(2004). Telling Tales of Torture: Repositioning Young Adults' Views of Asylum Seekers. Cambridge Journal of Education, v34 n3 p315-329 Nov. This paper explores the changing attitudes of a group of young adults towards asylum seekers in the UK. Based on the experience of sixth form students attending a workshop hosted by a former refugee from Pinochet's Chile, it argues for the importance of personal stories and their wider contexts and suggests that each is necessary to enable understanding of the other. The paper addresses the ways in which these students were enabled to confront and contest the populist anti-asylum discourse prevalent in the UK. The deconstruction of socially constructed barriers that had filtered their perceptions of communities beyond their own immediate environment was central to their shift from initial hostility through sympathy to greater understanding. This is analyzed in terms of risk. The paper concludes by acknowledging the power of the dominant discourse on asylum seekers and by suggesting that time must be made for tolerance…. [Direct]
(2004). No Discrimination on the Basis of Irrelevant Qualifications. Hothead Article. Cambridge Journal of Education, v34 n3 p353-361 Nov. This paper argues that social justice demands that discrimination on the basis of irrelevant qualifications be made illegal. Just as historically it was seen as 'natural' for discrimination in employment and education to be made on the basis of class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and age, so (at present) most people see discrimination on the basis of irrelevant qualifications as 'natural'. That 'naturalness' is challenged in this paper and proposals are put forward to rectify this injustice…. [Direct]
(2005). The Male Madonna and the Feminine Uncle Sam: Visual Argument, Icons, and Ideographs in 1909 Anti-Woman Suffrage Postcards. Quarterly Journal of Speech, v91 n4 p365-394 Nov. In 1909, at the height of the woman suffrage controversy and during the golden age of postcards, the Dunston-Weiler Lithograph Company of New York produced a twelve-card set of full-color lithographic cartoon postcards opposing woman suffrage. The postcard images reflect, and depart from, verbal arguments concerning woman suffrage prevalent during this period. They reflect arguments against suffrage that highlighted the coarsening effect the vote would have on women. The postcards also present an argument that was absent in the verbal discourse surrounding suffrage: that men (and the nation) would become feminized by woman suffrage. Accordingly, these postcards offer a productive location in which to explore how the icons of the Madonna and Uncle Sam, as well as non-iconic images of women, were deployed to reiterate the disciplinary norms of the ideographs of \woman\ and \man.\ (Contains 12 illustrations and 121 endnotes.)… [Direct]
(2005). The Zero-Reject Policy in Special Education: A Moral Analysis. Theory and Research in Education, v3 n3 p273-298. This article analyzes the zero-reject policy at the core of American special education law from the standpoint of morality, by examining the policy in terms of the following three moral theories: utilitarianism, Rawlsian Kantianism (justice as fairness) and neo-Aristotelianism, as developed recently by Martha Nussbaum in her capabilities account of social justice. Although on first impression, none of these theories seems to provide a framework within which to develop a plausible defense of the zero-reject policy, on deeper analysis there are plausible arguments in support of the policy from the perspectives of all three theories. The analysis supporting this conclusion leads to an enhanced appreciation of the conceptual resources that major philosophical theories of morality provide to understand the moral bases of the most important educational rights, under American special education law, of children with severe to profound physical and cognitive disabilities. (Contains 6 notes.)… [Direct]
(2005). "A Disability Rights in Education Model" for Evaluating Inclusive Education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, v9 n2 p139-160 Apr. Current models for evaluating inclusive education programs tend to examine surface-level stricture of day-to-day practices in the organization and operation of schools and also lack significant input from disabled people. In response, the authors have developed a DRE Model to understand and evaluate effective Inclusive Education that is derived from reports of international consumer organizations such as Disabled People's International, Inclusion International, and the World Institute on Disability. The DRE Model draws from the interdisciplinary field of disability studies and is based on the philosophy that disability must be approached in its full social dimension as one of the central elements in every culture's response to the full range of human difference. Conceptually, the DRE Model allows people to look at developments in Inclusive Education across widely disparate local and international contexts. An inclusive education project in Lesotho is described and analysed to explain… [Direct]
