Forum on Public Policy Online
Fall 2006 edition
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Table of Contents
Globalization
- Stress and Fatigue in Foreign Language Professionals: Implications for Global Security
James A. McCubbin, June J. Pilcher, Thomas W. Britt, Thomas Wallsten.
- The Role of Prejudice in the Lack of Effective Response by Western Governments to Refugees in Developing Countries: A Threat to Achieving Human and Global Security.
Portia D. Rawles
- The Quest for Oil in the New World Order.
Rudy Soliz
- The interface of global migrations, local English language learning, and identity transmutations of the immigrant academician
By Charles B. Hutchison, and Lan Quach
- Security, Access, Intellectual Freedom: Achieving Balance in a Global World
June Abbas
Criminal Justice:
- The Technique Of Terrorism
James S. Albritton
- Being Black, or Being a Cop: The Problem of Race in American Law Enforcement
Terrance A. Johnson
- Is Modern Crime too Complicated for the Modern Jury?
Bryan A. Ward
- Moving Beyond the Noble Cause Paradigm: Providing a Unified Theory of Ethics for 21st Century American Policing.
Daniel P. FitzPatrick
- Victimless Prosecution Of Domestic Violence In The Wake Of Crawford V. Washington.
Andrew Fulkerson and Shelly L. Patterson
- Lex Sportiva: Thoughts Towards a Criminal Law of Competitive Contact
Christo Lassiter
Successful Aging
- Chronic Pain in Cognitively Impaired Elderly: Challenges in Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Paula Siciliano
- Exercise Testing and Prescription in the Enhancement of Physiologic and Overall Well Being in the Older Adult
By Ellen L. Glickman, Tiffany A. Collinsworth, and Leigh Murray
Bilingual Education
- Re-examining ESL Programs in Public Schools: A Focus on Creole-English Children’s Clause-Structuring Strategies in Written Academic Discourse
Arlene Clachar
- Bilingualism, Cultural Transmutation, and Fields of Coexistence: California’s Spanish Language Legacy
Sara Garcia
- The Acoustic Properties of Vowels: A Tool for Improving Articulation and Comprehension of English
Candalene J. McCombs
- Adult Second Language Reading in the USA: The Effects of Readers’ Gender and Test Method
Cindy Brantmeier
- Perspective Taking in Language Learning and Teaching
Allison H. Hall
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Nutrition
- Stay Smart: Lost Weight: Childhood Obesity and Health Education
Linda Kosa-Postl
- International Iodine Deficiency
By L. Preston Mercer
- The Social Relations of Food
By Christopher Wilkes
- Calories and Longevity: Do They Really Matter?
By Kendra J. Golden
- Dry Edible Beans: Indigenous Staple and Healthy Cuisine
By Mark A. Uebersax
- The Grain Chain: Consumption Of Whole Grain Foods And Their Many Links To Disease Prevention
Patricia Smith
Women's Rights
- Abbas Raptus : Exploring Factors that Contribute to the Sexual Abuse of Females in Rural Mormon Fundamentalist Communities
By Janet Bennion
- Women’s Roles and Strengths in Times of Family and Community Stress
Julia Malia
- Factors That Contribute To, and Constrain, Conversations Between Adolescent Females and Their Mothers About Sexual Matters
Kimberlee S. Schear
- The Role of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the Maintenance of the Subjugation of Women: Implications for the Training of Future Mental Health Professionals
Ann M. Lazaroff
- Reflections on the Current Status of Women in American Higher Education
Lillian Robbins & Edwin Robbins
- A Biblical World View in Support of the Worth of Women’s Work
Rosemarie Scotti Hughes
- Invisible, Mysterious, and Inconsequential:The Absence of Women in 2004 Presidential Campaign Coverage
Therese L. Lueck
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Child Psychology
- A Critical Analysis of the Child and Adolescent Wellness Scale (CAWS)
By Alandra Weller-Clarke
- Integrating Culture into Education: Self-Concept Formation in Alaska Native Youth
Allan Morotti
Religion
- Islamic Schools in America: Islam’s Vehicle to the Future?
Hussam S. Timani
- Roger Williams: Pioneer on America's Journey towards Religious Liberty
Virginia C. Barfield
- Beyond Darwin :Systems Dynamics Issues in Adaptation and Speciation
Jon C. Cawley
- Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Evolution in a Population of Community College Students
Patricia Flower
- Self and Other: Tensions within Modern Liberal Individualism and Moral Education
R. Steven Harrist and Frank C. Richardson
- A Perspective: Organizational and Procedural Norms and the Authority of the Magisterium in the Catholic Church
Gloria A. Kalbfleisch
- Theology for Citizenship: How a Catholic College in the Augustinian Tradition Prepares Citizens to Transform Society
Joseph T. Kelley
- Science and Religion in Colonial America: The Early Days
Bruce Kirk Oldfield
- Some Eighteenth Century Views Of The Relationship Of Science To Religion
Richard M. Riss
- Bridging The Gap Between Science And Faith Through Environmental Studies: Theoretical Considerations And Implications For Environmental Policy And Practice
Paul W. Brandt-Rauf
- The Dutch Dilemma & American Divide: The Challenge of Exclusivist Religions to Pluralistic States, and Contemporary Education
Christopher Parr
- Darwin versus Intelligent Design in US Courts: Does Teaching Intelligent Design in Biology Classes Violate the US Constitution?
Patricia T. Bradt
- Is Science To Blame For The Intelligent Design Debate?
Aaron W. Johnson, Kevin P. Jansen, and Matthew J. Maurer
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Special Education and Theories of Education
- The Project Approach: An Appreciation for the Constructivist Theory
Pamela R. Cook
- From the Trenches: Secondary Content Teachers and IEP, Inclusion Students
Jan Ginger
- The impact of IDEA 04 and NCLB on speech and language related services: How do we meet the challenges
Jennifer Means
- Special Education: Examining the impact of poverty on the quality of life of families of children with disabilities
Regina L. Enwefa, Stephen C. Enwefa and Robert Jennings
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Contents Fall 2006 Edition
Globalization
Stress and Fatigue in Foreign Language Professionals: Implications for Global Security
James A. McCubbin, June J. Pilcher, Thomas W. Britt, Thomas Wallsten.
This research was funded by a federal contract to the Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland.
Abstract
Information critical to the security of nations is embedded in an array of foreign languages. Foreign language professionals must often analyze complex information from different language sources, and the integrity of their analyses can significantly affect corporate and government decision-making, policy development, and response to world events. Psychological stress and fatigue can degrade the performance of foreign language professionals resulting in errors that may adversely affect security. Optimal design of work organization and work environments, individual stress management training, and augmented cognitive linguistics may facilitate the performance of foreign language professionals. Strategic assessment and management of stress and fatigue in foreign language professionals can improve the integrity of information analysis, facilitate decision-making, and enhance global security.
The Role of Prejudice in the Lack of Effective Response by Western Governments to Refugees in Developing Countries: A Threat to Achieving Human and Global Security.
