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June 2006
Education |Immigration | Media | Multiculturalism/Multicultural Society | Religion & Values | Seniors | Urban Society | Universities & Colleges | Youth Culture |
E1 - The Condition of Education 2006
National Center for Education Statistics, 2006
"The Condition of Education 2006 summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 50 indicators on the status and condition of education and a special analysis on international assessments. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2006 print edition includes 50 indicators in five main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education." Fulltext
E2 - Business-Education Partnerships in the U.S.: Committed to the Future
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Civic Leadership Center, June 2006, 62p
The Business-Education Network (BEN), which was launched in October 2005, “is dedicated to identifying successful education practices, sharing critical education data and research, and facilitating public-private partnerships to improve education. BEN shares its knowledge through the U.S. Chamber’s network of 2,800 state and local chambers of commerce and harnesses the U.S. business community’s ability to facilitate change. […] The purpose of this report is to capture the current global position of the U.S. education system and illustrate how some U.S. companies are already making a difference. Fulltext
E3 - Another Way to Assess the Second Generation: Look at the Parents
Feliciano, Cynthia
Migration Information Source, May 1, 2006, online edition
“In seeking to explain why some second-generation children in the United States have higher levels of educational attainment than others, most arguments center on either cultural values or structural differences, such as class background and access to quality schools. Cynthia Feliciano of the University of California, Irvine shows that parents' status, relative to non-migrants from their home country, is a factor.” Cynthia Feliciano is an Assistant Professor of sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies at the Universty of California, Irvine. She is the author of a recent book, Unequal Origins: Immigrant Selection and the Education of the Second Generation (LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2006).Fulltext
E5 - Rethinking the Last 200 Years of US Immigration Policy
Zolberg, Aristide
Migration Information Source, June 1, 2006, online edition
“Contrary to popular belief, the United States actively devised policies and laws that shaped the country's population from the colonial period onward. […] Most labor migration brings in people who differ culturally from the bulk of the established population, as signified by language, religion, and ethnicity, often manifested in phenotypical characteristics […] The intersection of these identity and economic concerns explains why, throughout its history, immigration policy in the United States has recurrently opened the door to migrants from one part of the world while shutting the door for migrants from somewhere else. […] Policies, labor-recruitment strategies, and popular sentiment from various time periods in US history reflect the tensions and unexpected political alliances. This article will highlight only some of those policies and strategies.” Aristide Zolberg is Professor of Political Science at the Graduate Faculty at the New School University in New York City and Director of its International Center for Migration, Ethnicity and Citizenship. This article is based on his latest book, A Nation By Design: Immigration Policy in the Fashioning of America published in 2006 by Harvard University Press and the Russell Sage Foundation. Fulltext
E6 - The Benefits of Brutality
Crook, Clive
The Atlantic Monthly, May 2006, v297, #4, p. 38f
Crook compares concern over immigration in the United States and Europe. Currently it is rising in the United States, but according to the author “Even when it peaks, resentment of immigrants is milder here, and more guardedly expressed. A subtler but equally important difference: in America, immigration policy divides and confuses the political parties, separating liberals from liberals, and conservatives from conservatives; in Europe, by contrast, it tends to unite the political tribes behind hardened positions. Both of these differences make America a healthier place-though the underlying reasons for America's better health might be difficult for some to accept.” Clive Crook is a senior editor of “The Atlantic”. Fulltext
E7 - Freedom of the Press 2006: A Global Survey of Media Independence
Freedom House, Annual Report, Web-posted April 27, 2006, online edition, 190p
“The Freedom of the Press survey, first launched in 1980, assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and Internet freedom in every country in the world. It assigns each country a numerical score from 0 to 100 to assess a category rating of Free, Partly Free, or Not Free. Ratings are determined by examining three broad categories: 1) the legal environment in which media operate, 2) political influences on reporting and access to information, 3) economic pressures on content and the dissemination of news. The survey, which analyzes events during the 2005 calendar year, bases its ratings not only on government actions and policies but also on the behavior of the press itself in testing boundaries, even in restrictive environments.” Fulltext
E8 - Freedom of the Press Worldwide in 2006
Reporters Without Borders, May 2006, online edition, 153p (pdf)
This annual report reviews the status of press freedom in more than 150 countries. Imprisonment is the favorite weapon of authoritarian rulers to silence journalists and more than 100 currently languish in jails around the world. The picture is much the same from year to year and China, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran and Burma are still the countries holding most journalists. The report has a section on the Internet and the growing roster of nations censoring online communications. Fulltext
E9 - Among the Audience: A Survey of New Media
Kluth, Andreas
The Economist, April 20, 2006, online edition
The media industry and society as a whole are going through significant changes as mass media become “personal and participatory.” The articles in this survey analyze new media, like blogs, wikipedia and podcasts and their effect on journalism, the media industry and society overall. In addition to over 10 articles, the online version of the survey also includes links to five audio interviews. Andreas Kluth is technology correspondent for The Economist. Fulltext
E10 - Rocketboom!
