Neighborhood matters: racial socialization of African American children

Differences in racial socialization practices and their effects were examined in a sample of 241 African American 1st graders (average age 6.59 years) living in an urban area. Child outcomes included cognitive development, receptive language skills, and child problem behavior. The cultural environment of the home was associated with higher cognitive scores for boys living in high negative social climate and low social capital neighborhoods and for girls living in high social capital neighborhoods. The positive association of promotion of mistrust and child behavior problems was magnified in neighborhoods that had low levels of social capital. A high negative social climate in the neighborhood attenuated the positive association between preparation for bias/promotion of mistrust and externalizing problems.     

Social risks and psychological adjustment: a comparison of African American and South African children

In the United States, race is highly associated with social risk factors such as poverty and family structure that may account by themselves for developmental outcomes often attributed to race alone. This cross-national study assesses the effects of social risks on adjustment of racially similar groups of 306 African American and 625 South African 6-year-olds. Poverty and gender were confirmed as risk factors but single female headship was not. Moreover, poverty and gender posed less risk for South African than for African American children. Poverty placed children at risk for immaturity, hyperactivity, and difficulty in peer relations. Boys were more likely to have behavior problems than were girls. African Americans exhibited higher rates of emotional symptoms but lower rates of bullying, destructiveness, and social rejection than did South Africans. African Americans, particularly the males, scored higher on the opposition and hyperactivity scales than did South Africans. Distinctive social contexts and cultural resources may account for differences in adjustment.     

WISC-R factor structures among White,Mexican American,and African American children: A research note

The factor structure for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was investigated for White (n = 183), Mexican American (n = 129), and African American (n = 139) nonreferred school-age children (6.8 to 14.6 years) of low-to middle-class socioeconomic background. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The WISC-R factor structure model tested was Kaufman's (1975) three-factor solution that consisted of Verbal Comprehension (VC, Factor 1), Perceptual Organization (PO, Factor 2), and Freedom from Distractibility (FD, Factor 3). The results of the exploratory analyses showed Kaufman's three-factor solution for the three ethnic groups, but the order of Factor 2 and Factor 3 was reversed for the Mexican American and African American samples—thus raising questions about the comparability of the WISC-R factor structure across groups. The confirmatory analyses, which used the orthogonal nested factors approach by Gustafsson and Balke (1993), resulted in a model (for each of the ethnic groups) in which a G factor explained most of the variance (followed by the nested first-order factors—VC, PO, and FD). The results of the confirmatory analyses provide some support for David Wechsler's (1974) original intentions that the WISC-R structure is best described as having a general, or global, factor. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Parenting among low-income, African American single mothers with preschool-age children: patterns, predictors, and developmental correlates

Dimensions and patterns of parenting were examined in a sample of 193 low-income African American single mothers with preschool-age children. Factor analyses yielded three dimensions: Aggravation, Nurturance, and Cognitive Stimulation. Cluster analysis yielded four patterns of parenting: Aggravated but Nurturant; Cognitively Stimulating; Patient and Nurturant; and Low Nurturance. Discriminant function analysis was used to predict membership in each of the four parenting clusters. Two composite functions emerged, the first representing maternal well-being (locus of control, depressive symptoms), the second representing sociodemographic characteristics (maternal education, duration on welfare, age at first birth), accounting for 93% of between-groups variability. Children's scores on measures of cognitive school readiness and personal maturity were significantly related to parenting pattern, even after controlling for significant predictors of parenting pattern; children's verbal ability was no longer related to parenting pattern once significant maternal characteristics were controlled. Findings are discussed in terms of contributions to the literature on parenting and in terms of implications for welfare policy and programs.     

African American and European American children in diverse elementary classrooms: social integration, social status, and social behavior

With a sample of African American and European American 3rd- and 4th-grade children (N = 486, ages 8-11 years), this study examined classroom ethnic composition, peer social status (i.e., social preference and perceived popularity as nominated by same- and cross-ethnicity peers), and patterns of ethnic segregation (i.e., friendship, peer group, and cross-ethnicity dislike). African American--but not European American--children had more segregated relationships and were more disliked by cross-ethnicity peers when they had fewer same-ethnicity classmates. African American children's segregation was positively associated with same-ethnicity social preference and perceived popularity and with cross-ethnicity perceived popularity. European American children's segregation was positively associated with same-ethnicity social preference but negatively associated with cross-ethnicity social preference and perceived popularity.     