Portia D. Rawles
Abstract
This paper posits that prejudice plays a significant role in the lack of resolve to develop and implement effective responses by the United States and other western governments to refugee populations in developing countries. This discourse examines the construction of racism and prejudice in the United States towards persons of African descent and other persons of color against the backdrop of two phenomena in the 21st Century. The first is the growing recognition in security literature that human security and global security are interdependent. The second is the realization that one of the greatest human security challenges is the large, ever-increasing refugee population in developing nations and Eastern Europe. Interrelated concepts of: group status, stereotyping, system-justifying beliefs and social identity theory will be included in this discourse.
The Quest for Oil in the New World Order.
Rudy Soliz
Are we running out of oil? My research topic, “The Quest for Oil in the New World Order” has provided a better insight on the subject of the availability of oil. The research was a qualitative study. Five subject matter experts in the oil industry were interviewed as part of the study. I would like to thank and acknowledge those individuals who participated in my research. They were Joe Barnes, Research Fellow, Rice University, Lynn Cook Houston Chronicle Energy Editor James Baker III, and Institute for Public Policy, Eddie Habibi President and CEO, PAS, Jim Hackett, CEO Anadarko, and Matthew Simmons, Chairman Simmons & Company.
The topics evolved from the study were (1) the disruption of the world’s oil supply and its effect on the economies of the world, (2) the role of OPEC, and the role of Saudi Arabia (3) the impact of oil and the quality of life and (4) the question, “Are we running out of oil?”
The interface of global migrations, local English language learning, and identity transmutations of the immigrant academician
Charles B. Hutchison, Lan Quach, and Greg Wiggan
Abstract
As global migrations of both teachers and students have increased, so has the need to re-learn English in response to local parlances. Thus, the use of formal and informal language styles, the masking of accents, and the understanding of the differential use of certain specific words, expressions, and the like become critical for teachers and students. For international, cross-cultural educators who also face pedagogical culture shock, issues related to the differences in teaching and learning styles, curriculum, and assessment must also be addressed. Concomitantly, therefore, the identities of international educators become reconstituted into academic cosmopolites. Using data collected from 55 student evaluations as supporting evidence, this paper contends that international educators undergo personality differentiation in response to local forces, including socio-linguistic pressures. The hybridization of migrant academicians’ native states with cross-cultural forces precipitates new permutations of international, transmuted identities, brewed in the crucible of educational cross-culturalisms.
Security, Access, Intellectual Freedom: Achieving Balance in a Global World
June Abbas
Abstract
Security, privacy, access, and intellectual freedom are words that are loaded with emotional meaning and context for current societal issues. How do we ensure all without sacrificing or compromising others? Balancing a government’s need to control information with the individual’s right to freely access government information is a global concern that must be addressed. Following 9/11, this balance was challenged by the government limiting access to information, or in many cases removing it from access entirely. Challenges to access include: 1) restricting use of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 2) increased secrecy within the government, and 3) removal of or disappearance of government information. This article will discuss the role and efforts of libraries and librarians to ensure public access to information. U.S. legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act and the USA Patriot Act and how it challenges access are explored. Efforts to restore the balance, by both the government and by those in the academic and journalism communities, will illustrate how both sides of the scale need to be examined so we can move forward.
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Criminal Justice:
The Technique Of Terrorism
James S. Albritton
Abstract
We are living in a radically new age of global terrorism, and we must seek significantly new ways of comprehending its nature and ramifications. In an effort to overcome some of the traditional obstacles to defining and understanding terrorism in terms of its aims and motives, the author proposes a means-based conception that allows for a more comprehensive, holistic approach to the terrorist phenomenon. The term “technique” is used to denote the vast array of means, methods, weapons, and strategies commonly employed by contemporary terrorists, as well as to define the unique nature of the global terrorist presence. In this regard, the author argues that today’s terrorism is best understood by the techniques it employs, rather than the goals it pursues, or the specific political context in which it operates. To further clarify the concept of the technique of terrorism, the author advances three interconnected propositions that characterize and define the terrorist phenomenon today: first, the technique of terrorism implies the totality of means employed or advocated by an individual, group, or organization in furtherance of express or implied political, ideological, social, cultural, economic, or religious objectives; second, the technique of terrorism incorporates the planned, calculated, and systematic acts or threats of violence that generally typify the modes of operation and selection of victims by terrorist groups; and third, the technique of terrorism involves the unique application of psychological and sociological instruments of propaganda with the intent to generate fear, anxiety, intimidation, and demoralization in a wider social audience, as well as to mobilize and indoctrinate its followers.
Being Black, or Being a Cop: The Problem of Race in American Law Enforcement
Terrance A. Johnson
Introduction
Police misconduct dates back three centuries (Skolnick, 1966; Niederhoffer, 1967). According to Johnson (2001) and Johnson and Cox (2004/2005), over several decades, various structural, organizational and socio-professional methods have been applied to change American police practices and procedures in an attempt to eliminate misconduct. These attempts have been founded in the (mistaken) belief that police misconduct is the result of a few officers gone “rogue” (Johnson, 2001; Johnson & Cox, 2004/2005).
The work of Klockars et. al. (1997, 2000, 2004, 2005) was one of the first to espouse the idea that police misconduct has “organizational implications.” Following the lead of Klockars, Johnson’s (2001) affirms that the organizational subculture influences the behavior of its police officers. Johnson’s investigation uncovered that the institutional influence begins during basic training. Johnson and Cox (2004/2005) advanced the earlier findings, noting that living up to the expectations of society as “protectors” places the profession in the ethical dilemma of doing what is necessary for achieving the goals set for the common good of the community (see Bok, 1999; Johnson, 2005b). The negative side of the cohesiveness and “solidarity implied by “thin blue line” (Bolton, 2003; Title, 1995) is an attitude which tolerates and potentially even encourages misconduct.
Is Modern Crime too Complicated for the Modern Jury?
By Bryan A. Ward
Over the course of time, human activity has become increasing complicated as we have acquired the means to address our daily needs in more sophisticated ways. Our more complex approach to every day problems manifests itself in everything from the way we prepare our food to the manner in which we travel from one place to another. Our increasing sophistication was soon reflected in more complex ways of interacting with others and more complex ways of regulating that interaction. By necessity, law must address the relationships of citizens and must evolve over time as those relationships change and take on new dimensions. In many ways, our criminal justice system has reflected just such an evolution. More and more activities have become prohibited over time and thus law becomes a more difficult proposition for the layman. In response to this reality, the criminal justice process soon came to be dominated by lawyers who represented both the victim (and eventually the state) as well as the accused. Soon, it became de rigueur for criminal defendants to be represented even if they were financially unable to retain representation.
Moving Beyond the Noble Cause Paradigm: Providing a Unified Theory of Ethics for 21st Century American Policing.
By Daniel P. FitzPatrick
Abstract
With the recent emphasis on fighting terrorism added to the traditional police mandate, the police in America face an unprecedented demand on their responsiveness, competence and clarity of purpose. Although the past thirty years have seen great strides in the improvement of police professionalism in terms of technology, community-orientation and the reduction of police corruption, a serious re-examination of purpose is long overdue.
