The Diverse Experiences of Hispanic Students in the American Educational System

Hispanic students have long been considered at risk in the American educational system. A better understanding of the diverse experiences of Hispanics can help to counteract this risk—in what ways, and where, do they do well or poorly or some mixture of both? To further this understanding, this study applies developmental and demographic perspectives to a representative sample of Hispanic high school students. First, analyses of the sample identified four student profiles based on various indicators of academic achievement and school orientation: (1) low-achieving and weakly oriented, (2) low-achieving and strongly oriented, (3) high-achieving and moderately oriented, (4) high achieving and strongly oriented. Second, compositional analyses mapped these profiles onto different segments of the Hispanic population and different sectors of the American educational system.     

Book reviews

Ginevra Conti Odorisio (ed.) Salvatore Morelli (1824–1880): Emancipazionismo e Democrazia nell'Ottocento Europeo ESI, Napoli, pp. 476, £. 60.000.     

Hypothesis test for paired samples in the presence of missing data

Missing data are present in almost all statistical analysis. In simple paired design tests, when some subject has one of the involved variables missing in the so-called partially overlapping samples scheme, it is usually discarded for the analysis. The lack of consistency between the information reported in the univariate and multivariate analysis is, perhaps, the main consequence. Although the randomness on the missing mechanism (missingness completely at random) is an usual and needed assumption for this particular situation, missing data presence could lead to serious inconsistencies on the reported conclusions. In this paper, the authors develop a simple and direct procedure which allows using the whole available information in order to perform paired tests. In particular, the proposed methodology is applied to check the equality among the means from two paired samples. In addition, the use of two different resampling techniques is also explored. Finally, real-world data are analysed.     

Landscape Context Influences the Abundance and Richness of Native Lady Beetles Occupying Urban Vacant Land

Urban Ecosystems - Urban insect communities are structured by hierarchical filters including regional processes, human facilitation, and species interactions. We sought to inform future urban...     

Size does matter: Passive sampling in urban parks of a regional bat assemblage

Urban Ecosystems - We studied the occurrence of bats in urban parks in the city of Madrid (Spain), and the resulting patterns were compared with bat occurrence in the surrounding region. In this...     

Framing Atmospheres: Goffman,Space, and Music in Everyday Life

In this article, we synthesize Goffman's microsociology with recent developments in fields such as aesthetics, geography, and urban studies labeled “atmosphere theory.” Our central rationale is if microsociology is to deepen its account of embodiment and the noncognitive it needs a theory of spatialized moods. In the second half, we develop our synthesis with respect to musical atmospheres and conclude by drawing on our own research regarding how social actors use music to shape “involvements” and “disinvolvements” in the spatial ambiances of public transportation, the street, the workplace, and the home.     

Reshaping state/local communities relations in Tunisia: The socio-cultural and institutional challenges of the decentralization project

International development agencies believe that by adopting institutional reforms based on the best practices that have proved effective elsewhere, so-called « developing countries » could take their places in the globalised economy. Based on a case study carried out on the implementation challenges of a decentralization project in Tunisia, I will argue by using an interpretive approach that this thesis is not sustained. This article shows that institutions cannot be reduced to their technical functions but that they are based on particular collective imaginaries that ground what is legitimate or not and structure the relationship of individuals to power and the meaning given to their actions. It encourages the consideration of cultural framework of meaning; these local cultural references structure the governance modalities of a society, understood in terms of the modalities of exercise of power in a given group (state, company, local authority, etc.). It advocates the necessity to move from a technic-prone approach in the implementation of institutional changes towards a socio-cultural approach that integrates the local expectations of what “good governance” should be and on which depends the legitimacy of institutions and their appropriation by local populations.     

荷兰华人的历史、现状及问题

本文以丰富的资料阐述了荷兰华人的历史演变、人口发展、职业形式及其转换以及家庭状态等状况,并具体分析了妇女和代沟等海外华人普遍存在并为研究人员所关注的现实问题,提出了自己的独到见解,同时对未来趋向作了展望。     

不同文化的差异干扰第二语言学习的问题

不 同文化的差异对 第二语言学习 者有着干扰：词语 涵义不同;对道 德、价值的认 识评价不同。于是,受 汉文化的影响 ,中国学生将 汉语翻 译成英 语时, 往往 产生“中国 式英 语”的问题。为此,在英语 教学中,要采取 相应的对策：教材 应增选反映文 化差异的材料;鼓 励学生 广泛阅读;聘请外 籍英语教师;利用 电影、录像等现 代化教学手段     

Subjective Welfare, Well-Being, and Self-Reported Food Hypersensitivity in Four European Countries: Implications for European Policy

This study estimates the effects of food hypersensitivity on individuals?? perceived welfare and well-being compared to non-food hypersensitive individuals. Study respondents were recruited in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and UK. The difference in welfare between food hypersensitive respondents and those asymptomatic to foods was estimated using a subjective welfare approach, including income evaluation. Well-being was measured using the Cantril Ladder-of-Life Scale, and health status using the Self-Perceived Health Scale. The difference in well-being, welfare and health status between participant groups was explained further using a number of background variables. No significant within-country differences in welfare between food hypersensitive respondents and respondents asymptomatic to foods were found. In terms of well-being, adult food hypersensitive respondents and their spouses reported significantly less happiness than respondents and their spouses asymptomatic to foods in the Netherlands and Poland. In Spain, the spouses of the food hypersensitive respondents were significantly less happy than respondents aymptomatic to foods. The well-being of children did not significantly differ between groups. The degree of severity of food hypersensitivity was negatively related to overall health status. In Poland, food hypersensitive respondents reported worse health status compared to asymptomatic respondents. In Spain, the converse was true. Food hypersensitive respondents were generally less happy with their life as a whole than respondents asymptomatic to foods, presumably because they experienced more negative effects, which were not related to perceived health status.