THE IMPACT OF A ‘CITIZEN AFFAIRS’ WORKSHOP ON ANOMIA,LIFE SATISFACTION AND INTERNAL‐EXTERNAL CONTROL IN A SELECTED GROUP OF OLDER ADULTS

An educational experience designed to increase knowledge of the political process, provide peer interaction, and promote civic involvement did appear to enhance internal locus of control in a selected sample of older adults. No significant changes in anomia or life satisfaction occurred. Implications of the findings for educational programming for older adults are discussed. It is suggested that the SRS model used in the study should be tested further for exploring the impact of educational programs upon internal‐external control.     

Using Wordless Picture Books to Support Emergent Literacy

Wordless books—picture books that rely entirely on illustrations to tell a story—are an excellent resource for educators of young children. This article provides a research-based rationale for using wordless books, offers a developmental sequence for introducing children to stories told through pictures, suggests a general strategy and wide array of early literacy activities based on books without texts, and recommends ways of communicating with parents/families about the value of wordless books. Outstanding wordless books and examples of children's responses to this growing genre of children's literature are also included.     

A UNIVERSITY'S MULTIDIMENSIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS: FROM CONCEPTION TO BIRTH

Individuals in various colleges and universities may dream of their institution's having an educational program designed to serve older adults. Starting such a program is not a simple process. With many demands currently being placed on the educational dollar, administrators are often hesitant to begin new programs. An educational program for older adults is usually not a high priority. I describe how such a program came into existence in a large land‐grant university. Factors that were important to securing administrative support are discussed, along with how the various program dimensions have evolved. The organizational structure is described, indicating how the university is trying to use a membership‐driven format. The factors discussed here should provide other higher education institutions (both 2‐year and 4‐year institutions) with some guidelines as to how they might begin educational programs for older adults.     

How can international education help reduce students’ prejudice?

This article offers a definition of prejudice and then reviews the literature on relevant theories of its development and methods to identify and map it. It then discusses how prejudice is institutionalised and legitimised in schools, before turning to the main thrust of its investigation: the extent to which international education (K-12) can reduce prejudice. It then offers several sets of suggestions on how to reduce prejudice in schools, drawing on research, theory, and practice.     

TELEVISION AS AN EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH MEDIUM FOR OLDER ADULTS

This paper examines the medium of television as a means of education and outreach for older adults. It looks at positive and negative potentials of television. Particular attention is given to public television, cable television and videotapes. The viewing patterns, social and psychological functions of television, and the programming preferences of older adults are explored in terms of their relevance to educators and service providers.     

HEALTH CARE EDUCATORS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES REGARDING SEXUALITY IN THE AGED

Health care providers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward sexuality in older adults may have an impact on the overall quality of care they provide to older clients. One place to begin improving the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals may be health care educators. If educators have accurate knowledge and positive attitudes, they can help their students acquire accurate knowledge and develop positive attitudes. Forty‐two health care educators in a large community college completed a sexuality knowledge and attitude scale. The study attempted to determine the extent of the educators’ knowledge of sexuality in the aged, their attitudes toward it, the relationship between sexual knowledge and attitudes, and the relationship of knowledge and attitudes to certain personal / demographic variables and professional / experiential factors. The results indicated that the health care educators had limited knowledge regarding aged sexuality but held positive attitudes toward it. No significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitudes. Older health care educators and educators who had participated in continuing education related to sexuality possessed more knowledge about aged sexuality. Educators who rated themselves as more religious held more restrictive attitudes.     

Confronting Free Market Romanticism: Health Care Reform in the Least Likely Place

Health policy experts long have argued that a combination of budgetary constraints, lack of legislative expertise, and parochial attitudes make it unlikely that the U.S. states will contribute significantly to health care reform. This is particularly true of states like Texas, which ranks last or near-to-last in virtually every measure of public health, and is dominated by conservative politics and libertarian, free market ideology. Yet, in 1997 the Texas legislature enacted the first Patient's Bill of Rights. This article examines the political and rhetorical processes that led to successful reform, and discusses the implications that success in "the least likely place" holds for the making of health care policy.     

LEARNING RESOURCES

The last fifteen years have witnessed a rising wave of interest in the elderly population, and more recently, the rural elderly. Now that the initial wave has crested, a large store of information and experience in the field of gerontology exists. It is the task of higher education to take the lead in cataloging knowledge and plotting new strategies in both research and service. Moreover, the rural church must be recognized as an important structure available for cooperation with higher education in service to the rural elderly. In support of this point, the paper reviews the literature regarding 1) religion and the elderly and 2) the church and social services for the elderly. Higher education, through the rural churches, can help bring positive change through the provision of continuing education services to both the elderly and clergymen, through research, and through community development programs.     

Schemaintegration Integrationskonflikte, L?sungsans?tze, aktuelle Herausforderungen

Zusammenfassung.   Ein zentrales Problem bei der Integration heterogener Datenquellen ist die Bestimmung einer gesamtheitlichen Beschreibung des integrierten Datenbestands. Ausgehend von den Beschreibungen (Datenbankschemata) der vorhandenen Datenbest?nde ist ein integriertes Schema zu bilden, das als konzeptionelles Schema des Gesamtdatenbestands dient. Dieser Prozess wird als Schemaintegration bezeichnet. Ausgehend von einer abstrakten Systemarchitektur für f?derierte Datenbanksysteme, die als Basis für vielf?ltige Integrationszenarien verwendet werden kann, stellen wir zun?chst eine Schema-Referenzarchitektur vor, die den Prozess der Schemaintegration darzustellen hilft. Anschlie?end wird eine einfache Klassifikation von Integrationskonflikten wiedergegeben, bevor wir die gemeinsamen Grundprinzipien vieler Schemaintegrationsverfahren vorstellen. Wir analysieren dann die St?rken und Schw?chen der bekannten Schemaintegrationsverfahren. Aus dieser Analyse ergeben sich verschiedene Fragestellungen, die aktuell Gegenstand der Forschung sind bzw. noch erforscht werden müssen. Mit einer kurzen Darstellung ausgew?hlter Fragen schlie?t dieser Beitrag. Eingegangen am 20. November 2001 / Angenommen am 21. M?rz 2002