Street officers and police executives alike are expected to reconcile the many, and often times diametrically opposed, demands placed upon them by their constituents. The state of the literature abounds with research of police culture, value-based hiring, police ethics and community policing yet it still proves insufficient to adequately provide the fundamental basis by which police can reasonably meet these demands. The “noble cause” of crime fighting emerges as the self-defined role of the police against a backdrop of a hodgepodge of rules and expectations that too often conflict with one another. What is lacking is an inarguable set of principles against which police can weigh alternatives in matters both small and large; principles that unify police ethics.
This set of principles is found in the Constitution of the United States and its Bill of Rights and is given clarification and relevance in the Federalist Papers. These are not moral rules or a litany of “dos” and “don’ts” contrived by well-intentioned police administrators but rather the unifying force by which ethical reasoning can flourish. They form the basis of our government and the powers that are entrusted to our public servants and, in particular, the police.
By accepting and applying these constitutional principles, police in America can gain a unity of ethical purpose and truly enhance their effectiveness and competence while avoiding the pitfalls of cynicism, scandal and the alienation of the public they serve.
Victimless Prosecution Of Domestic Violence In The Wake Of Crawford V. Washington.
By Andrew Fulkerson and Shelly L. Patterson
Introduction
Domestic violence is unquestionably a massive social problem in American society. The United States Department of Justice has described domestic violence as the most common but least reported crime in America. Because of the complex interpersonal relationships between victims and offenders, domestic violence cases include the unique phenomenon of victims who are unwilling to cooperate in the prosecution of offenders. In the past, when a victim refused to cooperate the prosecution would either no bring charges or request that pending charges be dismissed. Prosecuting attorneys then began pursuing criminal charges even if the victims were unwilling to testify. This paper will discuss the practice of "victimless prosecution" and the impact of Crawford v. Washington (2004)where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the admission of certain statements by victims into evidence violates the 6th Amendment Confrontation Clause unless the defendant has the opportunity to cross-examine the victim.
Julie E. Tomz and Daniel McGillis, Serving crime victims and witnesses, 2nd. ed. (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 1997).
Lex Sportiva: Thoughts Towards a Criminal Law of Competitive Contact
Christo Lassiter, Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
All opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Abstract
It sometimes happens that athletes fall to injury rather than superior play. At what point should the criminal law come into play? In a first round National Football League playoff game last season, The Cincinnati Bengals’ hopes ended on the second play of the game after the opening kick off, when Pittsburgh Steeler defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen Pittsburgh viciously tackled Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Carson Palmer by bending his leg left against the knee joint in such a way as to tear the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in Palmer’s left knee. Palmer left the field on a stretcher. Should von Oelhoffen’s hit on Palmer be regarded as an act of criminal misconduct?
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Successful Aging
Chronic Pain in Cognitively Impaired Elderly: Challenges in Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
By Paula Siciliano
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges facing health care today is the provision of proper pain management in elderly patients suffering from both acute and chronic pain. The task of caring for suffering individuals is magnified when those patients are inflicted with cognitive impairments. Approximately 4 ½ million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and it is estimated that around 14 million will have the disease by the year 2050 if a cure is not found. With the possible exception of depression, the mental disorder constituting the greatest health problem in the older age group is organic brain syndrome of varying etiology and severity. Elders with dementing illness receive fewer pain medications and interventions aimed at relieving discomfort than those elders without brain syndromes. The purpose of this paper is to provide information regarding the enormity of the problem, discuss assessment tools available for use when identifying the pain in this group, list usual and unusual manifestations of pain in patients with dementia, identify the most common differential diagnosis causing pain symptoms and suggest treatment methodologies for treating pain in this special population.
Exercise Testing and Prescription in the Enhancement of Physiologic and Overall Well Being in the Older Adult
By Ellen L. Glickman, Tiffany A. Collinsworth, and Leigh Murray
Abstract
Aging is an inevitable process, but the rate and magnitude of the decline in physiologic function may be attenuated by an exercise/activity intervention. The prevalence of chronic disease however increases through the lifespan. Therefore there is a greater need to indirectly assess the individual’s aerobic capacity, muscular strength, body composition, flexibility and balance in an effort to formulate an individualized program of exercise for the older adult. Once these parameters are gathered the individual can engage in a program of exercise that includes: a) a warm up that emphasizes balance and flexibility, b) stimulus to augment the workload safely on the cardiovascular system as well as the bone and peripheral skeletal muscle, and c) concluding with a cool down to slowly bring the individual back to baseline. Therefore, this presentation will discuss the overall benefits of exercise for the older adult and integrate into the presentation and overview of the exercise program for the older adult that is organized at Kent State University. In addition, the data that we have collected will be integrated into the presentation as well as exercise programming that we have conducted on individuals that have special consideration.
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Bilingual Education
Re-examining ESL Programs in Public Schools: A Focus on Creole-English Children’s Clause-Structuring Strategies in Written Academic Discourse
By Arlene Clachar
Abstract
The goal of the study was to compare the literacy challenges faced by children who speak nonstandard dialects of English and for whom Standard English is a second dialect with challenges faced by children for whom Standard English is a second language. The study focused on the extent to which discourse patterns in the Creole-English speech community and, concomitantly, in the children’s linguistic repertoire, are reflected in their registers of academic writing. More specifically, the study examined how challenges related to clause structure (a register feature of academic writing) manifest themselves in Creole-English children’s writing compared with the clause-structuring challenges faced by ESL children. Findings indicated that Creole-English-speaking children used more paratactic-hypotactic clause structures typical of spoken or conversational discourse in their writing than their ESL counterparts. The linguistic structure of English-based Creoles as well as the particularities of the creole continuum were purported to contribute to the higher frequency of paratactic and hypotactic clauses in the Creole-English children’s academic expository essays.
Bilingualism, Cultural Transmutation, and Fields of Coexistence: California’s Spanish Language Legacy
By Sara Garcia
Abstract
This is an historical analysis of English Only programs in California and their impact on bilingualism as a natural acquisition process. Factors that propagate bilingualism such as a continual flow of Spanish speaking immigrants, and social, economic and ethnic isolation, are delineated for theorizing about key aspects of multilingualism, the persistence of Spanish/English bilingualism and cultural nuances of language behaviors as a foundation for cross-cultural understanding. Since the turn of the 20th century there has been a strong shift from Spanish as the official language of law and policy to English in the State of California. The most widely used language other than English has been Spanish. At the beginning of the 21st century it has been projected that Spanish speaking Latinos in the State of California will constitute 43% of the States’ population by 2020 . This analysis will posit a reconceptualzing of bilingualism for the States’ Spanish language speakers and a redefinition of a multinational and global cultural identity that transcends boundaries of nationalistic constructs imposed historically.
The Acoustic Properties of Vowels: A Tool for Improving Articulation and Comprehension of English
By Candalene J. McCombs
Abstract
Correct pronunciation is often a later step in the process of teaching English as a second language. However, a focus on the correct articulation of vowels can significantly improve listening and comprehension skills as well as articulatory skills. Vowels and consonants differ in their acoustic properties. Unlike consonants, vowel sounds are produced with very little obstruction of airflow, resulting in a difference in the way they sound. Vowels are more sonorous, or acoustically powerful, than consonants, thus we perceive them as both longer lasting and louder than consonants. The greater sonority of vowels also permits them to form the basis of syllables.
