Online in later life: Age as a chronological fact and a dynamic social category in an Internet class for retirees

In recent years, sociolinguistic research that has taken an indexical perspective on the construction of social meaning has focused on certain dimensions of identity, such as gender and ethnicity; age, on the other hand, has not received as much attention. More often than not, it has been understood as a fixed chronological fact rather than a socially meaningful resource. The present study, which draws from data collected in an Internet course at a social center for senior citizens, illustrates how age‐related social meanings are recruited in interaction in more complex ways than generally thought. Discourse analysis of interactions between students and their younger instructor show how age informs the construction of social meaning as both a chronological fact and a dynamic social category; students and instructor alike create stances and assume interactional positions in part by indexing age‐related social categories that align with or subvert communicative expectations based on their chronological age.     

An outcome evaluation of a diploma in social work programme

This paper reports on a piece of evaluative research into employment outcomes for students completing The South Wales Diploma in Social Work Programme, and the extent to which students felt prepared for their new roles.

It was recognised that such a study could determine if the South Wales area was over-producing qualified social workers and if the demand was diminishing with the shift towards community care. It would also generate insights into views of new practitioners, in particular the relevance to their practice of the strong emphasis within the Programme on anti-discriminatory practice.

Anonymous questionnaires were mailed to 98 students six months after completing the Programme. Data was generated on biographical details, current posts held, and the relevance of the taught course to current practice.

The findings are set against those of similar studies into students' experiences of professional and post qualifying training, and employment outcomes. Discussion then focuses on the current debate in social work, the changes in the value base as set out by CCETSW (1989) in its Paper 30: Rules and Requirements for the Diploma in Social Work, and its review of the document six years later (CCETSW, 1995).     

Analysis of Spanish policies for the integration of immigrant schoolchildren

The Organic Law on the Improvement of the National Education Quality (Ley Orgánica de Reforma de la Calidad Educativa) readdressed one of the most significant educational issues: educational policies related to immigrant students. Therefore, this is an appropriate moment to evaluate these types of policies in three singular Spanish regions: Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia. This article presents an analysis of the measures taken in three Spanish regions: Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia in response to students’ reception, acceptance and enrolment of immigrant students. A qualitative methodology based on the comparative method is used. Diverse similarities, but also specific characteristics and differences, can be found among the three models associated with each region. There are several significant differences that can be appreciated, such as the institutional role, as well as other specific measures. However, singular features are also identified, such as the diverse policies for the use of the vehicular language in each of the cases. Finally, the comparisons highlight various critical aspects, such as attention devoted to the students’ native language and progress towards intercultural education in school strategies and planning.     

Young Norwegians and their views on climate change and the future: findings from a climate concerned and oil-rich nation

Young people represent the future, but little is known about their attitudes towards climate change, one of the most serious issues facing the world today. The purpose of the present study is to contribute with improved and new knowledge of young Norwegians’ understanding of and attitudes towards this issue, with a special focus on perspectives of the future. Of particular interest is the influence of divergent framings of the climate question in Norway, due to conflicting interests between the petroleum industry and climate concern. The young people's voices are elicited through two different surveys undertaken during the fall of 2013, one national (Norwegian Citizen Panel) and one local (School survey conducted among high-school students). The study generated both quantitative and qualitative findings, stemming from closed-ended as well as open-ended questions. The data were handled through a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. The results show that the voices tend to be oriented towards the opinion that Norway has a responsibility to help poor countries as well as a duty to prevent climate change and that the country should reduce its oil production. We further observe that young Norwegians have an optimistic view of the future, based on a pronounced belief in technology and science.     

Dual Citizenship as a Path‐Dependent Process1

Over the last few decades, dual nationalities worldwide have increased rapidly. This is astonishing when one considers that a few decades ago citizenship and political loyalty to a national political community were considered inseparable. Overall, there has been a bumpy‐line trend towards increasing tolerance. Yet, the degree to which dual nationality is tolerated by states differs. Based on the findings of postnational and national perspectives, this analysis proposes to view tolerance and resistance towards dual nationality as a path‐dependent process. The questions dealt with are: What are the factors encouraging the generally increasing tolerance towards multiple nationalities? How can cross‐national differences regarding de jure and de facto tolerance towards dual nationality be explained? The main tendency over the past decades has been the growing emphasis on individual rights vis‐à‐vis state prerogatives in liberal democracies. The expansion of de jure tolerance towards dual nationality is due partly to inter‐, supra‐ and national‐level developments, which are connected to diverse factors such as gender equity, understandings of nationhood, immigrant incorporation and general characteristics of the political systems.     

