Describes cultural considerations associated with American Indian adolescents coping within a transactional, cognitive-phenomenological framework. Discusses select cultural values and beliefs of American Indians associated with death in terms of person variables and situational demand characteristics that interplay in coping process. Suggests…

University professors teaching pre-service teachers base much of their philosophies on theories. Students often ask "Why do we have theories?" "What is the purpose of theories?" "If we like a theory, do we have to use all of the theory?" The most frequent controversial issue is how to use a particular theory in a practical way. In the quest for…

Describes aspects of Afrocentricity, outlining African-American values, beliefs, and cultural characteristics. Contrasts Afrocentric and Eurocentric worldviews, attempts to increase awareness of cultural bias in counseling and testing, and establishes parameters to enable white counselors to work more effectively with black clients. Reviews career…

The Old Order Amish community is a unique minority group that does not receive adequate public school services. While a majority of Amish children attend an estimated 470 Amish parochial elementary schools, some Amish enrollment is in small rural public schools. However, six states with large Amish populations have no significant public school…

Describes Cuban culture and psychosocial characteristics to promote better communication and provide social workers with a better understanding of treatment approaches that are culturally sensitive. Discusses values, family relationships, sex roles, interpersonal relations, locus of control, time orientation, activity orientation, language, and…

Summaries of the keynote speech by Os Guiness and discussions on U.S. cultural trends in education, in child development, and among youth are included in this document. Guiness believes there has been a shift from an economic focus to one centered on cultural activities. He states that four current cultural trends are: (1) a sense of hollowness;…

Argues that college introductory anthropology courses should focus on helping students to examine their values and convictions, not on preparing them for upper level courses. Suggests a teaching approach that relates an issues-and-values orientation to anthropological concepts (culture, beliefs, and values) and topics (means of production,…

Examines the practice of four Quiche folk healers and their use of attributions and cultural beliefs in diagnosis and treatment; and use of rituals, symbols, and verbal suggestions in enhancing credibility. The relationships between culturally congruent diagnosis-treatment, healer's credibility, and client's expectations of cure are also…

Discusses the importance of organization beliefs, values, and ideology to the internal environment of the organization. Applies the idea of culture development within the system to the workings of schools. Discusses how rites move from the individual to the organization and eventually affect the effectiveness of the organization. (JS)

Examines the Oshun Festival, an African traditional religious festival, from a healing perspective. Highlights the value of religion in the African culture and discusses various myths. Explores the role of myths in and the place of beliefs in the healing process. Explains rituals and the healing environment, healers, and healing methods. Offers…

Addresses career development as a special task in life-span development. Discusses career development as a counseling intervention based on Eurocentric concepts, a conceptualization that might not address the needs of African American clients. Argues that individual behavior is organized with respect to values, attitudes, and beliefs of a…

Explores factors that affect student learning and the well-publicized achievement gap between students from different ethnic and socio-economic groups. Poses some questions and offers some thoughts on how beliefs, attitudes, values, and emotions about teaching and learning, nature of schools, culture, and language effect equity in mathematics…

A handbook for those involved in Southeast Asian refugee assistance discusses some of the values and customs that refugee groups from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam may have in common and looks at the different countries and peoples of the region. A section on the shared values and customs of Indochinese refugees focuses on aspects of family life,…

Despite the value placed on traditional culture in Old Order Amish society, these communities have experienced change recently. These changes include: use of legal means to regulate behavior, acceptance of technical medical services such as heart transplants, and diminished importance of farm work to the economy of the community. However, the Old…

One of the most important and difficult challenges facing social studies educators, particularly world history teachers, concerns the role of Islam--one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic religions--in historical and contemporary domestic and international affairs. What teachers choose to teach about Islam and how they present it are…