Education,Economy and Social Change

ABSTRACT

In advanced industrial societies the educational system has been identified as making a major contribution to national economic prosperity. In this paper we examine how the educational system should be organised to meet the social and economic challenge of the late twentieth century. In asking this question the intention is to redirect current debates towards a more thorough going discussion about the interrelationship between education, economy and society. It will be argued that this broader perspective is essential if we are to fully grasp and understand the implications of the changing social and economic conditions of the late twentieth century, as well as the likely consequences of recent policy reforms.     

‘This is the country of premature old men’ Ageing and Aged Miners in the South Wales Coalfield,c.1880–1947*

Abstract

This article considers the effects of work in the south Wales coal industry either side of the turn of the twentieth century and, specifically, the ways in which work aged workers prematurely. It examines the consequences of working practices for miners’ bodies, the expedients utilized by miners to try and cope with the effects of premature ageing, and the consequences for their living standards, experiences and status. It situates these phenomena in the contexts of industrial relations and welfare provision. In so doing, the article engages with historiographies of the life-cycle, the aged, and pensions provision in modern Britain.     

Internationalizing the Business Curriculum: Bridging the Academic Culture Gap

Rapid global change, driven especially by the telecommunications and computing industries, are rapidly transforming the international economic, social, and cultural landscape. Affected are both urban and rural businesses who face intense competition at home and abroad. If the U.S. is to continue to maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace, educational institutions must prepare the next generation of leaders for a pluralistic world in which multiculturalism dominates. This paper addresses one aspect of preparing university graduates for the global setting: the meshing of the business and economics disciplines with other relevant curricula. It describes first the underlying philosophy that supports federal funding for integrative initiatives designed to enhance students' multi‐cultural competence. Second, in the form of a case study, it recounts the experience of a particular program that was successfully implemented recently at the University of Kentucky. Third, this case study can serve as a model for integrative cross‐curricular efforts at institutions of higher learning elsewhere.     

Different Minds and Common Problems: Geert Hofstede's Research on National Cultures1

This article discusses Geert Hofstede's work on national cultural differences. It explains how Hofstede's model of the dimensions of national culture might be of use to performance improvement professionals as they try to solve familiar, and perhaps not so familiar, problems in international settings. Hofstede's work, first published in 1980, argues that many management theories, such as those of Herzberr, Mausner, and Snyderman (1959), Maslow (1970), and McGregor (1960), are not valid worldwide be cause the authors are subject to cultural bias that is manifested in their own cultural makeup. Hofstede's research has shown that national cultures tend vary on four dimensions: uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, power distance, and individualism. Understanding national cultural differences is important to organizations to expand beyond their own national boundaries and to attempt to win the loyalty and business of customers around the globe.     

Pre-school Education: Parents' preferences,knowledge and expectations Enseignement Prescolaire: Preferences,connaissances et attentes des parent Educacio´n Preescolar: Preferencias,conocimiento y expectativas de los padres

Constructive partnerships between pre-school service providers and parents need to be established on the basis of a clear understanding of what parents want and expect for their children from pre-school provision. A questionnaire survey to 911 parents across Scotland, together with in-depth interviews with 91 parents in the Glasgow area, elicited information concerning preferences, beliefs, knowledge and expectations when choosing suitable provision. Results showed that parents prioritise the safety and care of their children above all else and that, beyond this, selection of type of provision (playgroup, local authority or private nursery) depends upon the relative value they attached to education, setting, convenience and meeting parents' needs. Results are consistent with the theory of planned behaviour that predicting actual choice of provision depends upon parents' knowledge, strength of desire to place their child, social support and perceived control over available options. Des partenariats constructifs entre prestataires de services préscolaires et parents doivent être établis sur la base d'une compréhension claire de ce que les parents veulent et attendent des prestations préscolaires pour leurs enfants. Les réponses à un questionnaire de 911 parents dans toute l'Ecosse, ainsi que des entretiens approfondis avec 91 parents de la région de Glasgow, ont permis de dégager des informations sur les préférences, les croyances, les connaissances et les attentes des parents choisissant une prestation. Les résultats ont montré que les parents donnent la priorité à la sécurité et à l'accueil de leurs enfants par-dessus tout, et que, après cela, la sélection du type de prestation (garderie, crèche municipale ou privée) dépend des valeurs relatives qu'ils attachent à l'éducation, au cadre, au côté pratique et à la capacité de la structure à répondre aux besoins des parents. Les résultats confirment la théorie du comportement basé sur un objectif qui prédit que le choix de prestation dépend des connaissances des parents, de la force de leur désir de placer leur enfant, du soutien social et de leur perception de leur contrôle sur les options disponibles. Las asociaciones constructivas entre los proveedores de servicio preescolar y los padres deben establecerse en base a un entendimiento claro de lo que los padres quieren y esperan de sus hijos y su provisión preescolar. Una encuesta realizada a 911 padres de Escocia, junto con unas entrevistas exhaustivas de 91 padres de la zona de Glasgow, aportó información sobre preferencias, creencias, conocimiento y expectativas cuando se escoge una provisión adecuada. Los resultados demostraron que los padres ponen en primer lugar la seguridad y cuidado de sus niños, por encima de cualquier otra cosa, y que, después, la selección del tipo de provisión (grupo de actividades, autoridades locales o guarderías privadas) dependen del valor relativo que agregan a la educación, posición, conveniencia y a satisfacer las necesidades de los padres. Los resultados son consistentes con la teoría de comportamiento planificado, que dice que pronosticar una selección actual de provisión dependen del conocimiento de los padres, intensidad de deseo de colocar a su hijo, asistencia social y control percibido sobre opciones disponibles.