(1969). Teaching About Conflict as it Relates to War. This consultant paper for a war/peace curriculum development project is concerned with the challenge of preparing members of our society for a more rational approach to problems of inter-nation conflict. The nature of conflict and conflict solution in relation to the experience of learning are emphasized. Topics discussed include: 1) effect of physical environment upon evolution of man; 2) aggression, and human behavior; 3) psychological processes and values; and, 4) war as a social institution. The characteristics of human reaction to this fear are explored, such as dehumanization, alienation, and social involvement. Also discussed are: 1) unconscious defense mechanisms; 2) intra- and inter-group conflict; 3) socio-economic and political forces; 4) ethnocentrism; and, 5) communication problems. Guidelines suggest teaching these concepts: 1) idea of a world in which conflict, but not inevitably war, will continue to exist; 2) alternatives to violence are available as outcomes of… [PDF]
(1995). Fateful Decisions 1945-1972: The United States' Vietnam Policies in Five Presidential Administrations. A Curriculum Guide. This curriculum unit for the study of Vietnam policy has the following goals: (1) student awareness and examination of alternatives to war; (2) student understanding of the process and elements involved in governmental decision making, including that of public opinion; (3) student understanding of their responsibilities and rights as citizens in a democracy; and (4) student responsibility for conducting the activities incorporated into the unit. The organization focus for each unit is a significant decision relating to involvement in Vietnam in each of the five presidential administrations from 1945-1972. The five decisions for analysis include the following: (1) France is permitted to reclaim its colonial empire in Indochina; (2) support of Ngo Dinh Diem in his rejection of national elections as provided in 1954 Geneva Accords; (3) the United States trains and sends military advisors to Vietnam; (4) introduction of combat troops into Vietnam and "Americanization" of the… [PDF]
(1993). Rigoberta Menchu: The Prize that Broke the Silence. An Activity-based Packet on the Relationship between Guatemala and the United States. This educational packet is produced as a tribute to Guatemalan activist and Nobel Peace prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, and in honor of the Year of Indigenous People, 1993, as declared by the United Nations. The core of the packet is a simulation exercise based on an indigenous family in a Guatemalan village on the day the Peace prize was announced. The impact of the award is explored in the context of village life. The packet is organized around the themes of family, relationship on a global scale, and responsible leadership. The life of Rigoberta Menchu shows how events in her life led to her development as a leader. Background information is provided on Guatemala, and discussion questions and projects are provided to examine issues common to Guatemala and the United States, such as food supply, environmental pollution and human rights. Other sources of information include 6 videos and 8 references. (SLD)… [PDF]
(1981). A Franco-American Overview. Volume 6. Louisiana. Intended to help readers develop an appreciation of the contributions of Franco-Americans to the cultural heritage of the United States, this book, the sixth of six volumes, presents 26 chapters representing many perspectives–from the historical to the sociological–illustrating the thinking and feelings of those in the forefront of Franco-American studies. This volume focuses on Franco-Americans in Louisiana. The following readings are presented: "From Subjects to Citizens" (George W. Cable); "Ball Room Brawls" (William C. C. Claiborne); "Peace and Harmony?" (William C. C. Claiborne); "New Orleans in 1838" (Harriet Martineau); "French Immigration and the Battle of New Orleans" (George W. Cable); "Political Reinforcements of Ethnic Dominance in Louisiana, 1812-1845" (Joseph C. Tregle, Jr.); "The Rural French: Acadians, Creole, and Blacks" (W. H. Sparks); "Who are the Creoles?" (George W. Cable);… [PDF]
(1973). Teaching Materials on the UN: An Annotated Bibliography for Elementary and Secondary Schools. This annotated bibliography is the result of an effort to facilitate and stimulate teaching about the United Nations by bringing together, from a wide variety of sources, materials recommended for school use by educational authorities. Special emphasis is placed on new development in teaching about international understanding and extracurricular opportunities for student involvement. The bibliography is divided into the following categories: (1) curriculum aids for teachers including approaches and methods, curriculum units and promising practices, audiovisual material, and sources of information; (2) student participation both within the classroom and beyond, including summer opportunities; (3) background materials about the UN in general and about many of its special agencies; and (4) books for student reading. Most entries date from the late 1960's and early 1970's. Each item listed is available through the UN agencies, publishers, and organizations listed at the end of the… [PDF]
(1971). Teaching About Collective Security and Conflict. Presentations from an International Seminar for Teachers organized at Rungstedgaard in October 1971 are included in this report. The study conference presented seven approaches to the teaching of world affairs: (1) the nation-state which is still dominant on the world scene; (2) the strategy and power-politics relationship between states; (3) the systems theory, in which an integrated complex of interdependent parts–such as the world transportation network–is studied as an interacting whole; (4) peace research and conflict resolution–the causes of war, the conditions of peace, and the changing of attitudes; (5) the role of technology; (6) the concept of collective security–something more than a classical alliance, yet less than a global supranational government; and (7) the relationship between values and foreign policy. Summary discussions following each presentation include the diverse opinions of the Rungstedgaard group as to the proper approach for teaching about conflict… [PDF]
(1974). An Evaluation of Undergraduate, Problem-Oriented Interdisciplinary Courses in International Studies. Final Report. A program developed by the Center for International Studies (CIS) at Cornell, focusing on world-based, political problems was evaluated for the ongoing improvement of the program. Of particular interest was whether the program was meeting its characterized goals of interdisciplinary content, problem orientation, and team teaching at the introductory level for undergraduates. The "Context-Input-Process-Product" evaluation model chosen to assess the program relied on data collected from student questionnaires and ratings, course and program documents, grading data, interviews with faculty, and observations of course activities. The results of the evaluation presented descriptively, begin with a history of CIS and the development of the program. A description of the character of the courses, then, indicates a change in the focus of the program as it progressed. The six courses are now more aptly characterized as being specialized, advanced, international studies courses…. [PDF]