Introducing the phonetic properties of vowels is relatively easy. Second language teachers can train students to listen for vowel distinctions and teach the articulatory properties of vowels, strengthening students’ listening and articulatory skills. Vowels form the nuclei of syllables, thus clarity in vowel sounds helps native speakers better understand foreign speakers. The focus on vowel sounds also supports instruction in the stress patterns of English, allowing students to more easily recognize individual words within sentences. This approach works particularly well with adult speakers who need to be clearly understood in professional settings.
By Cindy Brantmeier
Abstract
Bernhardt (2003) claims that half of the variance in second language (L2) reading is accounted for by first language literacy (20%) and second language knowledge (30%), and that one of the central goals of current L2 reading research should be to investigate the 50% of variance that remains unexplained. Part of this variance takes consists of passage content or background knowledge, and as the reader develops, proficiency presides over passage content. In an attempt to further examine factors involved in the remaining variance, Brantmeier (2002; 2003a, 2003b, 2003c, 2003d; 2004a) conducted a series of studies that include readers’ gender as an interacting variable. Results add additional meaning to Bernhardt’s (1991) conclusion that background knowledge by itself does not predict comprehension. As proficiency increases, the influence of both background knowledge and readers’ gender decrease, or disappear completely. Brantmeier’s findings reveal that the interaction of readers’ gender and passage content does play a role at the intermediate levels of Spanish language instruction, but not at the advanced stages. The series of studies identifies gender as a moderator of both conceptual and practical importance for the intermediate levels of L2 language instruction at the university. In the present study, reanalysis of data from prior studies was conducted, and findings indicate gender differences in comprehension may be a function of the type of assessment used at the intermediate level. In four studies that utilized the same set of texts across levels of language instruction, the multiple choice test method was inconsistent by gender, and the written recall was consistent by gender with females outperforming males at the intermediate levels of instruction. In addition, findings may indicate a tendency toward readers’ gender presiding over topic familiarity on written recall, and topic familiarity presiding over readers’ gender on multiple choice at the intermediate levels.
Perspective Taking in Language Learning and Teaching
Allison H. Hall
Introduction
Language is a means by which different minds communicate ideas to one another. It is also a means our minds use to understand ourselves, other people, the world around us, and the relationships among them. In language acquisition, we are basically developing a code that we will use to understand, formulate and communicate ideas. The acquisition of a child’s native language is necessary for normal social functioning and is, for the most part, inevitable. The acquisition of a second language, however, may be neither necessary nor inevitable. Those for whom a second language may be necessary or highly desired for normal social functioning may benefit from practicing the strategies and skills developed by children learning their native language. One of these skills that children develop that coincides with the development of their language skills is the skill of perspective taking. How exactly these two skills relate is currently a matter of debate among researchers. However, the fact that there is a strong relationship between language acquisition and perspective taking is not in doubt. Examining this research and applying the knowledge gained to second language learning and teaching may help learners to gain a deeper linguistic and cultural understanding that will lead to higher social functioning skills in the target language
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Nutrition
Stay Smart: Lost Weight: Childhood Obesity and Health Education
By Linda Kosa-Postl
Abstract
Prevention is the key strategy for controlling the current epidemic levels of childhood obesity. Current statistics show that obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. It is generally recognized that nutrition education for the general population needs to be improved. What else is apparent is that citizens are the responsible ones for curing and preventing obesity. Lifestyle behaviors, weight loss programs, and strategies to curb malnutrition have offered little impact on the growing increase of the obesity epidemic. Studies provide strong evidence that nutrition programs in public schools have increased intelligence level and cognitive ability. Countless articles have been written identifying malnutrition exhibition of behavior disorders and aggressive behavior leading to at risk adolescents. Environmental conditions – social, economic, and political – have lead to a lack of effective and coordinated preventive public policies. While the government has set standards for graduation requirements in elementary/secondary education, the identical approach to develop obligatory health interventions could be a powerful weapon against obesity. Herein lays the essence of a clear definition and recommendation of a policy that serves the purpose of curtailing the epidemic of obesity and constructing future learning capabilities of youth. The major findings of the report encompass a creative concept in which the government specifically monitors the health of each child in a public school system to assure participants are meeting the criteria for a healthy lifestyle.
International Iodine Deficiency
By L. Preston Mercer
Abstract
Iodine is an essential trace element. However, thirty-five percent of the world's population is estimated to live in areas of iodine deficiency. Iodine’s only known function is in the synthesis of thyroid hormones, so severe dietary deficiency results in impaired thyroid hormone synthesis and/or thyroid enlargement (goiter). Population effects of severe iodine deficiency, termed iodine deficiency disorders (IDD’s), include endemic goiter, hypothyroidism, cretinism, decreased fertility rate, increased infant mortality, and mental retardation. Iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation in the world. Deficiency occurs primarily in mountainous regions such as the Himalayas, the European Alps, and the Andes, where iodine has been washed away by glaciations and flooding. Iodine deficiency also occurs in lowland regions far from the oceans, such as central Africa and Eastern Europe. Those who consume only locally produced foods in these areas are at risk for IDD. Internationally, nearly 2 billion people worldwide, living in 53 countries, are at risk for IDD - of these, 655 million are known to have goiter and 11.2 million cretinism. Universal salt iodization provides the most effective and affordable means to prevent IDD throughout the world – but this effort requires coordination of political, legislative, public health management and educational agencies for maximum effect.
The Social Relations of Food
By Christopher Wilkes
Introduction: the Emerging Sociology and Anthropology of Food.
The sociology and anthropology of food have recently become very fashionable places to work, with large volumes of books, articles and papers erupting from the academy. This emerging concern with food has sent these new researchers off in all directions; to study the rise of national cultures and national cuisines; to examine processes of reification, colonization and the social relations of labour surrounding the process of food production; to reassess the issue of authenticity and inauthenticity in cuisine; to analyse the role of commodification and market pressures; to investigate more fully the pathologies of anorexia, bulimia and over-eating; as well as the newly-discovered old - the investigation of the daily practices of eating. Also emerging is an extensive history of manners centred on eating, as well as elaborations on hierarchy, taste and alimentary pleasures. And, unlike post-modern theorists of the literary text, sociologists and anthropologists have concentrated less on meaning than on social practices, cultural histories, class, inequality and material conditions. Less Derrida; more Bourdieu.
Calories and Longevity: Do They Really Matter?
By Kendra J. Golden
Abstract
Calorie restriction extends the life span of laboratory animals, and now scientists are beginning to discover the molecular basis for this phenomenon. The findings so far indicate that there are genes that respond to stressors (like calorie restriction) by turning on cell survival mechanisms. Outright skeptics of calorie restriction argue that the practice will not work in humans, while those more dubious contend that if the practice works at all, the addition of time to the life span will be minimal compared with the sacrifices endured by adhering to such a rigid dietary regimen. In fact, several studies have indicated that those classified as overweight (according to body mass index) have at least as low a risk of premature death as those of normal weight, and despite the “obesity epidemic” in the United States, life expectancy continues to rise. Nevertheless, the goal of scientists is to devise ways to target the newfound “longevity genes” in order to achieve the alleged life-extending effects without actually restricting calories. So, does longevity depend on eating less or eating more, or maybe in the future, taking a pill? Science and society are precariously close to seeking longevity simply for longevity’s sake. Where does happiness fit into the equation?
