InfoAlert

Posted March 5, 2007.

Education | Immigration | Media | Religion | Social Trends & Demographics | Universities & Colleges | Women | Youth Culture

Education

E1 - The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education for All of America’s Children
Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, Columbia University Teachers College, January 2007, 22p
" Is excellent education for all America’s children a good investment? We know that education is expensive, but poor and inadequate education for substantial numbers of our young may have public and social consequences that are even more costly. This study examines not only the costs of investing in services to provide an excellent education but also the costs of not doing so... In the U.S. we typically view educational inequality as a challenging public policy issue because of its implications for social justice. If life chances depend so heavily on education, it is important that educational inequalities be redressed so as to equalize opportunities in a democratic society." This article provides an answer for those individuals who currently fail to graduate from high school and investigates the economic consequences of improving their education.The present cohort of 20-year olds in the US today includes over 700,000 high school dropouts, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fulltext

E2 - The Future of Public Libraries in an Internet Age
Wooden, Ruth A.
National Civic Review, Winter 2006, v95, #4, pp3-7
"Public libraries are beloved institutions, but they can't survive on accolade alone. With the advent of computers and search engines, digital libraries, and the Internet, some question if libraries are essential and whether they should command priority in the competition for public dollars. Public Agenda's research show public libraries are not seen as objects of nostalgia, but rather as essential community players in the efforts to increase equity, opportunitiy, and community development in the information age." This article discusses the kind of action required for libraries to position themselves securely in the future. Ruth A. Wooden is president of Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research organization. Order article

Immigration

E3 - The 110th Congress and Immigration Reform
McMahon, Robert
Council on Foreign Relations Backgrounder, February 2007, online edition
"The country's immigration system, assailed by all sides as inadequate, generated intense congressional debate in 2006. However, widely divergent approaches by the House of Representatives and the Senate doomed efforts at comprehensive reform. Democrats, now in leadership positions in the 110th Congress, say they will attempt to revive efforts at comprehensive immigration reform with measures that encompass temporary work provisions, a path to citizenship for illegal aliens in the country, as well as bolstered security at the border. President Bush and a number of Senate Republicans share common ground with Democrats on many key aspects of immigration reform, including efforts to legalize many of the estimated twelve million illegal immigrants in the country. Congressional Republicans opposed to such moves, though diminished in numbers since the 2006 election, have vowed to fight any attempt at what they term an amnesty for workers who break the law." Robert McMahon has a masters degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has written for publications including the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, the Weekly Standard, MSNBC.com and Transitions Online. Fulltext

E4 - State of Union 2007: A Renewed Call for Immigration Reform
Spalding, Matthew; Carafono, James Jay
Heritage Foundation, WebMemo#1327, January 2007, online edition, 2p
"In his State of the Union address, President Bush called for "an immigration system worthy of America—with laws that are fair and borders that are secure." He restated his dedication to reducing illegal immigration and creating legal opportunities that will keep the U.S. economy growing. And he spoke of the need to promote assimilation, making the legal path to citizenship a true lifelong commitment to American principles and the rule of law.The President was right when he said that only a comprehensive solution to the challenges of border security and immigration reform will do; unless all the issues are addressed—illegal border crossings, unlawful presence in the U.S., security and criminal threats, the fiscal burdens on state and local governments, and the undermining of civil society—the consequences of today's immigration policy will continue to escalate. But while the Administration's proposal for comprehensive reform contains several positive elements—upon which the President must insist for his approval—it still contains a fundamental flaw. Matthew Spalding, Ph.D, is Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies, and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. is Assistant Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Senior Research Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, at The Heritage Foundation. Fulltext

E5 - Becoming American: The Hidden Core of the Immigration Debate
Renhson, Stanley
Center for American Studies, January 2007, Online edition, 24p
"The long-delayed and much-needed national debate regarding immigration is in danger of missing an essential point. The most important question to be asked and answered is not how much new immigrants contribute financially or what they cost. It is not even whether enforcement of our laws should precede schemes for a guestworker program. The central question of American immigration policy is how this country can help facilitate the emotional attachments of immigrants and citizens alike to the American national community... This paper argues that our current laissez faire policy regarding the incorporation of citizens and immigrants alike, our failures to enforce immigration laws, and the doublespeak that characterizes our responses to illegal immigration are deeply corrosive to the fabric of the American national community." Stanley Renshon is professor of political science and coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Program in the Psychology of Social and Political behavior at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is also a certified psychoanalyst. Fulltext