(2002). The Ambushed Spirit: Perspective, Violence and Downsizing. A study explored downsizing from the perspective of the person separated from the job and its connection to violence and peace studies. Literature on downsizing, violence, peace studies, and organizational studies was reviewed. Participants were 28 white-collar employees, including the researcher, separated from the same organization. Data were derived from a demographic profile form, individual interviews, journaling and field notes, electronic communication among the colleagues in transition and the researcher. Findings indicated people experienced downsizing differently based on individual perspective and context; language used to describe gradations of violence can be positioned along a continuum between violence and peace, disorder and order, social injustice and social justice, barbarity and civility, according to the way in which the downsizing was perceived; experiences of downsizing described a gap between potential and actual realization of one or more basic human needs;… [PDF]
(1991). Teaching Nuclear History. History Teacher, v24 n2 p175-90 Feb. Presents results of a survey of the teaching about nuclear history at U.S. colleges and universities. Reports the existence of a well-established and extensive literature, a focus on nuclear weapons or warfare, and a concentration on nuclear citizenship, therapy, or eschatology for courses outside of history departments. Discusses individual courses and departmental approaches. (DK)…
(1982). Preparing Leaders to Anticipate and Manage the Future: Part II: Critical Challenges for Leaders Who Anticipate and Manage the Future. Six major areas considered most likely to present stern challenges to educational leaders in the final years of the 20th century are: (1) changing demographics, (2) economics, (3) technology, (4) occupational and vocational education, (5) human rights, and (6) family structure. Relying on major reports, current periodicals, and personal experiences, the authors of this monograph identify key information about the six areas and stress the extent to which each area is and will be a challenge to educational leaders. The challenges are first described from a general perspective in each of the six areas and then linked to the urban school district of Milwaukee (Wisconsin). (MLF)… [PDF]
(1979). Latin America's Emergence: Toward a U.S. Response. Headline Series 243. In order to provide a basis for improving United States policies toward Latin America in the 1980s, the document examines past U.S. policy and relations, evaluates recent U.S. approaches, and offers a reassessment of current U.S. interests in Latin America. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter I discusses social, economic, and political change in Latin America from the 1950s through the 1970s. Topics include the 1961 Alliance for Progress, the prosperity and integration of Latin America into the world economy, the trend away from democratic institutions, and the rejection of U.S. dominance. Chapter II compares the traditional view of U.S.-Latin America relations in terms of cultivating security and private economic interests with a new concept of U.S. interests. Problems of massive immigration, advanced nuclear research in Latin American countries, growing economic interdependence, and authoritarian regimes are noted. Chapter III examines the policies of Presidents…
(1976). Social Studies: A Multi-media Study Project in the Educational Section of West Germany's South-west Broadcasting Company. German Studies Notes. This study of multimedia political education in West Germany deals specifically with a South-West German Broadcasting Company's educational television project in the social studies. The dual purpose of the study was to assess the rationale behind the TV series and to present an overview of the structure and function of units which have been presented since the program's inception in 1968. As a background, the author describes the didactic structure of the project, the teacher's and student's manuals, the personal teaching medium, the developmental planning of the project, the characteristic features of the social studies project in general, and the specific objectives of the political education unit. The author identifies three conceptual categories which were of major concern to the curriculum developers: first, existential concepts; second, political dialectic concepts; and third, value concepts. The 25 units produced in 1974-75 are divided into categories of roles and group… [PDF]
(2004). AIDS, Empire and the US Politics of Giving. Convergence, v37 n4 p59-73. This essay explores the intersection of US Empire on HIV/AIDS policies and the politics of "gifting." It does so from an analysis of several key US initiatives: the Project for a New American Century, the US National Security Strategy, and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. History provides numerous examples where US international aid places expectations on the recipient with enormous consequences accrued to the giver–the contemporary time is no exception. Gifting, an especially powerful tool of US hegemony, is a means of social control, reflects power relations, and socialises the receiver by transmitting a set of expectations and values which bolster US ideology. US foreign policies, including those related to HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS education, are directly influenced by these three initiatives which are woven together to construct a new "American internationalism." (Contains 2 notes.)… [Direct]
(1994). A Global Look at Law and Order: The "World Court" at the UN's Fiftieth. Social Education, v58 n7 p417-19 Nov-Dec. Maintains that, although the United Nations and its New York headquarters is well-known, the location and activities of the World Court in the Hague, Netherlands, are seldom mentioned in the news. Discusses the origins, structure, and composition of the International Court of Justice, better known as the World Court. (CFR)…
(1975). A Practical Guide to the Women's Movement. An essay, a directory, a reading list, and consciousness-raising guidelines are intended to provide a vehicle for personal change and resources for organizational development. The guide begins with an essay on the women's movement today. A directory, which comprises the first major section of the guide, describes organizations which provide resources or services to women on a national level. General organizations and groups that deal with over 30 different women's issues, such as abortion, childcare, religion, rape, the media, and sports, are listed. The annotated reading list, which comprises the second major section of the guide, cites books and journal articles on a variety of topics. The categories of the directory and the reading list coincide as nearly as possible to facilitate research. The guide concludes with consciousness-raising guidelines for black women and for young women. An index is provided. (RM)…