Farhi, Paul
American Journalism Review, June/July 2006, v28, #3, pp38-43
“Episodes of a fast-growing, low-budget online newscast emanating from a cramped Manhattan apartment are viewed more than 300,000 times. Do Rocketboom and similar videoblogs pose a threat to the future of television news? [..]Rocketboom.com is produced every weekday in a shoe-box-size apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The three- to five-minute show, with its sub-amateur trappings and oddball sensibility, might easily be dismissed as an amusing piffle, except for one thing: on average, episodes of Rocketboom are viewed more than 300,000 times.”
Paul Farhi, a Washington Post reporter, writes frequently about the media. Fulltext
E11 - By the Numbers
Shiver Jr., Jube
American Journalism Review, June/July 2006, v28, #3, pp32-37
“Television has always relied on ratings to know what people are watching. Now newspapers can get statistics showing which stories on their Web sites attract the most attention. Will those numbers heighten the tabloidization of America’s newspapers? “ Jube Shiver Jr. is a former Washington correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. Fulltext
E12 - In The Shadow of the Eclipse of White America
Andrews, Marcellus
Society, July/August 2006, v43 #5, pp35-38
The article discusses population projections by the United States Census Bureau that suggests white Americans will be in the minority by 2050 and the effect this will have on race relations in the country. The immediate impact of this shift in demographics will be more minority businessmen and politicians, with white members of the country having no choice but to elect nonwhite leaders. In order to maintain the economic dominance of the United States, the federal government will continue to support education for all its citizens. The article discusses all aspects of society in regards to this imminent population change. Marcellus Andrews is an economist for the Insurance Information Institute and a Senior Research Associate with the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, DC. Order Article
E13 - Shall We Overcome? The Black American Condition Today
Johnson, Charles
Society; July /August 2006, v43, #5, pp.13-14
The article discusses the crisis facing black Americans, which affects the population economically, politically, culturally, spiritually, and morally. While black men hold positions of power at major corporations like AOL Time Warner and American Express, and hold high political offices like secretary of state, statistics show that African American college attendance is lowering and the life expectancy for black men is falling. Black leadership has done little to reduce gang violence, poor academic preparation, and the effects of a values-challenged entertainment industry. Charles Johnson a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. Order Article
E14 - Black Leadership and the Second Redemption
Harris, Fredrick C.