Dry Edible Beans: Indigenous Staple and Healthy Cuisine
By Mark A. Uebersax
Abstract
The common dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a diverse food resource of high nutritional value (protein, energy, fiber and vitamins and minerals) with broad social acceptance. This agricultural legume crop demonstrates global adaptability, genotypic and phenotypic diversity, and multiple means of preparation and dietary use. Numerous factors influence utilization, including: bean type and cultivar selection, cropping environment and systems, storage conditions and handling infrastructure, processing and final product preparation. Further, nutrient content and bio-availability are dramatically influenced by these conditions. Anti-nutritional factors (trypsin inhibitors, lectins and phytic acid) have long been recognized as concerns and require appropriate processing conditions to ameliorate adverse effects. Recently, beans have been cited for imparting specific positive health potentiating responses (hypocholesterolemic response, mitigation of diabetes and colonic cancer, and weight control) when properly positioned in the diet. This paper provides an overview of characteristics and protocols used to provide this global food staple as a valued dietary component. Enhanced dry bean utilization focused on improved dietary health is an opportunity within subsistent and developed diets.
The Grain Chain: Consumption Of Whole Grain Foods And Their Many Links To Disease Prevention
Patricia Smith
Abstract
This research paper is intended to raise awareness of the benefits of whole grains in the diet as well as to educate the consumer on how to select whole grain products. Scientific studies are reviewed, and the beneficial effects of human consumption of whole grain foods are summarized.
Whole grain intake has constantly been linked to protection from coronary heart disease (CHD). Intake of whole grains has also been shown to have a favorable effect on the treatment and prevention of obesity, diabetes mellitus and certain types of cancers. In 1999, the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved the Health Claim: “Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers”. In addition, “Healthy People 2010 Initiative” gives the following recommendation. “Grain Product Intake: Increase the proportion of persons who consume at least six daily servings of grains with at least three being whole grain from 7% to 50% by the year 2010”. This objective, as well as the FDA approved health claim about grains conveys the importance of whole grains in the diet.
It is the strong belief of most health professionals that good nutrition is the key to better health. In 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture introduced a new Food Pyramid which is intended to be used by the American public as a guide to wise food selection and better nutrition. One of the two most significant changes is the addition of whole grains to the Food Pyramid. The old Food Pyramid had a cereal and bread group, but it did not specify “whole” grains. However, because the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee Report “linked diets rich in whole grains to the reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as helping with weight management”, the committee felt it necessary to recommend a minimum three ounces of whole grains daily. The guidelines instructs the consumer to look for the word “whole” before the word “grain” on the ingredient list of food packages. Researchers report that less than one in ten adults get the recommended amount of whole grains necessary to maintain good health and stave off preventable diet-related diseases. Americans need to be educated to the benefits of whole grains. Whole grains are rich in fiber and are also packed with hundreds of beneficial photochemicals that have potent antioxidant properties. Whole grains are also an important source of essential vitamins and minerals. These nutrients may work synergistically to help us improve our health and prevent many diet-related diseases.
In this Research Paper, Patricia P. Smith, Ed.D. RD, LD/N; CFCS, Professor of Nutrition presents an overview of the scientific studies that led to the current recommendations regarding the consumption of whole grains. She discusses the importance of whole grains in the diet and their relationship in disease prevention. She further outlines ways by which the consumer is able to identify whole grain products.
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Women's Rights
Abbas Raptus : Exploring Factors that Contribute to the Sexual Abuse of Females in Rural Mormon Fundamentalist Communities
By Janet Bennion
Abstract
This paper traces the causes of the sexual abuse of females, particularly father-perpetrated rape, in rigid patriarchal communities in Montana, Mexico, and Utah. Based on 15 years of research among fundamentalists in the Intermountain West (Bennion 1997, 2004), the predicting variables were found to consist of 1) a male supremacist ideology that is sanctioned by both scriptural and economic prerogatives, 2) female circumscription, which is the geographic and social isolation of women and children from the mainstream, and 3) economic deprivation, leading to an increase in male underemployment and general dissatisfaction with their masculine role. It is my premise that the combination of these factors within contemporary millenarian fundamentalist movements contribute to the expression of child sexual molestation and domestic violence against women.
Women’s Roles and Strengths in Times of Family and Community Stress
By Julia Malia
In the aftermath of national crises in the U.S. such as the Oklahoma City bombing of the Federal building 11 years ago, the destruction on September 11, 2001, and the recent hurricanes and flooding in New Orleans and other areas, much attention has been given to how best families and communities can be assisted to recover from devastating events. I examine the question of what women’s roles are in times of family and community stress and report that there is little in the literature to answer this question. I suggest that perhaps this is good news because what I found instead was a portrayal of people’s roles and strengths in times of family and community crisis that did not differentiate along gender lines. I also present the notion that women have unique gifts and strengths to contribute when crisis strikes. I give three case examples, one of a special environment that a woman created for other women to share and relax in, another of a woman who creatively helped her community to heal after a terrorist attack, and the third of a woman in an Appalachian Virginia mining community who took on the prime-mover leadership role in community redevelopment following a period of overwhelming economic crisis. I discuss the role that rituals can play in coping with change and how women’s sense of connectedness is illustrated in Carol Gilligan’s work. Aspects of John Gottman’s research on arousal pattern differences between women and men and what he terms emotional intelligence are considered, and I speculate on a possible implication that women make better leaders in general—and especially in times of crisis—than do men. Drawing on the partnership model developed by Riane Eisler, I conclude that women and men working collaboratively offer the greatest hope for family and community survival during times of crisis and rebuilding.
Factors That Contribute To, and Constrain, Conversations Between Adolescent Females and Their Mothers About Sexual Matters
By Kimberlee S. Schear
Abstract
This study investigates the factors that contribute to, and constrain, conversations between adolescent females and their mothers about sexual matters. Essential areas of investigation include the role of mother-daughter connectedness and parenting style on teens’ decisions to have conversations about sex and utilize safe sex practices. The conversational constraints that inhibit adolescent females and their mothers from having sexual discussions are investigated, and the relational dynamics that contribute to mothers’ and daughters’ having these types of conversations are examined. This study also investigates the reasons why it is imperative that mothers have knowledgeable sexual discussions with their daughters.
The Role of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the Maintenance of the Subjugation of Women: Implications for the Training of Future Mental Health Professionals
By Ann M. Lazaroff
Abstract
Since the publication of the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1952), the diagnostic classification of mental health issues has been rooted in an individualistic view of mental disorders. Although many of the changes in subsequent editions have resulted in clearer diagnostic classification, this individualistic approach fails to take into account the context within which many of the symptoms of mental disorders emerge. While the codes of ethics of the mental health professions require a consideration of clients’ socioeconomic and cultural experiences when diagnosing mental disorders, the research that contributed to the classification system often failed to take these experiences into account. This paper provides a look at the impact of social and political pressures on the diagnostic decisions made by mental health professionals, while also exploring the ways in which psychiatry’s classification system has contributed to maintaining the oppression of women. The historical minimization of the effects of violence against women and the insidious trauma of sexism will be explored. Finally, the importance of teaching a contextual understanding of the DSM, as well as the impact of socially embedded cultural values and biases in regards to gender will be explored.
