Individual and family stories of homelessness that focus on the transition out of homelessness remain comparatively unexplored. Using hermeneutic inquiry and microstoria analysis to orient the inquiry and design the narrative, this case study involves the story of a woman overcoming homelessness with her family, and her participation in, and…

This research examines the influence of college students' electronic portfolios (i.e., ePortfolios) on learning, identity, and assessment. The study creates a narrative of students' experiences with ePortfolios that integrates critical hermeneutic theory. Findings demonstrate the diverse experiences of research participants who used ePortfolios…

The meaning of college choice for Latina community college students who transferred to baccalaureate-granting institutions was explored in this dissertation. The methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology informed the process of data collection, which used focus group interviews, individual in-depth interviews, and a researcher reflective journal. …

This qualitative research study explored eleven community college educational leaders' perceptions about the essence of lifelong learning as it pertained to their personal experiences and as it related to their administrative practices in community college settings in southern California. Few scholarly studies have examined the meaning educational…

The concept of sacrifice was formerly a key variable in theorizing about religion and society. Secularization theory and conceptual models equating sacrifice with cost have reduced its usage and apparent relevance, although it continues to be of interest in anthropology and religious studies. Research on sacrifice has been neglected in the social…

Using case files of the Whittier State School, California's leading reform school in the early twentieth century, this essay examines the possibilities of gleaning the historical agency of Mexican and Mexican American youth who found themselves confined to an institution that granted them little, if any, decision-making power. As scholars have…

This study was conducted to examine the transition of newcomer teachers from Pacific Rim countries as they entered selected California school settings. Twelve teachers from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, and Vietnam were the research participants, and all had had prior teaching experience in their native countries. As the researcher and the…

Discusses the recent controversy emerging over California's first serious attempt at rewriting traditional history texts from a more multicultural perspective. Analyzes the opposition to the idea of a common U.S. history and the solutions offered in its place. (CJS)