Society; July /August 2006, v43 #5, pp.22-24
The article discusses black leadership in America. A conservative drift in American politics and an adoption of a moral uplift ideology by black intellectuals and leaders have caused some to worry that American politics will challenge the political and economic gains of the civil rights movement. The article examinations race relations in contemporary America by examining the politics of the country during Reconstruction and in the 1950s and 60s. Fredrick Harris is Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester and Director of the Center for the Study of African-American Politics. Order Article
E15 - Black Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
Cunnigen, Donald
Society, July /August 2006, v43, #5, pp.25-29
The article looks at black leadership in America and the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. At the time of the Katrina disaster, New Orleans was a city defined by several decades of black leadership. Despite the high levels of political power attained by African Americans in Louisiana, 84 percent of black New Orleans residents live in poverty, leading to a higher death toll after the Hurricane struck and the poor were unable to evacuate. The article suggests methods for black leadership in America to succeed. Donald Cunnigen is Associate Professor at the University of Rhode Island. Order Article
E16 - The American Way of Empire
Thomas Bender
World Policy Journal, Spring 2006, v23, #, pp45-60
The author argues that American repeatedly misunderstood the culture, ideas and aspirations of other peoples and nations. ".... Again and again they presumed that their own parochial assumptions were universal and should be controlling in intercultural and international exchanges. In this essay Bender discusses the reasons why the U.S. entered the race for empire and also emphasizes the structure and power of US empire." Thomas Bender is a professor of history and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University, and the author or editor of more than a dozen books on American culture. Fulltext
E17 - A Look at Elder Abuse in America
McCauley, Stacy
RDH Journal, May 2006, v26, #5, pp74-78
As the number and percentage of individuals 65 and over has increased in this country, so has the incidence of elder abuse. Unfortunately, the prevalence and nature of this growing problem has generally remained hidden from public view. The author offers insights on caring for the elderly in the U.S. and a look at elderly abuse in the country. Stacy McCauley is Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina and a practicing dental hygienist in Durham-Chapel Hill. Fulltext
URBAN Society
E18 - Katrina and Rita Impacts on Gulf Coast Populations: First Census Findings
Frey, William H.; Singer, Audrey
Brookings Institution, June 2006, online edition, 22p
An analysis of the first U.S. Census Bureau data regarding the demographic impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the population of the Gulf Coast region finds that: This analysis provides a "baseline" portrait of the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on population shifts and changing characteristics in the Gulf Region in the immediate months after the storms hit. Both authors are Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. Fulltext
Universities & Colleges
E19 - Student Financing of Graduate and First-Professional Education: 2003-04 - Profiles of Students in Selected Degree Programs and Part-Time Students
Statistical Analysis Report, Published by the U.S. Department of Education, May 31, 2006, online edition
This report describes the characteristics of graduate and first-professional students and how they finance their education. It includes a compendium of tables providing detailed data on student and enrollment characteristics, types of financial aid, sources of financial aid, and employment while enrolled. The report shows that 73% of all graduate and first-professional students received some type of aid (grants, loans, assistantships, or work-study), on average $15,100. Doctoral students were more likely than others to receive grant aid, while first-professional students were the most likely to borrow. 51% of all graduate and first-professional students attended exclusively part time, and 70% worked full time while enrolled.
Fulltext
Youth Culture
E20 - Youth as Important Civic Actors: From the Margins to the Center
Kim, Jee; Sherman, Robert F.
National Civic Review, Spring 2006, v95,#1, 4p
“Public opinion polls and extensive research on attitudes held about young people (teenagers, primarily) in the United States portray a consistent, and troubling, point of view: that teenagers are plagued by expensive problems (crime, addiction, pregnancy, dropping out) and contribute little of positive value to our society. As Shepherd Zeldin notes, there is an emerging body of research indicating that, at a minimum, contemporary beliefs and narratives about adolescents convey the implicit message that youth are a source of worry, not potential. Jee Kim is the Surdna Foundation’s Program Officer for effective citizenry. Robert F. Sherman is the Surdna Foundation’s Director for the same program. Fulltext
E21 - Teens Spending
Prah, Pamela M.
CQ Researcher, May 26, 2006, v16, #20, pp.457-480
“Teenage American consumers spent a mind-boggling $159 billion last year on everything from movies and French fries to clothes and iPods. Experts say teens are spending more than ever before because they have more to spend. About 10 percent of teens have credit cards, nearly twice that number have debit cards and about 20 percent get money simply by asking their parents for it. Consumer advocates -- as well as rappers and professional football players -- say kids aren't learning how to use “plastic” wisely. In fact, parents themselves are setting poor examples. Credit card loan delinquencies are at record levels, while Americans' saving rate is at an all-time low. Critics say the credit card industry is too aggressive in marketing to younger and younger kids. The Bush administration and some members of Congress are pushing for more financial-literacy courses earlier in schools. Meanwhile, only a few states require schools to teach personal finance. Pamela M. Prah is a CQ researcher staff writer with several years previous reporting experience at Stateline.org, Kiplinger's Washington Letter and the Bureau of National Affairs. Order Article
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