Reflections on the Current Status of Women in American Higher Education
By Lillian Robbins & Edwin Robbins
Abstract
Since World War II, American women have gained much greater access to higher education, with women now 56% of undergraduates, and approximately half of medical and law school students, as well as attaining 49% of PhD’s. Despite their greater representation, women pursuing professional careers still experience considerable stress. At the institutional level, career opportunities remain unequal, with men still earning better pay at all ranks and having greater access to resources, as well as continuing to predominate as senior faculty. Fewer women gain tenured positions and promotions than in the 1970's, as the enforcement of Affirmative Action policies has slackened, and increasing numbers of courses are taught by contingent faculty. At the personal level, many women feel ambivalent about working when they have young children, and there are many potential conflicts if dual careers are involved, especially if there are heavy training-incurred debts, and if jobs entail difficult commutes or no work for one partner. We will review data on faculty rank and salary over the years, and discuss the implications of shifts in the academic environment as they interact with changing aspects of personal relationships and social expectations.
A Biblical World View in Support of the Worth of Women’s Work
By Rosemarie Scotti Hughes
Abstract
Scripture and false science have been used for many years to discourage women from reaching their full potential in the world of work. Perceptions that women were not fit to be educated arose in the culture of Old Testament times and continued for centuries. In the United States, as well as in other places in the world, the argument that women are not suitable for education and employment is now moot. However, cultural values have not always progressed to include women in positions of leadership, to allow them freedom to not have primary responsibility for the home and for children, or to encourage an equitable relationship between men and women, or even the view that, according to the Bible, men and women are equal in all aspects. This paper does not focus on the differences between men and women. While acknowledging that there are physical differences between the two genders, the focus here is that the Judeo-Christian Bible supports the equal standing of men and women in all aspects of the Creator’s intent. Specific scripture passages that have been misused and misunderstood are cited and explained. A view to change is offered.
Invisible, Mysterious, and Inconsequential:The Absence of Women in 2004 Presidential Campaign Coverage
Therese L. Lueck, Professor, School of Communication, The University of Akron
Abstract
Discussions of leadership and its inherent qualities surface in the United States most visibly every four years during the presidential election. In defining the terms, tone, and parameters, the news media set the public’s agenda in these discussions as they do most other issues and events of salience. Mainstream U.S. newspaper coverage during the latter stages of the 2004 presidential election modeled the campaign machismo of the two major political candidates, Republican incumbent George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John F. Kerry.
The national electorate was nearly evenly divided between the two candidates, lending importance to states that could “swing” the election either way, in particular, the state of Ohio. A close examination of two Ohio newspapers that were in step with the dominant framing of the national discussion on leadership reveals a marked absence of women. From depicting the essential qualification of leadership as masculinity to translating women’s issues to fit a male-defined agenda, the news excluded women from meaningful discussion of leadership.
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Child Psychology
A Critical Analysis of the Child and Adolescent Wellness Scale (CAWS)
By Alandra Weller-Clarke
Abstract
Current practice for assessing children and adolescents rely on objectively scored deficit-based models and/or informal assessments to determine how maladaptive behaviors affect performance. Social-emotional assessment instruments are used in schools and typically provide information related to behavioral and emotional deficits, but provide little information related to a child’s adaptive qualities. The Child and Adolescent Wellness Survey (CAWS) fills a gap in the psychological assessment literature. The CAWS was designed to assess strengths and competencies in school-aged children across multiple domains, each uniquely associated with healthy child outcomes. These domains include: adaptability, connectedness, conscientiousness, emotional self-regulation, empathy, initiative, mindfulness, optimism, self-efficacy, and social competence. Based upon a set of theoretical foundations including positive psychology, resilience research, and prevention science, the CAWS poses potential as a valuable assessment resource for psychologists and educators who strive to foster resilience and social-emotional competence in children.
Integrating Culture into Education: Self-Concept Formation in Alaska Native Youth
Allan Morotti
Abstract
Very few studies have specifically addressed the formation of self-concept in the Alaska Native, or how the relationship between culture and education ultimately impacts its development. Most often, this phenomenon is mentioned in passing and is contained within the context of a larger study (e.g., an ethnography). While the discussion of the ideas that follows is framed primarily within an Alaskan context, it is proposed that the ideas are representative of issues present in the education of all minority and indigenous youth.
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Religion
Islamic Schools in America: Islam’s Vehicle to the Future?
Hussam S. Timani
Abstract
This paper explores the role of American Muslim schools in shaping and constructing the identity of Muslim children in the U.S., and shows how Muslim organizations and educators are using these schools to (re)Islamize Muslim children. America’s Muslim immigrants believe that without teaching their children the Islamic culture and religion, they will be brought up as anything but Islamic. This paper argues that Islamic organizations and Muslim educators have capitalized on the ills of public schools to put pressure on Muslims to build Islamic schools, where (re)Islamizing Muslim children would be the goal. But, in the process, many of these children may end up alienated and isolated from the rest of the society, and, in some cases, exposed to anti-American, anti-secular, and anti-Western propaganda. This paper also argues that for Islam to prosper and flourish as a minority religion in a predominantly Western, Christian, and secular society, Islamic education must be geared towards Islamizing Muslim children without de-Americanizing them.
Roger Williams: Pioneer on America's Journey towards Religious Liberty
Virginia C. Barfield
Abstract
The radical English Puritan Roger Williams (1603 – 1683) lived too early to be a direct influence on the American constitutional ideals of separation of church and state. His life and actions, however, are informative to our understanding of Colonial America's earliest disputes over religious freedom and established government.
Though banned from Massachusetts for his seditious ideas concerning the civil authority's power to enforce the "first tablet" of the Ten Commandments, Williams failed to be silenced. In establishing the colony of Rhode Island, Williams fought for the right of all to enjoy "soul liberty" in matters of religious faith and conscience—"pagan, Jewish, Turkish, or anti-Christian."
Williams championed civil and religious separation before the revolution was a thought, let alone before the framers of the Constitution could have imagined a Bill of Rights assuring a "wall of separation" between religion and government.
This paper will attempt to outline Williams' passionate engagement with the ideals of freedom of religion and the impact his writings may have on how we understand that freedom today.
