Do “Undocumented Aliens” Dream of Neoliberal Sheep?: Conditional DREAMing and Decolonial Imaginaries

Dreams have long been thought to be a space of fantasy and utopic hope. From Paulo Freire to Gloria Anzaldúa to Robin Kelley, many scholars have related the ability to dream with the ability to act collectively, to self-actualize, and to call into being worlds yet to be realized—dreaming as a radical political act. What happens, then, when dreams lose their ability to sense outside of the existing order? What happens when dreams become a mere recapitulation of that which already is? What happens when dreams become legislated and coerced? In conversation with contemporary literature on biopower and psychopower, this article acts as a dream interpretation of the DREAM Act (dreampower), analyzing how the assemblages of immigration, citizenship, and power come together by and through new technologies of governance. Focusing on the role dreams play in the political transformation of “undocumented aliens” into more terrestrial/palatable beings, we examine the ways material and symbolic forms of neoliberal life have been operationalized to patrol and condition what constitutes acceptable dreams and, therefore, who can be a DREAMer. We conclude with a call for a decolonial politics of ensueños: a call for a sleeping and a dreaming of alterity where we wake up in order to dream, and dream in order to wake up.     

Education level explains participation in work and education later in life

A prolonged working life is crucial for sustaining social welfare and fiscal stability for countries facing ageing populations. The group of older adults is not homogeneous; however, differences within the group may affect the propensity to continue working and to participate in continuing education. The aim of this paper is to explore how participation in work and education vary with gender, age, and education level in a sample of older adults. The study was performed in Sweden, a context characterized by high female labour-market-participation rates and a high average retirement age. The participants were 232 members of four of the major senior citizens’ organizations. We found no differences in participation in work and education based on gender. People older than 75 years were found to be as active as people 65–75 years old in education, but the older group worked less. There were positive associations between education level and participation in both work and education. Hence, this study implies that socio-economic inequalities along these dimensions are widened later in life. This highlights the importance of engaging workers with lower education levels in educational efforts throughout life. It also emphasizes the need for true lifelong learning in society.     

Predictors of Children's Kindergarten Classroom Engagement: Preschool Adult–Child Relationships,Self-Concept,and Hyperactivity/Inattention

The aim of this prospective study was to identify preschool factors that are associated with children's classroom engagement during their 1st school year. The study was guided by a social-motivational process model that highlights the importance of parent–child and teacher–child relationships in promoting engagement. In preschool, parents and teachers completed questionnaires assessing children's (n = 562) parent–child and teacher–child relationships, global self-concept, and mental health problems. Teachers rated children's engagement levels 1 year later in kindergarten. Research Findings: Results from structural equation modeling suggested that experiencing good-quality relationships with parents and teachers and positive self-concept during preschool were only indirectly associated with children's kindergarten classroom engagement through their negative associations with hyperactivity/inattention; only hyperactivity/inattention had a significant direct (small-moderate and negative) association with children's engagement. Practice or Policy: Interventions that improve adult–child relationships may reduce childhood hyperactivity/inattention during preschool and potentially improve children's engagement, helping them start school ready and eager to learn.     

Socio-emotional climate of storybook reading interactions for mothers and preschoolers with language impairment

The current study describes the storybook reading behaviors of 45 preschoolers [30 with language impairment (LI) and 15 with typical language (TL)] and their mothers. Each dyad was observed reading a storybook within their homes, and sessions were subsequently coded for indicators of emotional and instructional quality as well as for child participation. Mothers of children with LI showed lower levels of emotional support than mothers of children with TL, although all mothers exhibited similar quality of instruction. The two groups of children were equally enthusiastic about the book; however, children with LI were observed to be less compliant than children with TL and showed a trend to be less persistent. For the children with LI, participation in the book reading task was found to be high only when mothers’ behaviors were observed to be highly sensitive in nature, demonstrating the importance of exposing children to maternal behaviors that are responsive to their unique abilities and needs.     

Developing theory-based,practical information literacy training for adults

Teaching librarians seeking to educate people to be lifelong, information literate learners, often employ training sessions to introduce new skill sets to patrons. To create and deliver effective training, one must first understand how training differs from traditional education, how adults learn (andragogy) in different ways than do children, and how using instructional design can yield effective, low cost information literacy programs. A wealth of on-line, open source resources is available on how to learn more about and implement training, andragogical teaching principles, and instructional design. Librarians interested in honing their teaching skills can access these resources to expand and improve their understanding of how to be better educators and trainers.