E6 - Do Immigrants Make Us Safer?
Press, Eyal
New York Times Magazine, December 3, 2006, pp20-24
"The author challenges the conventional wisdom that links a spike in immigration in the US to a spike in crime. He discusses at length a study conducted by Harvard sociologist Robert J. Sampson, who studied crime in Chicago and concluded that the rate of violence among Mexican-Americans was significantly lower than among both non-Hispanic whites and blacks." Eyal Press is a contributing writer for the 'Nation' and the author of "Absolute Conviction: My Father, A City and a Conflict that Divided America." Fulltext

Media

E7 - Blogging Between the Lines
Hull, Dana
American Journalism Review, December2006/January 2007, online edition
The mainstream media have fallen in love with blogs, launching them on everything from politics to life in Las Vegas to bowling. But does the inherent tension between the blogosphere’s 'anything goes' ethos and the standards of traditional journalism mean this relationship is doomed? Dana Hull is a reporter at the San Jose Mercury News. Fulltext

E8 - Olympic Trial
McLaughlin, Kathleen E.
American Journalism Review, December 2006/January 2007, online edition
How will China, hardly a bastion of press freedom, cope with an invasion of 20,000 foreign journalists for the 2008 Olympics? Just what the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games – China's first turn on the premier global sporting stage – will bring for journalists specifically, and open society in general, is a major question as preparations speed forward. Media groups warn that the potential for real problems does exist, and journalists should know the rules and risks and how to handle them. That is no easy task: The Beijing organizing committee for the games says the rules will not be issued until next year. Kathleen E. McLaughlin covers China for the Bureau of National Affairs, a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of legislative and regulatory news. She also writes for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Christian Science Monitor. Fulltext

E9 - Into the Abyss: Reporting Iraq 2003-2006: An Oral History
Columbia Journalism Review, November/December 2006, online edition
In the fall of 2006, CJR interviewed journalists who have covered the war in Iraq. The personal nature of the anecdotes and insights that were gathered communicated the reality of what Iraqis call “the situation” much more forcefully than yards of standard prose. The resulting narrative, a unique transcript of oral history, describes circumstances that “nearly defy belief” about the media coverage of one of the most significant stories of our time. Fulltext

E10 - Media Predictions - TMT Trends 2007 (Technology, Media & Telecommunications)
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Group, 2007, 24p
This annual review of media trends highlights the effects of digital and online services and user-generated content on the media landscape. Predictions for 2007 cover: "the commercialization of social networks and user-generated content; the disparity in metrics used to quantify new media and traditional media; opportunities in China's media sector; the growth of real economies within virtual worlds give forms; the long tail's alternative forms; the immediacy of VOD to PCs; public participation in television programs; the growing symbiosis between online publications and paper sources and finally the cost of free media.” Fulltext

E11- Analyzing The Presence of Magazines on the Internet
The Bivings Group, November 19, 2006, 15p
“The Bivings Group completed the following research in order to assess the degree to which America’s 50 most circulated magazines are pursuing online strategies. Stagnated circulation trends in 2005-2006, decreased ad dollars spent on the print magazine industry, and a decline in the number of new magazine launches have made it clear that the magazine industry is not immune to the continuous shift toward online resources by consumers. As readers flock to online media sources for news and information, magazines must increase their presence on the Web. In our research all but two of the top 50 commercial magazines had active websites, but the quality of these sites varied greatly. After examining the websites of popular American magazines, it became evident that the magazine industry’s online strategy is dramatically different than the tactics used by newspapers. Where the newspaper industry uses websites to present recycled content in a digital format, magazines are using the Web as an opportunity to develop interesting, unique, and easily digestible online content. Magazines have proven that the Internet can be an effective supplement to, rather than replacement of, printed content, and have begun using their websites to give consumers content not available in their print editions. However, while the general online strategies of newspapers and magazines may differ greatly, the two types of publications are similar in that neither is making use of online features reflective of today’s Web 2.0 environment. Further, online magazine content is often limited and focused on pushing paid-for subscriptions through the use of banner and pop-up ads.” Fulltext

Religion

E12 - Through a Glass, Darkly
Sharlet, Jeff
Harper's Magazine, December 2006, v313, #1879, pp33-44
"American fundamentalism - not a political party, not a denomination, not a uniform ideology, but a manifold movement - is moving in every direction all at once, claiming the earth for God's kingdom, "in the world but not of it" and yet just loving it to death anyway." This article focuses on how the Christian right is reimagining United States history. The author explores the history and role of American fundamentalism. The fundamentalists' idolization of Confederate leader Stonewall Jackson is discussed and comments by William J. Federer, author of "America's God and Country," are included. Jeff Sharlet is a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine. Fulltext

E13 - America's Design for Tolerance
Clausen, Christopher
Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2007, v7, #1,pp26-32
"The author discusses the strange American phenomena that allows its citizens to hold vastly different religious beliefs, but maintain relative political stability. President George W. Bush is such an example of an outspoken Christian, but an accepting diplomat of others' belief systems. The European Union is having trouble understanding these concepts, since they have become mostly secular in the 20th and 21st centuries. They have no legal and social history in their infrastructure to handle such issues and are faced with rising Islamic emigration." Christopher Clausen writes extensively on issues of religion and culture. Fulltext