Beyond Darwin :Systems Dynamics Issues in Adaptation and Speciation
Jon C. Cawley
Abstract
Darwin had only the merest physical access to the work of Mendel (which he did not apply to his theory or mechanisms). Nor did he have access to present-day concepts of adaptation, nor of the systems dynamics of Prigogene, the memes of Dawkins, endosymbiontic synthesis of Margulis, or holographic assemblage (as exemplified by Gabor’s or Pribrim’s work), among other present-day tools. This paper explores a few of the ideas and implications of such 20th Century systems-related concepts which must now advise Darwin’s seminal work. In it, we caution against debating Darwin or any other 19th Century scientific work “Chapter and Verse” without depth of more modern contexts. This discussion includes an explorative Systems Dynamics definition of “species” as “a functional (reproductive) set of genetics at dynamic equilibrium within the adaptive context of its local ecosystem.” Such a definition implies that a species only exists within the context of its environment, that it must be conserved or examined as an extension of that ecosystem, and that it is only as genetically stable as the controlling parameters of that ecosystem.
Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Evolution in a Population of Community College Students
Patricia Flower
Abstract
uch attention has been given to the opposition toward the teaching of evolution at the K-12 level and the movement to include alternative theories, such as Intelligent Design (ID), in the science curriculum. However, very little is known regarding the attitudes of community college students toward the study of evolution and the inclusion of ID in biology courses. This lack of information and faculty reports of increased student resistance to and concern over learning this topic led to a departmental pilot study, in which 342 students were surveyed. The majority of students (272) were enrolled in Principles of Biology, a non major biology course at Miramar College in San Diego, California. The survey was also administered to 70 science majors enrolled in Introduction to Biological Sciences I and II, which are core courses for transfer to university programs. The purpose of this project was to better understand our audience and the knowledge and attitudes students bring with them as they enter general biology courses. As a result of the study’s findings several strategies were developed to assist faculty in providing students with a firm understanding of evolution as the main organizing principle of biology, but at the same time alleviate some of the anxiety students may experience when learning about the origin and evolution of life on earth.
Self and Other: Tensions within Modern Liberal Individualism and Moral Education
By R. Steven Harrist and Frank C. Richardson
Abstract
Contemporary moral education of children in America derives from multiple sources including parents, schools, religious institutions, and the media. Thus, children are commonly confronted with inconsistent, perplexing moral demands. This paper focuses on a bewildering mixed message children receive regarding ethics: American society strongly conveys that both relentless self-interest and genuine selflessness are moral imperatives. For example, the economic system promotes self-indulgent consumerism and competition while at the same time children are admonished to respect and even to love others. These contradictory messages emerge from an ethical framework, often termed “liberal individualism,” which offsets an emphasis on self-interest with an ethical view of human beings as having dignity and inherent rights. The tension between the ethical poles of radical self-interest and significant commitment to others can be deeply confusing and problematic in practice. In this paper we seek to clarify the paradoxical relationship of the ethical poles of this moral framework and outline some of its implications for psychological theory and practice.
A Perspective: Organizational and Procedural Norms and the Authority of the Magisterium in the Catholic Church
Gloria A. Kalbfleisch
Abstract
The Roman Catholic Church governance structures are frequently not understood, misunderstood, or perceived to be mysterious in nature. There are specific Post Conciliar documents, resulting from the work of the Vatican II Council (1962-1965) which point to a way of governing which is aligned with the teaching magisterium of the Catholic Church. Sources in canon law, as well as references within the Catechism of the Catholic Church, further offer guidelines for the development of collaborative and consensus building practices. The guidelines establish protocols and processes which frame thinking while supporting effective methods of design and implementation within diocesan boards, councils, parishes and schools.
The purpose of this study is to 1) educate board members in the documents of Vatican II that relate to the role of the laity; 2) build a common language within the spirit of the development of procedural norms; 3) move from the theoretical to the practical in the development of organization and procedural norms; 4) to aid other Boards in writing a document based on procedural norms in contrast to the format of a constitution and by-laws.
Theology for Citizenship: How a Catholic College in the Augustinian Tradition Prepares Citizens to Transform Society
Joseph T. Kelley
Abstract: Uses Vatican and papal documents to reflect on the distinctive mission of Catholic colleges and universities in light of their responsibility to prepare students for virtuous citizenship in a religiously and ethnically pluralistic society. Shows how one Catholic college understands its academic community in light of such a mission.
Science and Religion in Colonial America: The Early Days
Bruce Kirk Oldfield
Abstract
The use of science to validate biblical accounts or prove the existence of God began in the United States with the publication of Cotton Mather’s The Christian Philosopher. Cotton Mather is generally remembered for his role in the Salem Witch Trials but his contribution in bringing science to Colonial America is not well known. Mather had an extensive library, was a member in the Royal Society of London and had contacts with scientists in the great learning centers of Europe. Mather was perfectly positioned to bring scientific ideas to the common man in Colonial America. This overlooked book continues to be useful today to both scientists and religious leaders in understanding the origins of the Creation Science/Intelligent Design controversy in the United States.
Abstract
During the scientific revolution of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the western world began to perceive reality as, in some way, separate from the self. The kind of truth that was sought prior to Descartes differed from that generally sought afterward. Explanations of why things were as they were became less interesting, while people became preoccupied with explanations of how they happened. Nevertheless, some theologians and "natural philosophers" of eighteenth century Britain were able to blend elements of these different viewpoints, combining differing world views. John Wesley, for example, genuinely respected and eagerly utilized scientific advances and new philosophical ideas, yet he used many of the thought forms of his day to create new syntheses. Marrying empiricism and rationalism in such as way as to inspire human imagination to an understanding which cannot be attained by rational calculation or logic in and of itself, Wesley and others like him were able to preserve a place for humanity in the larger context of the universe in which humans were neither mere machines nor objects. They thus did much to avoid bifurcation between such polarities as subject versus object, faith versus reason, or teleology versus ontology.
Bridging The Gap Between Science And Faith Through Environmental Studies: Theoretical Considerations And Implications For Environmental Policy And Practice
Paul W. Brandt-Rauf
Abstract
The metaphysical implications of some of the scientific advances of the twentieth century have been under-appreciated to a considerable degree in terms of their potential to provide a theoretical bridge between science-based and faith-based understanding. In fact, even the bedrock scientific disciplines, such as physics and mathematics, can be seen to contribute greatly to a theoretical perspective that provides a deeper appreciation of the validity of these different approaches to knowledge, both through rational science and intuitive faith. The complementarity paradigm of quantum mechanics and the incompleteness theorems of mathematical logic provide examples supporting the existence of a mind-independent reality, akin to the Platonic ideal form, which cannot be entirely explained on a rational basis alone but which must be partly appreciated intuitively. Although it remains unclear how this perspective may help resolve all conflicts of science and faith, another area of recent scientific and religious inquiry, namely the environment, appears to offer great promise for uniting these theoretical lines of thought to provide some reconciliation of the two on a practical level. For example, environmental science and ecotheology both share a common understanding of rational and intuitive arguments for protecting the environment that incorporate appreciation of principles of science as well as religion. Furthermore, applications that combine the strengths of both environmental science and ecotheology are much more likely to be successful in influencing environmental policies and practices than reliance on either alone. Thus, environmental studies can make a significant contribution not only to building a better world but also to building a better bridge between science and faith.
The Dutch Dilemma & American Divide: The Challenge of Exclusivist Religions to Pluralistic States, and Contemporary Education
Christopher Parr
Abstract
Post-Reformation societies and states that thought they had put religious wars behind them have been caught unawares by the vehemence of religious dissent that has exploded in their midst, sometimes literally, since the 1970s. I maintain that key Enlightenment propositions that established the means for peaceful religious co-existence seriously misconstrue and underestimate the social potency of religious impulses.
