Concepts of Europe in Intercultural Teacher Education and Training

At a time when teacher education is under close scrutiny across Europe, this article attempt to examine some of the intercultural elements within this key area of education. A principle focus is the conceptualisation of terms such as Europe and European where the argument is made that the use of such terms is deeply ideological and deserves close scrutiny. Following a brief examination of the crucial position of migration in Europe and the social policies consequent upon it, the article end with an account of practice in an English teacher training institution that attempts to utilise some of the conceptual frameworks outlined in this article.     

Intercultural Education and Teacher Education in the United Kingdom: a case of reversible decline

This paper traces the development of intercultural education in initial and in‐service teacher education in the United Kingdom. It is argued that intercultural education in the UK has been continually locked into various political agendas and that its place in teacher education has suffered almost terminal damage as a result. It was stifled as part of the UK Conservative government's anti‐liberal ideology and its attempts to restrict analysis of social issues. The effect continues under the new Labour government because of its commitment to the rhetoric of quality and standards in the basic skills. In order to understand the nature of intercultural education in teacher education in the UK, it is necessary to understand something of the background to developments in intercultural education in schools in general, and the history of developments in teacher education. The first part of the paper will examine the development of approaches in schools and the in‐service training of teachers: the second will discuss the parallel developments in initial teacher education.     

Migrants and asylum seekers: policy responses in the United States to immigrants and refugees from Central America and the Caribbean

This article analyzes the complex political environment of US immigration and refugee policies in which tensions exist, especially with regard to Central America and the Caribbean. Recommendations for managing it more effectively in the future are discussed. Several western countries, including the US, have implemented stricter restriction policies as a result of the perceived threats to their economies and cultural homogeneity. In general, US immigration policy has addressed both economic concerns and domestic pressures, whereas US refugee policy has reflected foreign policy concerns. As a result of these policies, there has been an increasing number of immigrants from Mexico, as well as huge numbers of refugees from Cuba and Nicaragua. Yet, there has been limited acceptance of asylum seekers from Haiti, El Salvador and Guatemala. Among the policies passed by the US Congress to reduce illegal immigration and limit assistance to legal immigrants were the Welfare Reform Act, Illegal Immigration Reform, Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996, and the Proposition 187 movement. Revisions in the procedures of the Immigration and Naturalization Service were also made.     

Retirement Income Security in the United States of America

Abstract

Population aging in the United States poses a challenge for the present and coming generations: how to financially support the growing numbers of retired people? There is also a need to explore the potential for conflict across generations if young people see themselves as funding a system that may not be able to support them fully when they are older. This paper explores this intergenerational dimension and suggests that such stories of potential conflict are not borne out by research.     

Ethnicity and Organization: Jewish Communities in Eastern Europe and the United States*

In their most essential respects, the immigrant communities of American Jews (and the total American Jewish community) were a direct continuation of those which appeared in East Europe, prior to 1914. Using archives, government reports, and texts (primary and secondary) this paper reconstructs the sociohistorical environment in which they appeared. The extensive communal organization which characterized both settings, actually served the interests of societal demands. These institutions provided needed (often emergency) services to the community, but they also supported the out-group's status, as determined by the larger society. A clear picture emerges of the impact on the collective Jewish, and individual Jew's, adaptation to society within a highly developed and organized community.     

Social Enterprise in the United States and Europe: Understanding and Learning from the Differences

Since the 1980s both the United States and Europe have experienced a simultaneous expansion in social enterprise. However, little has been written comparing and contrasting American and European conceptions of social enterprise resulting in difficulty communicating on the topic and missed opportunities to learn and build on foreign experience. To address this need, this paper compares and contrasts American and European social enterprise through an extensive review of literature from the two regions and discussions with social enterprise researchers on both sides of the Atlantic. It outlines the definitions of social enterprise used by American and European academics and practitioners, identifies historical factors promoting and shaping different conceptions of social enterprise, and highlights the differing institutional and legal environments in which it operates. It concludes by identifying what Americans and Europeans can learn from each others’ experience with social enterprise.

Poverty research and policy for rural America

Resurgent interest in poverty in the U.S. by both researchers and policymakers offers an opportunity to bring increased attention to the plight of the rural poor. Rural poverty is widespread and severe, and fundamental changes in the structure of the national economy portend continued distress in remote areas. High labor force participation by the rural poor has important theoretical and policy implications for understanding the causes, consequences and intervention strategies for combating poverty. Research on the characteristics and circumstances of different groups of the poor in rural areas could make a significant contribution toward dispelling some of the myths about “deserving and undeserving” categories of poor people that continue to impede design and implementation of appropriate policy. We review what is currently known about rural poverty, what needs to be learned, and how such research applies to current policy debates. has conducted applied research on the working poor and economic development in Appalachia. specializes in rural labor markets, gender and stratification, and political sociology. She is on the advisory board of the Aspen Institute’s Rural Economic Policy Program. The authors contributed equally to this paper. Helpful comments were offered by anonymous reviewers. An earlier version was presented at the 1987 Rural Sociological society Meetings, Madison, Wisconsin.     

Canada's guestworkers: some comparisons of temporary workers in Europe and North America

The Canadian system of issuing temporary employment visas is first described, and the characteristics of the resulting guestworker labor force are considered. Comparisons are made with the situation in the United States and in Europe. The author notes that, in contrast to the situation in Western Europe, guestworkers make up only one percent of the total labor force.     

Danish home care policy and the family: implications for the United States

This paper provides an overview of reforms in Danish long-term care initiated in the early 1980s, describes the relationship between elder care in Denmark and the family, and considers implications for U.S. policy. The success of Denmark's community-based experimentation with new models of home care and housing for the elderly resulted in a national decision to eliminate new construction of nursing homes and increase access to publicly funded home care. Lingering concern that the provision of paid assistance for the elderly could undermine family structure is allayed by the findings of a recent survey: Three-fourths of the elderly report seeing their children on a weekly or more frequent basis. Findings from the Danish experience provide evidence that community-based services can aid family caregivers, enable the frail elderly to live in the setting of their choice, and be cost-effective from a public policy perspective.     

Argentina and the brain drain: some perspectives from expatriates in the United States

This study focuses on the brain drain of health care professionals and physical scientists from Argentina, using survey data on a group of 89 immigrants who are currently US residents and listed in the current edition of AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN OF SCIENCE. Although the loss of educated people is probably more likely if their degrees are acquired abroad, even at the doctoral level, the majority of those responding held Argentine degrees. The most important motivation was to gain professional and career advancement. Although pragmatism was associated with the decision to emigrate, the political environment was also quite important. Responses indicate that the losses of scientific personnel which have occurred in the past may be irreversible. Most of the respondents have become US citizens and now have families in that country. However, many respondents still have family, friends, or professional associations in Argentina. Some subtleties bear mention. The retreat of the generals has not removed all political factors from the problem list. Now scientific and professional activities must be de-politicized. The government must take explicit steps to ensure that academic and scientific positions are awarded on the basis of expertise. The evidence suggests that educational considerations are far less important as a causal element in the brain drain from Argentina than is the case in many Third World countries.