Attitudes and Acts of Sexual Aggression on a University Campus*

There is increasing understanding of the widespread extent of men's physical sexual coercion of women in this society. In this study, we document the amount of that coercion among a sample of college students. We try to explain that coercion in terms of certain valucs (traditional sex-role conceptions that amount to an ideology of gender inequality). We also try to explain that coercion in terms of attitudes towards physical sexual coercion. For purposes of this study, we measured both females’experience as victims of sexual aggression and males’experience as perpetrators of sexual aggression. We also measured both males’and females’values regarding gender inequality and attitudes regarding sexual aggression. We found that female college students in our sample had experienced a considerable amount of sexual aggression. We also found that male and female students’values regarding gender inequality and their attitudes regarding physical sexual coercion differed widely. Finally, we found strong relationships between male students’values and attitudes and their participation in sexual aggression.     

Do gitano students feel discriminated against in their social and academic surroundings? A survey of schools in Granada,Spain

This paper aims to study the perception of 208 students [37 gitanos (gypsies), 138 payos (non-gypsies), 22 mixed ethnicity (gitano-payo), and 8 other ethnicities] in areas and schools with gitano populations in the City and Province of Granada, Spain, considering nine factors related to the segregation, discrimination and racism towards the gitano community. A questionnaire with a Likert scale of 1–5 points was utilised to understand the perceptions of the respondents on the controlled variables and the reasons for their opinions. This study also gathered students’ ideas on ways to help improve integration and social acceptance of the gitano minority. Perceptions of students (especially those of gitano and mixed gitano-payo ethnicity) show that despite efforts towards social inclusion, discriminatory beliefs and practices still linger and need to be actively reduced.     

Intercultural education in everyday practice

While there is substantive work in intercultural education, especially that which proposes intellectual or conceptual road maps for pedagogic interculturalism and, more specifically for the classroom, there is a need to surface the complexity of everyday intercultural classroom practices. This article reflects on some Singapore students’ responses to materials designed to help them engage critically with intercultural issues. These responses can be categorized into three types of tajectories: reifying, critical and conflicted. Reifying practices basically mean that students essentialize individuals, communities and countries despite (and perhaps because of) the intercultural approach to the teaching of communication. Critical trajectories, on the other hand, showcase students’ ability to identify stereotypes and provide much more nuanced characterizations of individuals and countries. Conflicted trajectories, however, seem to be the most dominant classroom practice: these are attempts of students to be critical but, in practice, their criticality is enmeshed in reifying tendencies. In other words, ‘criticality’ as it is envisioned is always incomplete on the ground. Thus, we need micro-lenses in interculturalism and intercultural education to help us critically reflect on and surface essentialisms, tensions and struggles in everyday classroom practice.     

Modelling school participation based on the theory of planned behaviour / Modelamiento de la participación escolar basado en la teoría del comportamiento planificado

This study evaluated a predictive model of school participation based on Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour. Attitudes towards social justice, perceived control and subjective norm on school participation were tested, mediated by the behavioural intention in favour of social justice in a sample of 443 secondary school students. The proposed model showed good fit (χ² = 597.740, df = 342; RMSEA = .041). The behavioural intentions towards social justice and perceived behavioural control were directly related to school participation. An indirect effect of perceived control on participation was detected, mediated by behavioural intention, but no evidence was found of the indirect effect of either attitude or norm on school participation.     

Evolution of victimization,tolerance and detection of intimate partner violence among young Spanish women / Evolución de victimización,tolerancia y detección de la violencia de pareja entre mujeres jóvenes españolas

Intimate partner violence that takes place in first couple relationships has received increasing attention in recent years, leading our knowledge on different topics to grow remarkably. The objective of this study is two-fold: on the one hand, we compare levels of victimization and tolerance for two samples, from two waves of assessment; and on the other hand, we focus on coherence among victimization and the use of labels such as abuse, fear and feeling trapped in the relationship in both waves. A total sample of 3,844 women between the ages of 16 and 21 took part in the study, 18% in the first wave in 2003–05 and 82% in the second wave in 2011–13. Data were collected using the Cuestionario de Violencia de Novios (CUVINO), a questionnaire that provides information on the prevalence of and tolerance towards eight different kinds of abuse, along with self-labelling questions on the perception of abuse. Results showed a similarity in prevalence and labelling in both waves of assessment, with higher tolerance in the second wave. We discuss the implications of these findings for improving current prevention programs on dating violence.     