(2004). "Brown v. Board of Education" at 50: Reflections on "Plessy", "Brown", and Our Professional Conscience. Young Children, v59 n3 p77-79 May. In this article, the author discusses racial and school segregation with the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, as well as the Brown vs. Board of Education case as an example. The Plessy case deals with Louisiana's separate car law, wherein a 30-year-old apprentice shoemaker named Homer Plessy, who was 1/8 Negro, was arrested for sitting in the Whites-only passenger car. Plessy's actions unleashed a chain reaction of social, political, and legal struggles that resonate yet today. The Supreme Court ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson enabled the expansion of separate but equal into many aspects of daily life in states throughout the South, where segregation was already an institution. In the Brown case, which deals with school segregation, Brown fought school board sanctions that compelled his eight-year-old daughter, Linda to negotiate busy railroad yards to catch the bus for a Black school 21 blocks away. He wanted Linda to have the right to attend the White school only five blocks from their… [Direct]
(1993). The United Nations Peace Action Plan. Case Study–Cambodia. A Curriculum for Secondary School Students. This curriculum module for students in grades 9-12 focuses on the United Nations (UN) peace action plan evolving as a partnership between Cambodia and the UN. The eight lessons provide students with varied opportunities for hands-on experiences. Divided into four sections, section 1, "Lesson", includes: (1) "Peacemakers"; (2) "The United Nations: Successes and Failures in Securing Peace"; (3) "The United Nations: A Four Part Peace Action Plan"; (4) "Story of Cambodia"; (5) "The United Nations: Peacemaking in Cambodia"; (6) "The United Nations: Peacebuilding in Cambodia"; (7) "Challenges to Peacebuilding in Cambodia"; and (8) "Designing a Peace Plan Abroad and at Home." Section 2 provides "Role Models for Peacebuilding." Section 3 suggests "Resources for Classroom Strategies on Peacebuilding/Conflict Resolution." Section 4 lists "Selected Resources." An appendix… [PDF]
(1991). Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities: An Analysis of Federal Law. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of federal laws and court decisions addressing the rights of persons with disabilities including the following: the U.S. Constitution; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; Sections 501 and 503 of the Rehabilitation Act; Americans with Disabilities Act; Education for All Handicapped Children Act; the Architectural Barriers Act; the Fair Housing Act; the Urban Mass Transportation Act; and the Federal-Aid Highway Act. Topics addressed include the following: equal protection and fundamental rights; procedural issues; recipients of federal financial assistance; eligibility as a handicapped individual; "reasonable accommodations" for otherwise qualified individuals; discrimination and special issues regarding education and employment; access to services; remedies and attorneys' fees; access to transportation; architectural barriers; housing; special education issues (e.g., confidentiality, due process, handicapped infants and…
(1985). Church, State and American Culture. Church, State and the First Amendment: A North Carolina Dialogue. The anthology focuses on some of the different ways people in the United States and others have interpreted the relation between First Amendment provisions and religious freedom. The book is organized into six chapters, each suggestive of a different framework of ideas or terms: (1) political, (2) legal, (3) comparative, (4) theological, (5) cultural and historical, and (6) ideological. The different readings reflect perspectives from which people have addressed problems involving the relationship between religion in the United States and the U.S. government. Each chapter contains questions for discussions. (KWL)… [PDF]
