“We Are Not Free”: The Meaning of <Freedom> in American Indian Resistance to President Johnson's War on Poverty

This essay examines how the ideograph <freedom> was crafted through dialectical struggles between Euro-Americans and American Indians over federal Indian policy between 1964 and 1968. For policymakers, <freedom> was historically sutured to the belief that assimilation was the only pathway to American Indian liberation. I explore the American Indian youth movement's response to President Johnson's War on Poverty to demonstrate how activists rhetorically realigned <freedom> in Indian policy with the Great Society's rhetoric of “community empowerment.” I illustrate how American Indians orchestrated counterhegemonic resistance by reframing the “Great Society” as an argument for a “Greater Indian American.” This analysis evinces the rhetorical significance of ideographic transformation in affecting policy change.     

Adolescent boys' and girls' block constructions differ in structural balance: A block-building characteristic related to math achievement

Two studies were conducted on block building in adolescents, assessing middle school (Study 1) and high school students (Study 2). Students were asked to build something interesting with blocks. In both samples, the same pattern of gender differences were found; boys built taller structures than girls, and balanced a larger number of blocks on a small base of upright blocks (a new measure developed for this study). Gender differences in the height of structures were fully mediated by this measure of structural balance. These findings suggest that balance elements are key to understanding gender differences in block building. In Study 2, high-school students were given a second task, requiring them to apply structural balance principles (only four upright blocks were provided on which to build), and instructing them to build a tall, complex, well-balanced structure. Gender differences again were found, suggesting that gender differences in block building may be skill-based as well as stylistic. A separate question was whether block-building characteristics at this age have any relevance to math achievement. In both studies, the measure of structural balance was the only block-building characteristic that predicted math achievement. Additional research is needed to understand the cognitive underpinnings of this new spatial measure, how malleable it is, and its further practical significance for adolescent learners.     

Teaching appraisal in higher education: an Australian perspective

The current literature on the evaluation of teaching in highereducation institutions is reviewed critically and evaluated from anAustralian perspective. The issues of what constitutes goodteaching and how effective teaching can lead to quality in teachingare discussed together with the reasons for introducing appraisal systems.The professional development and duties-basedmodels of teaching appraisal are summarized and assessed along with thevarious sources of information which can be used as inputs to the appraisalprocess. The problems associated with appraisal systems are identified andrecommendations are made as to the design of appraisal systems which arevalid, reliable and have high user acceptability.     

Toward the Development of an Interdisciplinary Information Assurance Curriculum: Knowledge Domains and Skill Sets Required of Information Assurance Professionals*

Since the ratification of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002, both publicly traded companies and their respective financial statement auditors have struggled to comply with the requirements of the legislation. Utilizing three individual Delphi studies, separately, I surveyed partners, managers, and staff associates in the United States from each of the “Big 4” international accounting firms to ascertain from each respective group what knowledge domains and technical skills are most important in the practice of Sarbanes‐Oxley–related information assurance compliance. Analysis of the data collected provided the basis for the development and subsequent implementation of a new interdisciplinary business curriculum in information assurance.     

Adoptive Gay Father Families: Parent–Child Relationships and Children's Psychological Adjustment

Findings are presented on a U.K. study of 41 gay father families, 40 lesbian mother families, and 49 heterosexual parent families with an adopted child aged 3–9 years. Standardized interview and observational and questionnaire measures of parental well‐being, quality of parent–child relationships, child adjustment, and child sex‐typed behavior were administered to parents, children, and teachers. The findings indicated more positive parental well‐being and parenting in gay father families compared to heterosexual parent families. Child externalizing problems were greater among children in heterosexual families. Family process variables, particularly parenting stress, rather than family type were found to be predictive of child externalizing problems. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding of the role of parental gender and parental sexual orientation in child development.