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Critical Analysis of a Film Depiction of the Holocaust

Film depictions of the Holocaust have become a ubiquitous part of social studies education, as many states have mandated Holocaust or genocide curricula in recent years; however, the quality of such curricula varies greatly, as does the level of teacher preparation for Holocaust-based instruction. Given the increase in mandates and the lack of more rigorous content knowledge expertise, many teachers turn to films, such as The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, to represent, for students, the horrors of the Holocaust. The film, however, is deeply problematic in several ways—historical inaccuracy, questions of agency and gender, and an overarching message that represents a potentially dangerous interpretation of responsibility for the greatest crime in human history. This article explores the failings of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and proposes strategies that teachers may use to mitigate the film’s shortcoming and to provide for a valuable learning experience for students.     

The Perceived Intent of Potentially Offensive Sexual Behaviors Among Adolescents

Individual differences may partly explain how students react to potentially offensive sexual behaviors from peers. This study focused on situational and personal characteristics that may make such behaviors more or less upsetting. Six hundred and thirty two Quebecois high‐school students in Grades 8–11 completed questionnaires regarding their experience with potentially offensive sexual behaviors. Behaviors experienced at the hand of a close friend were less upsetting than those experienced at the hand of other peers. Compared with high self‐esteem peers, students with lower self‐esteem were more upset by such behaviors and were more likely to perceive the perpetrator's intent as unacceptable. In addition to sex of target, self‐esteem, and relationship with the perpetrator, the attribution of unacceptable intent to the perpetrator predicted upset ratings.     

Evaluating a Measure of ‘Social Orientation’ of Chinese Students in Social Work: Developing its Reliability and Validity

This study examines the reliability and validity of a measure of ‘social orientation’ indigenously developed from Chinese students of social work in Hong Kong. By administering two tests with Chinese social work students (n = 293 and n = 304) at associate degree level, the measure achieves strong internal consistency with r>0.75 and test–retest consistency with r>0.63. The instrument also has strong validity by attempting factor analysis of items generated from qualitative data in in‐depth interviews. The development of this indigenous measure of ‘social orientation’ will contribute to an understanding of the authoritarian, relationship and ‘other’ orientation of Chinese social work students. The authors propose that this will be a crucial factor in influencing the response of Chinese students towards different teaching and learning approaches in social work education.     

Inter-ethnic friendship and negative ties in secondary school

This paper investigates several different aspects of inter-ethnic relationships. It focuses on friendships and negative ties between secondary school students from different ethnic backgrounds, introducing and measuring two different aspects of ethnicity: self-declared ethnicity, and ethnicity based on peer perception. These are first applied separately and then together on a sample of secondary school students in Hungary consisting of two ethnic groups: Roma and non-Roma Hungarian (N = 420). Friendships and negative ties are modelled using cross-sectional exponential random graph models for sixteen classrooms separately, and then individual models are summarized using meta-analysis. Based on the social identity approach, we predict that inter-ethnic friendships are less likely, and negative ties are more likely, than those within ethnic groups; and that majority students reject their minority peers more than the other way around. Moreover, minority students are expected to exclude those whom they perceive as minorities, but who, at the same time, identify with the majority group, since these classmates might seem to them as “traitors” of their “original” ethnic group. Results mostly confirm our hypotheses, emphasizing the role of perceived ethnicity: majority students tend to dislike peers whom they perceive as minorities, regardless of these peers’ self-declared ethnicity; on the other hand, minority students are likely to send friendship nominations towards their perceived minority classmates if these also declare themselves as minorities, but, as predicted, negative nominations if these declare themselves as majorities. This supports our general idea that different ethnicity aspects might influence friendships and negative ties in different ways, and inconsistencies in someone's ethnic categorization might play an important role in social rejection.     

Intercultural education and academic achievement: a framework for school-based policies in multilingual schools

The paper reviews quantitative and qualitative research evidence regarding the relationship between intercultural education and academic achievement among students from socially marginalized communities. Intercultural education is conceptualized as including a focus both on generating understanding and respect for diverse cultural traditions and challenging inequitable distribution of resources and educational opportunities across social groups. As such, intercultural education incorporates notions such as critical literacy and culturally responsive education. By definition, socially marginalized communities have experienced social exclusion and discrimination, often over generations. Thus, educators who adopt an intercultural education orientation are also committed to challenging the operation of coercive relations of power within their school environments. The operation of societal power relations that affect marginalized group students’ academic achievement can be conceptualized along a continuum ranging from structural/societal, through structural/educational, to interpersonal. Structural/societal forms of discrimination are largely outside the scope of what educators can influence directly (e.g. housing segregation). However, the research evidence suggests that educators have considerable power to resist and challenge coercive power relations operating at both structural/educational (e.g. curriculum materials) and interpersonal (e.g. classroom interactions) dimensions of the continuum. Thus, the proposed framework represents an explanatory model to account for patterns of school success and failure among marginalized group students and a predictive model to specify educator behaviors that are likely to promote academic achievement.     