(1981). Justice Around the World: A Student Packet for Elementary Schools. Foreign Area Materials Center Occasional Publication 25. This learning packet consists of 10 exercises which can be used independently by students or as class activities. The activities in the packet were developed to foster awareness of international human rights issues. The objectives are stated at the top of each exercise, with vocabulary words listed under the objectives. Materials from the "Handbook on Human Rights and Citizenship" are meant to be used with these activities. Exercise 1 is designed to help students understand that every human being has basic rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is examined in exercise 2. Understanding human rights in different cultures in the focus of exercise 3 and the role of dissidents is analyzed in exercise 4. The role of the United Nations in protecting human rights is the focus of exercise 5. Understanding the use of poetry and political cartoons as a means of expressing ideas and feelings about human rights is the goal of exercises 6 and 7. Investigating incidents of… [PDF]
(1966). THE YOUNG NEGRO IN AMERICA–1960-1980. THIS BOOK DISCUSSES THE YOUNG NEGRO'S DRIVE TOWARD FULL SOCIAL FREEDOM AND CONJECTURES ABOUT WHAT ITS IMPLICATIONS WILL BE BY 1980 WHEN THE YOUTH OF THE 1960'S WILL BE THE LEADERS IN SOCIETY. THE MATERIAL IS PRESENTED UNDER THE FOLLOWING RUBRICS–THE EMERGENCE OF THE YOUNG NEGRO, RESPONSES TO THE FREEDOM THRUST, REVERSING THE SPIRAL TOWARD FUTILITY, OVERCOMING THE DEFICITS IN EDUCATION, BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY, AND OUTLIVING THE STEREOTYPE. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT FOLLOWING THE 1954 SUPREME COURT SCHOOL DESEGREGATION DECISION COLLEGE AGE YOUTH BECAME IMPATIENT WITH THE \GO SLOW\ ATTITUDES OF THE OLDER NEGRO LEADERSHIP OF THEIR PARENTS' GENERATION. AS A RESULT, THE TEMPO OF THE THRUST FOR EQUAL RIGHTS INCREASED, STARTING WITH A NONVIOLENT APPROACH WHICH BY 1964 WAS SUPERSEDED BY URBAN RIOTS AND CONFLICT. IN ESSENCE, IT IS FELT THAT IF THE YOUNG NEGRO CONTINUES FIGHTING FOR FULL INTEGRATION RATHER THAN VEERING TOWARD SEPARATISM, THE GAINS 20 YEARS HENCE WILL BE ENORMOUS….
(1968). Student Activism and the Junior College Administrator: Judicial Guidelines. This paper deals with the legal aspects of student rights and of the various forms of expression (riots, demonstrations, speeches, and writings) pertinent to student activism, militancy, or agitation. It cites examples of such activities, along with decisions handed down by school authorities and local, state, and federal courts. The most recent case reviewed is Barker v. Hardway in the spring of 1968. Following the trends indicated by these decisions, the author offers guidelines to college administrators. They cover general principles such as avoidance of ambiguity or inconsistency, wide dissemination of information on the college rules, the extent of authority over behavior on or off the campus, the distinction between substantive and procedural due process, and the proper conduct of formal and informal hearings. Recommendations include: (1) a spirit of reason on the part of all concerned, (2) the formulation and enforcement of just rules and regulations for freedom of expression… [PDF]
(1978). A Social Science Review of Evidence Cited in Litigation on Corporal Punishment in the Schools. In the case of Ingraham vs. Wright, the United States Supreme Court ruled that under the eighth amendment school children do not have constitutional protection from the use of corporal punishment. The majority decision relies heavily on assumptions concerning the tradition and effectiveness of the use of corporal punishment in education. In an initial series of investigations, this article demonstrates the fallaciousness of the majority's assumptions. Corporal punishment is not \rarely abused.\ It does not serve \important educational interests\ and its elimination does not result in a lack of \responsibility and decorum.\ Additional assumptions are also discussed. (Author)…
(1979). Showdown over South Africa: The Second Coming of Student Activism. Change, v11 n1 p26-30 Feb. Student activists are charging that university investments are helping support South Africa's discriminatory practices. Confrontations between students and administrators and trustees are described, and instances of divestiture are reported. (LBH)…
(1988). A Unit in Comparative State History. Social Studies Teacher, v9 n3 p11-12 Feb-Mar. Presents a secondary level teaching unit on the role of rogues and entrepreneurs in Indiana and Florida from World War I through the 1920s. The unit helps students recognize the continuing struggle to maintain basic constitutional freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and religion. Discusses ways to develop the unit and includes a list of sources pertinent to the topic. (GEA)…