E14 - Presidential Faith and Foreign Policy: Are Times Changing?
Spalding, Elizabeth
Heritage Foundation, Heritage Lecture #985, Janaury 19, 200, Online edition
"President Bush has openly acknowledged that his religious worldview influences his presidency, especially regarding foreign policy. In particular, he has framed his understanding of the war on terrorism as a battle between good and evil, and speaks passionately about America's purpose in the larger world and the divine gift and calling of freedom. A question arises as to whether Bush's religiously informed approach to foreign policy is consistent with the larger American political tradition, or does he represent an historical aberration? Dr. Elizabeth Spalding brings helpful clarity and insight to this question." Elizabeth Edwards Spalding, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Government and Director of the Washington Program at Claremont McKenna College. Fulltext

Social Trends & Demographics

E15 - Big Philanthropy
Lenkowsky, Leslie
Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2007, v31, #1, pp47-51
"The rise of big philanthropy -- in the United States as well as other parts of the world -- offers an unprecedented opportunity to creatively address many long-standing problems. But if a new "golden age" of giving is in the offing, as its enthusiasts have already proclaimed, those whose hard-earned wealth is making it possible need to realize that more than vast amounts of money are needed to succeed in truly doing good." This article reports on the rise in billion dollar charitable foundations. Warren Buffett highlighted this trend in 2006 by giving over $30 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but such largesse is only unusual in its enormity. Over 10% of all charitable giving from Americans came from foundations. But foundations are not the only outlet for charitable giving. In 2006 there were a record number of gifts of over $100 million. Leslie Lenkowsky is a professor of public affairs and philanthropic studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Fulltext

E16 - Volunteering in the United States 2006
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, Web-posted January 2007, online edition
About 61.2 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2005 and September 2006. The proportion of the population who volunteered was 26.7 percent. This is 2.1 percentage points lower than the volunteer rate in each of the prior 3 years and slightly lower than in 2002, the first year for which comparable data are available. Over the year ending September 2006, both the number of volunteers and the volunteer rate were lower than in the previous year ending September 2005. About 30.1 percent of women and 23.0 percent of men did volunteer work in the year ended in September 2006, down from 32.4 and 25.0 percent, respectively, during the prior year. As in previous years, women volunteered at a higher rate than men across all age groups, educational levels, and other major characteristics. Fulltext

Universities & Colleges

The Race to Attract International Students
Kargbo, Abdul and Margie Yeager
Education Sector, March 22, 2007
The U.S. has long been a magnet for the world's top college students. By one recent estimate, they help pump more than $13 billion annually into the U.S. economy. This report outlines some of the forces that are, however, making it increasingly difficult for U.S. colleges to attract foreign students. It also discusses the need for the U.S. to be more proactive in international marketing, in part by simplifying visa processing and increasing affordable educational opportunities. This is essential if the U.S. is to retain its position as the number one destination of foreign students — and the advantage that such students afford in the battle for global economic competitiveness. Education Sector is an independent education policy think tank. Education Sector is an independent education policy think tank. Fulltext

The Path Through Graduate School: A Longitudinal Examination 10 Years After Bachelor’s Degree. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, February 2007. 119p
Using data from the 1992–93 Baccalaureate and Beyond Study, this report by the National Center for Education Statistics examines the characteristics related to graduate degree enrollment, persistence, and completion among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients. The study shows that ten years after graduation, about 40% of bachelor’s degree recipients had enrolled in a graduate degree program, and 62% of those students had earned at least one graduate degree by 2003. On average, Master’s degree students took 3 years to complete their degree, first-professional students 4 years, and doctoral students more than 5 years. Overall, rates of persistence and completion were higher among students who entered graduate school immediately after earning a bachelor’s degree, who attended full time and enrolled continuously, and who enrolled in multiple graduate degree programs. Fulltext

E17- Entering the Interaction Age: Implementing a Future Vision for Campus Learning Spaces...Today
Milne, Andrew J.
EDUCAUSE Review, v42, #1, January/February 2007, pp12–31
As students and faculty increasingly make use of new technology products, the challenge of learning space design is to preserve the richness of nontechnical experiences while incorporating new forms of communication that encourage and support both human-to-information and human-to-human interaction. The author maintains that with “directed effort, some ingenuity, and a future-focused vision, colleges and universities should be able to identify and leverage existing technologies with which to build aspects of the "future" campus learning space—today.” Andrew J. Milne is the CEO and co-founder of Tidebreak, Inc., which specializes in interactive workspace technologies. He is also a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Center for Design Research. Fulltext