Promoting the Health of Young Adults in Urban Public Universities: A Case Study From City University of New York

Abstract

Changing demographics of college students and new insights into the developmental trajectory of chronic diseases present universities with opportunities to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. The reciprocal relationships between better health and improved educational achievement also offer university health programs a chance to improve retention and graduation rates, a key objective for higher education. In 2007, City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university, launched Healthy CUNY, an initiative designed to offer life-time protection against chronic diseases and reduce health-related barriers to educational achievement. In its first 5 years, Healthy CUNY has shown that universities can mobilize students, faculty, and other constituencies to modify environments and policies that influence health. New policies on tobacco and campus food, enrollment of needy students in public food and housing assistance programs, and a dialogue on the role of health in academic achievement are first steps towards healthier universities.     

Teachers' Views of Students with Gay or Lesbian Parents

Eighty-three female and 24 male teachers responded to an anonymous questionnaire exploring four aspects of teachers' views of students who have gay or lesbian parents: (1) exposure to and general knowledge about homosexuality, (2) attitudes towards gays and lesbians, (3) interactions with gay or lesbian parents, including school practices and policies, and (4) beliefs about problems experienced by students with gay and lesbian parents. Most teachers knew some gay males and lesbians, had limited education and knowledge about homosexuality, and possessed moderately tolerant attitudes towards gays and lesbians. They believed that students with gay or lesbian parents had more problems in social interaction but were more mature, tolerant, and self-reliant than other students. Open-ended questions about gay and lesbian parents and their children revealed a wide range of answers, ranging from very supportive to noticeably hostile.     

Intergenerational Interaction Through Reminiscence Processes

Abstract

Introduction: The interest in intergenerational programmes is increasing. However, there is a need for evaluation and the development of a theoretical framework to explain the mechanism of changes in attitudes of participants which is the purpose of this paper.

Method: From July to December 2002 an intergenerational intervention was conducted with 111 students and 32 elders, who shared their life stories during class time. A Focus group technique was used to evaluate the programme and a theoretical framework was developed to explain the mechanism of changes in attitudes of adolescents towards elders and the attitudes of elders towards adolescents.

Results: The results showed that stereotypes and prejudice exist, from young people towards elders and from elders towards young ones. The theoretical framework developed showed why and how participants changed their views towards each other in an intergenerational programme using reminiscence processes as a means of interaction.

Conclusion: Although the study had some limitations, it was valuable in showing that older people had some negative images of adolescents. It also showed why and how participants changed their view towards each other.     

Checkered Expectations: Predictors of Approval of Opening a Casino in the Niagara Community

This paper reports on the findings of a survey prior to the opening of a casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario (N= 1002 adults) on approval of the casino, expectations regarding the impact of the casino, attitudes toward gambling, gambling behaviour, and demographic information. The respondents generally had a positive attitude towards gambling. The expectations of community impact clustered into 3 factors: negative social consequences (crimes, addiction), negative environmental consequences (litter, noise, traffic), and positive economic consequences (jobs, stores, income). The majority of respondents expected economic benefits from the casino as well as a decrease in the environmental quality of the city. Expectations regarding social problems were mixed with a majority expecting an increase in serious crimes, but only a minority expecting an increase in people on welfare. Covariance structure modelling revealed that a positive attitude towards gambling and expecting economic benefits were positively related to approval of the casino, and expecting social problems was negatively related to approval. Given that more than seven in ten respondents supported the opening of the casino, the expected economic benefits coupled with a generally positive attitude towards gambling, apparently outweighed concerns about problems associated with gambling.     

Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions of University Students towards Educational Loans in Malaysia

National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan is the major source of financing tertiary education in Malaysia. Non-repayment of the loan among university students after they have graduated becomes a major problem to the government since the total amount of loan available to the students is depended on the loan repayment. This study sought to examine the students’ knowledge and attitude regarding the loan. Three aspects of focus are knowledge, attitude and perception of students towards the loan and the repayment of the loan. This study also analyzed the legal literacy of students towards the PTPTN agreement. A total of 1,500 students of University Putra of Malaysia participated in the study and data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. The findings revealed that students have good knowledge about PTPTN loan agreement but there were a significant proportion of students with negative attitudes towards the repayment of the loan. Majority of them perceived the loan as a burden to them and it limits many options of their life after graduation.