Narratives of the social scientist: understanding the work of John Ogbu

This article contextualizes the work of the late educational anthropologist John Ogbu in terms of uniquely American narratives that have explanatory and motivational value for different segments of the US population. The narrative Ogbu championed has explanatory value among several educational researchers, and is consistent with an ethnic immigrant narrative that has long held motivational value among African, Asian and European immigrant students in the United States – quite possibly including John Ogbu – who came to the US as an immigrant student himself. While I point out specific problems that undermine the accuracy of Ogbu’s assessments and the quality of his analysis, I also point out that (for better or worse), when it comes to the effectiveness and acceptance of such narratives among different groups of people, historical accuracy and objective truth is not as important as the extent to which the explanations offered hold explanatory and motivational value and resonate with individual or group experiences and understandings of the world.     

Attitudes Toward Services of State Departments of Education,

The structure of attitudes toward services rendered by state departments was studied in six southeaste states with a 70-item scale. Development procedures are described. The scale was administered to randoml chosen samples of superintendents (N = 671), central office personnel (N = 404), principals (N = 627) teacher, (N = 3, 684), and other local personnel (N = 373). Data from each group were factored and studied for dimensic ality. The two factors common to all groups consisted, respectively, of positively and negatively worded item despite the fact that the instrument was developed in a way intended to minimize response set factors. A thire factor dealt with university-state relationships.     

TEACHING FOR BELIEF: POWER AND PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE

The politics of pedology when teaching for belief in culturally diverse settings inevitably draws attention to the power dynamics in the encounters of teachers and students. The quest for a pedagogy that is not oppressive or coercive provides the impetus to a liberative proposal for teaching practice.     

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT THE EDGE OF HISTORY

This article suggests that religious education discourse in the future must be multilingual if it is to prepare people to participate in a postmodern world of religious diversity and secularism. Five “languages” are suggested, including those native to the religious education of particular religious communities, the language of interreligious education, the language of public religious education, a postreligion religious education language, and the language of academic religious education.     

Cultures Matter

“The center of gravity of our culture is shifting from a culture of labor to a culture of play, yet we are totally unprepared for this step. Our educational policies practically ignore the problem. . . If ever any great human emergency demanded statesmanlike management and the self‐sacrificing labor of men of goodwill, the coming of the tidal flood of leisure, the first dripples of which are already lapping at our doors, is such an emergency.” ¹ 1. Hugh Hartshorne, “Religious Education and Community Co‐operation,” Religious Education, January, 1933, pp. 40‐41

     

Body Composition of Olympic Speed Skating Candidates

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the body composition of speed skaters who were candidates for the 1980 United States Olympic Team. Subjects were 19 males between 16 and 27 years of age. Most subjects had just completed three months of intensive dry-land training. Seven skinfold fat, 11 circumference, and seven diameter sites were measured. Body density was determined by underwater weighing. Study of the speed skaters (mean ± standard deviation) gave the following results: height, 176 ± 8 cm; body weight, 69.6 ± 7.0 kg; body density, 1.081 ± 0.006 g/ml; and relative fat, 7.6 ± 2.6%. The eight speed skaters who were selected for the Olympic Team were significantly older, taller, and heavier in total body weight and fat free weight (FFW) than the non-Olympians. Thus, years of training and greater FFW may help differentiate international caliber male speed skaters. Data on Olympic speed skating candidates from 1968 showed them to be of similar age (20.1 yr) and height (176 cm), but greater in body weight (73.9 kg). Relative fat was not determined but the body mass index (Wt/ht²) showed that the present speed skaters may be leaner (24.0 vs 22.2). These differences in body composition were thought to be, in part, a result of the more rigorous training program currently used by speed skaters. The body composition of the speed skaters was also compared to that of other athletic groups.