New media,old media: The technologies of international development

The research, theory and practice of educational technology over the past 75 years provide convincing evidence that this process offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to solving educational and social problems. The use of media and technology in development has shifted from an emphasis on mass media to personal media. A variety of electronic delivery systems are being used and are usually coordinated by centralized governmental agencies. There are no patterns of use since the problems vary and the medium used is responsive to the problem. Computers are used most frequently and satellite telecommunication networks follow. The effective use of these and other technologies requires a long-term commitment to financial support and training of personnel. The extension model of face-to-face contact still prevails in developing nations whether in agriculture, education or rural development. Low-cost technologies are being used in local projects while major regional and national companies use radio, film and related video technologies. The use of all available and cost-effective media and technologies make possible appropriate communications for specific goals with specific audiences. There appears to be no conflict among proponents of various media formats. Development in education and other sectors has much to gain from old and new communication technologies and has hardly been tapped. Several new educational technology developments are discussed as potential contributors to formal and nonformal education.     

The experiences of parents of gifted African American children: A phenomenological study

This study documents the experiences of parents raising African American children who have been identified as gifted. There is a small but growing body of research exploring the experiences and issues of gifted African American children. Parents play the most significant role in a child's development; however, parents of gifted African American children are not currently represented in the literature. This study utilized semi‐structured interviews with the parent or parents from 12 families to explore their experiences of rearing their gifted African American children. Particular attention was addressed to issues surrounding their children's academic and social experiences, including interactions with school, family, and community. Implications are elucidated for individuals working with this population, and suggestions for future research are provided.     

Pretend play by African American children in head start

Play behaviors of African American 4-year-olds from impoverished families were observed naturalistically. Children's free play was videotaped in Head Start classrooms over several weeks in the playhouse, block corner, and outside play yard. Play was categorized into cognitive play types—functional, constructive, and pretend play. Children most frequently engaged in functional play. Contrary to Smilansky's findings, impoverished children also engaged in pretend play. This play type was high in quality (object use, number of participants, and subtypes of pretense exhibited) but low in quantity (number and duration of play episodes) compared to other types of play. These findings are discussed in the context of theories of pretend play.     

北京申奥成功带给中国体育媒体的思考

中奥成功为中国媒体带来了更多信息，也带来了更多的挑战。本文试图从国内媒体的现状出发，从阐述媒体竞争、发展、联合等运行机制入手，探讨2008年北京奥运会时媒体的出路、选择与对策。     

The development of gait: a study in African children ages one to five

The purpose of this study was to describe quantitatively the gait development of a group of African children to determine how the pattern changes would relate to growth and maturation. This work applies an established technology of gait analysis to field conditions. 65 children of the Gusii tribe from southwestern Kenya were selected for study with an age range from 13 months to 69 months. Gait evaluation was performed by film recording free-cadence walking of the children. Growth in stature and age both influence the gait patterns. Developmental patterns of alteration in velocity, stride length, and cadence quantitatively measured in this study closely parallel observations made on children in laboratory settings by other workers.     

深入非洲现实研究非洲历史--访陆庭恩教授

陆庭恩先生是我国著名的非洲史研究专家。 1 935年 1 2月生 ,上海市人。 1 960年毕业于北京大学历史系 ,后留系任教。曾任北京大学亚非研究所所长 ,现为北京大学国际关系学院教授、博士生导师 ,北京大学非洲研究中心主任。 1 989～ 2 0 0 1年曾担任中国非洲史学会会长 ,现任名誉会长。主要著作有《非洲与帝国主义》、《非洲民族主义政党与政党制度》(合著 )、《非洲史教程》(合著 ) ,主编《非洲通史·现代卷》、《非洲农业发展简史》、《中国与非洲》等 ,发表有关非洲史的论文 1 1 2篇。在访谈中 ,陆庭恩教授讲述了他从事非洲史研究的经历以及研究重点 ,介绍了中国非洲史研究会和北京大学非洲研究中心的工作成就。他特别强调 ,学术研究一定要结合国家需要 ,这样的研究才有价值和前途 ;研究非洲必须深入非洲实际 ,这样才能有深刻的体验和丰厚的成果。     

Profiles of social competence among low-income African American preschool children

Relations between children's personal attributes and peer play competence were investigated in a sample of 141 African American preschool children who participated in Head Start. Variable-oriented analyses confirmed that dispositions of temperament, emotion regulation, autonomy, and language were related to children's peer play competence in the classroom. Person-oriented analyses revealed distinctive profiles of personal attributes linked to adaptive preschool social functioning. A small group of resilient children whose profile was characterized by highly adaptable temperament, ability to approach new situations, and above average vocabulary development evidenced the greatest social competence with peers. Children who were disruptive with peers were equally divided between two profiles characterized by inattention and activity, but with differential performance on vocabulary tasks. A profile containing calm, reticent children was the group least likely to engage in disruptive peer play. Inspection of the six profiles revealed the within-group variability for this economically disadvantaged sample and illustrated the differential importance of temperament, regulation, and language constructs. Findings from the profile analyses and relations with peer competence inform the study of resilience in social development for urban African American children who participate in early intervention preschool programs.