influence of Scottish Moral Sense writersmost notably David Hume, Francis Hutcheson, and Adam Smith-value became changeable, contestable, and conceptually fictitious. Revolutionary Americans more readily accepted currency as a promise to facilitate exchange, an instrument of public trust, and confidence without real value. The true measure of wealth was not the store of money on hand, but the ability of mere paper to satisfy collective individual desires to develop America and consume more.This new view of value proved to be liberating in an infant republic whose citizens were deeply in debt, but also convinced of their tremendous potential for economic and cultural development. Powerful spokesmen pushed the new view of value further and celebrated speculative investments, expansive individual consumption, and an infinite system of paper credit, all of which, they insisted, would knit together large networks of investors and consumers in mountains of confidence and trust.Yet because paper credit was fictitious, and Americans had lost the security of attachment to the British commercial empire and fixed traditional political authority, some kind of glue was necessary to hold together otherwise discretely associated individuals in this new world of value. "Sentiment" would be the glue to ease disquietude about the unbridled self-interest, and it would provide New Englanders with an "epistemology based on feelings" (56). In the form of sympathy or benevolence, Adam Smith's "impartial spectator" knew what was morally right by imagining himself in the place of the other whom he was judging; an internal moral sentiment would bind individuals in a system of "natural liberty" that had little place for the constraints of mercantilism and much potential for the satisfaction of wants and needs.Torre is less effective in addressing a central conundrum in early national political economy: the failure of lofty ideals-in this case, sentiment-to play out in the reality of contentious interests. Surely, regulation, restraint, and paternalism persisted in disputes over cultural authority, but Torre provides only a few glimpses of discussions about commercial protection and internal improvements. He demonstrates that many key economic thinkers, among them Jonathan Witherspoon, Ben Franklin, William Barton, James Sullivan, and Mathew Carey (whose name is consistently misspelled), were excited about facilitating the new nation's "liquid" credit and enlarging public confidence in banks, and hence the nation's sympathetic social bonds. …
- Published
- 2007
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