This study examines the relationship between organizational structure and elements of three social system processes: (1) input and output boundary exchanges, (2) system production, and (3) use of facilities. The specific system processes are enrollment planning and student placement, curriculum continuity, and use of physical and social…

Change in social systems is often stimulated by individuals or groups of individuals who effectively link practice institutions, such as school systems, with knowledge producing organizations, i.e., universities. As basic research is developed and applied to practical problems, these individuals act to communicate this knowledge to those who may…

This seminar paper explores the relationship between technology and society, based on the position that man has not developed a social system that gives adequate guidance to technology. The hypothesis is that if technology has no priority, then it has no purpose. Talcott Parsons' concepts of functional imperatives and pattern variables are…

The six articles in this issue suggest that, prior to selection and implementation, school reforms be critically examined for the following: (1) curricular content and impact on complex social organization of school; and (2) sufficient flexibility to permit teachers and building leaders to adapt reforms to local needs. (PS)

The implementation of school improvement programs is a key factor in their impact. School improvement depends on the following: (1) how teachers and administrators are educated; (2) how school districts and universities collaborate; (3) how improvement programs are planned; and (4) how teachers and administrators are involved in professional…

Presents the results of a Delphi projection of continuing education needs of the library community of Wisconsin. Potential changes are summarized in nine categories: social system; target markets and learning needs; social/philosophical aspirations; new technologies; traditional functions/services; library and system structure; library…

This paper provides a background to recent developments in language planning in South Africa. Following a historical review, it focuses on a Bill of Rights in the new constitution which has, since 1993, demanded a shift towards rights-based language policy within a liberal framework. Debates within the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB)…

Drawing on research among medical students at the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Health Sciences, this article explores two questions: How do students and staff work with "race" in their relations to one another? What challenges do these relations pose for transformation? Data was gathered using in-depth interviews with forty-one…

The history of academic inquiry into leadership as a discipline has yielded the unintended consequence of compounding confusion and perpetuating the myth of leadership as mystical. This paper takes that acknowledgement and inquires into the past and future of leadership theory development from a systemic perspective to define the concept, propose…

Contemporary sociology makes the case that the concepts of society and social structure are past their sell-by dates. Our world is marked by impermanence and social life is characterised by mobilities. Even self-identity has become liquid. Social actors use consumption artefacts and services to re-design themselves in ways that are commensurate…

The focus of this research was on the nature and characteristics of effective leadership and management practices in centre-based child care. This paper is part of a larger doctoral study with a focus on management within child care centres. Eight directors were interviewed in south east Queensland, Australia using a case study methodology. There…

Educational administration, like many other social sciences, has traditionally followed the rubrics of classical science with its emphasis on prediction and control and attempts to understand the whole by understanding in ever finer detail how the parts fit together. However, the "new" science (especially quantum mechanics, complexity,…

The essays in this book illustrate a conceptual model for analyzing the social and economic problems of the Appalachian region. The model is variously called Colonialism, Internal Colonialism, Exploitation, or External Oppression. It highlights the process through which dominant outside industrial interests establish control, exploit the region,…

Recent research on the impact of economics on mental and physical health has raised fundamental questions about structural elements in the macro-economy and their role in creating stress. This paper reviews and integrates these sometimes conflicting findings into a cohesive model. Structural elements of our current economic system are identified…

Analysis of racism has shifted in focus over the years from concentration on individual/interpersonal processes to considerations of organizational variables that maintain racist outcomes. The concept of organizational or institutional racism refers to processes, behaviors, policies, or procedures that covertly sanction unequal access to goods and…