My paper begins by sketching two distinct current impasses. The Dutch face the dilemma of a largely secularized society willing to be highly tolerant of difference — but as the brazen 2004 murder of provocateur-filmmaker Theo van Gogh has revealed, such tolerance is hard-pressed to accommodate those whose religious culture is not permitted to tolerate perceived intolerance directed at them. The United States presents an equally puzzling conundrum: a much more religious culture predicated on religious liberty, now challenged by versions of monotheism whose symbolic worldview convinces them they are persecuted, and must demand cultural supremacy. Highly dualistic, exclusivist and triumphalist versions of monotheism present militant challenges to the democratic state’s ideals of tolerance.Taking these recent examples as symptomatic, I argue we must reconfigure civil post-secular societies’ engagements with religious adherents, not least through actively educating all citizens about religions
Darwin versus Intelligent Design in US Courts: Does Teaching Intelligent Design in Biology Classes Violate the US Constitution?
Patricia T. Bradt
Abstract
Darwinian evolution is accepted by the great majority of scientists as the method by which the diversity of earth’s organisms, including humans, evolved. Current research continues to expand our knowledge of evolutionary mechanisms. However, certain religious groups, supporting teaching the creation of earth’s species as outlined in Genesis (“Creationism”), challenge in US courts teaching only Darwinian evolution in biology classes. The Courts must decide whether teaching creationism violates the Constitution’s First Amendment prohibiting government “establishment of religion”. In a 2005 challenge (US District Court , Pennsylvania) , a local school board mandated a disclaimer be read to biology classes stating there were gaps in Darwin’s theory and that “Intelligent Design” (ID), propounded as science, provided a different explanation of life’s origins. ID proposes that many living structures exhibit “irreducible complexity”, could not have evolved via natural selection and, therefore, exhibit evidence of an intelligent designer. After expert testimony, the judge ruled (12/05) that ID was a form of religion, a modernized concept of creationism, and should not be taught in biology classes because it violated US and Pennsylvania Constitutions. Similar challenges to teaching Darwinian evolution are occurring in at least nine other US states.
Is Science To Blame For The Intelligent Design Debate?
Aaron W. Johnson, Kevin P. Jansen, and Matthew J. Maurer
Abstract
The current debate in the United States regarding intelligent design (ID) has been viewed by many scientists as a curious sideshow. We cannot understand how anyone could be deceived into thinking that ID belongs in the scientific realm. It has no testable, falsifiable hypotheses and so is not science. We argue here that the ID debate is only a symptom of a larger and possibly dangerous ignorance of the scientific process among the general public. We suggest this ignorance results from a combination of factors, primarily the rapid growth of information among the sciences and misguided science curricula throughout the U.S. educational system. The overwhelming amount and kind of information combined with an educational system that focuses on content at the expense of conveying the methods by which content information is gathered is troublesome. Debates similar to evolution-ID are developing with regard to topics in public health, food and water supplies, and global climate change and related issues. Failure to enact education reform designed to enhance the scientific literacy of the public will result in more debates of this nature.
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Special Education and Theories of Education
The Project Approach: An Appreciation for the Constructivist Theory
Pamela R. Cook
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore my appreciation for the ‘constructivist theory’ for which an epistemological stance is expressed as an educational ideology, or referred to as constructivism; essentially to construct one’s own knowledge. Six energetic five-year-old boys from an urban public school, located within a mid-western state became the focus of this theory. The early learning programme implemented the ‘project approach’ inspired by the world-renowned ‘Reggio Emilia’ philosophy from Reggio Emilia, Italy. Also, several components from the public school corporation were implemented into the kindergarten curriculum framework including: guidelines for art, mathematics, music, physical education, reading, and science. Many projects began to surface from the curricula framework and philosophy. One particular classroom of six kindergarten boys was found to be interested in learning about race cars. It was at this point that a greater appreciation for the ‘constructivist theory’ became an exploratory venture, as I was compelled to guide these children into an intense 6-week study of…‘The Race Car Project’!
From the Trenches: Secondary Content Teachers and IEP, Inclusion Students
Jan Ginger
Introduction
Secondary content teachers want to accommodate their special education students. They know that their classrooms provide the “least restrictive environment” specified by Public Law 94-142. They understand that inclusion is federally mandated and, even more importantly, often seen as necessary for teens to reach their full potential as students and as successful adults.
But these teachers face many obstacles, frequently with little or no assistance. Among those obstacles: normal loads of 160 to 180 students; lack of notification of students with IEPs or 504 plans; shortage of inclusion teachers; only a single, broad introductory course in exceptional children. In addition, the bottom line, made clear by the administration, is that they must adhere to pacing guides and prepare students to pass the end-of-course exams to meet the No Child Left Behind requirements.
Special education has moved out of the self-contained classroom and into the content rooms, but the math teacher, the English teacher often are ill prepared to accommodate the needs of these students alone. Inclusion must be more than a physical reassignment of students from one classroom to another; to succeed it must include a school-wide philosophical commitment, and it must provide assistance to the secondary content teachers in the trenches.
The impact of IDEA 04 and NCLB on speech and language related services: How do we meet the challenges
Jennifer Means
Abstract
As most special educators endure the periodic legal changes in education and special education, related service providers face the same challenges. These challenges include Inclusion, IDEIA 04 regulations, NCLB and curricular related services. This paper presents these challenges and discusses a variety of solutions providing the most appropriate and feasible delivery methods for speech and language services for children with special needs. A brief overview of the evolution of speech and language services is presented in order to set the stage for discussing the impact of recent legal changes. IDEIA 04 and NCLB are discussed with respect to utilization of the academic and social curriculum. Various service delivery models are examined with specific implementation methods to meet curricular standards. Sample goals are presented with suggestions for incorporating related services in special education IEPs without duplication of services. The need for a transdisciplinary model for IEP implementation emphasized.
Special Education: Examining the impact of poverty on the quality of life of families of children with disabilities
Regina L. Enwefa, Stephen C. Enwefa and Robert Jennings
Abstract
Today, school personnel are facing many challenges in their efforts to serve diverse families and children with disabilities. Inadequate human and fiscal capacity, attitudinal and cultural barriers are among the many hurdles that must be surmounted for successful provision of related services. Decisions about who is educated versus who is habilitated or treated are often tied to classification systems that do not provide the necessary support for families and children with disabilities. The process by which parents become more autonomous as consumers of services for children with disabilities is complex. Educators cannot be a vehicle for parents until they are able to have a better understanding of the system within which these families exist and function.
This article examined the impact of poverty including cultural amnesia on the quality of life of families of children with disabilities. Additionally, the presentation will highlight (1) who are children with disabilities? (2) Family unit and cultural system, (3) impact of poverty stressors in life, identification, and assessment procedures for children with disabilities, (4) incidence of disabilities, international classification, and criteria for classification systems, and (5) conceptual professional collaboration model for related services.
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Oxford Round Table
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