E18 - The American Freshmen: Norms for 2006
Higher Education Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Released January 19, 2007, online edition
For the 41st year, the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles surveyed first-time, full-time students at nearly 400 colleges and universities. The UCLA survey is the nation's longest-running and most comprehensive assessment of student attitudes and plans for college. The results for 2006 are based on the responses of about 270,000 students. Major findings include: More freshmen report that they discussed politics frequently as high school seniors — 33.8% in 2006, up from 25.5% in 2004. 43.1% see themselves as "middle-of-the-road," 28.4% as "liberal" and 23.9% as "conservative". 83.7% of liberal students agree that same-sex couples should have the right to legal marriage, 30.4% of conservatives believe the same. 78.4% of liberal freshmen support legalized abortion, 31.8% of conservative students do and 56.3% of middle-of-the-road freshmen do. 52.7% of conservative freshmen say that affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished, while 44.6% of liberals agree. 64.1% of freshmen indicate that they have "some" or "major" concerns about their ability to finance the costs of their college education. Almost 50% of freshmen attending a second-choice institution had also been accepted to their first-choice college but were swayed by offers of financial assistance and the cost of the college they ultimately chose. 82.2% of students receive aid from "parents, other relatives, or friends" for the first year of college. 49.8% of black students took one or more Advanced Placement courses in high school, less than any other single racial or ethnic group. 73.1% of Asian students and 61.1% of white students took AP courses. Fulltext

E19 - Foreign Students in the United States:  Policies and Legislation
Chaddal, Chad C.
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress, Updated December 8, 2006, online edition
Five years after 9/11, foreign student visas remain a security concern (several of the terrorists were in the U.S. on student visas).  However, higher education institutions are concerned over the ability to attract foreign students especially in the science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields.  Legislation to address these concerns had been introduced in the 109^th Congress. Fulltext

Women

E20 - The Changing Global Face of Politics
Bocskor, Nancy
Campaigns & Elections, January 2007, v28 #1, pp48-49
The article presents information on training programs for female political candidates and campaign workers in the U.S. and abroad. About 200 women have attended the training programs of the Women and Politics Institute in Washington, D.C. in 2006. The International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Women's Campaign International aim to teach women how to become more politically empowered in their countries by running for public office. Nancy Bocskor specializes in campaign training. She teaches fund raising at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.Fulltext

E21 - A Voice for the Voiceless
Spillar, Katherine
Ms, Winter 2007, v17, #1; pp50-55
"Sima Samar is a hero to Afghan women. Living in exile in Pakistan for 17 years, Samar established the Shuhada Organization to run hospitals, clinics and schools for both girls and boys in her native land, even during the brutal civil war between factions of the mujahideen and then under the oppressive Taliban regime... Today, she heads the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and her advocacy for human and women's rights continues to upset fundamentalists-while drawing admiration from feminists worldwide." During a recent visit to the U.S., Samar sat down with Ms. executive editor Katherine Spillar to discuss the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, particularly the escalation of violence, its repressive effect on women and girls and what the new U.S. Congress should do." Fulltext

Youth Culture

E22 - Social Networking Websites and Teens: An Overview
Lenhart, Amanda; Madden, Mary
Pew Internet and American Life Project. Jan. 7, 2007, online edition
A social networking site is an online place where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users. In the past five years, such sites have rocketed from a niche activity into a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of internet users. More than half (55%) of all online American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites. Lenhart and Madden are both senior researchers at the Pew Research Institute. Fulltext

E23 - A Portrait of "Generation Next": How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Janaury 2007, online edition, 45p
"A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change. More than two-thirds see their generation as unique and distinct, yet not all self-evaluations are positive. A majority says that "getting rich" is the main goal of most people in their age group... In their political outlook, they are the most tolerant of any generation on social issues such as immigration, race and homosexuality. They are also much more likely to identify with the Democratic Party than was the preceding generation of young people, which could reshape politics in the years ahead. Yet the evidence is mixed as to whether the current generation of young Americans will be any more engaged in the nation's civic life than were young people in the past, potentially blunting their political impact. Fulltext

E24 - Generation Next: Speak Up, Be Heard
Woodruff, Judy
PBS Online NewsHour, 2007, Online edition
"Generation Next is staggeringly diverse, informed and technically savvy. In this one-hour documentary, journalist Judy Woodruff, who traveled across the U.S. and spoke to over 500 young people 16-25, gauges their opinions on pressing political and social issues such as terrorism, immigration, environment and health care." In addition to transcripts from the documentary, the site contains audio and video clips, background reports, forums, and a timeline highlighting major events, media, music, sports, and technology related to the demographic. Fulltext

Updated March 12, 2007.