Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
L. Archer, M. Hutchings and A. Ross, with C. Leathwood, R. Gilchrist and D. Phillips, Higher Education and Social Class: Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion
John Brennan and Tarla Shah, Managing Quality in Higher Education: An International Perspective on Institutional Assessment and Change
R. Taylor, J. Barr and T. Steele, For a Radical Higher Education: After Postmodernism     

Gender comparisons of preschoolers' behavior and resource utilization in group problem solving

We tested the hypothesis that 4 - 5-year-old girls and boys in same-sex problem-solving groups would perform equally well when the group task required various cooperative and self-serving behaviors to obtain a resource. The hypothesis that girls and boys would employ different behaviors to obtain the resource was also tested. 20 same-sex, same-age groups of 4 children each (10 groups of girls and 10 groups of boys) were videotaped while solving a problem involving a cartoon movie as a resource. 1 child could view the movie provided 2 other children helped, 1 to turn a crank and 1 to push a light button; the fourth child was relegated to a bystander position. Results revealed that girls and boys were equally effective in achieving viewing time; gender variance in viewing time was significantly greater for girls than for boys; girls and boys did not differ in total behavioral output, but girls tended to use more verbal behavior than boys and boys engaged in significantly more physical behavior than girls; affect in boy groups was more positive than in girl groups; girls who achieved the most viewing time within their group differed behaviorally from girls who achieved the least viewing time, but did not differ behaviorally from boys; boys who achieved the most viewing time did not differ behaviorally from boys who achieved the least viewing time.     

Early Adverse Experiences and Repeated Wheezing From 6 to 30 Months of Age: Investigating the Roles of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning,Child Sex,and Caregiving Sensitivity

This study examined associations among early adversity, diurnal cortisol, child sex, and caregiver sensitivity at age 6 months in relation to wheezing in children (47% male) followed to 30 months. Analyses included 676 mother-child dyads, 393 of whom completed an observational caregiver sensitivity measure. Participants were primarily ethnic minorities (42.7% Black, 25.4% Hispanic); 22.1% of children had ≥ 1 wheezing episode. Higher adversity was associated with increased wheeze frequency and blunted diurnal cortisol slope. The indirect effect of adversity on wheezing through cortisol slope was significant for females, but not males. Higher caregiver sensitivity was protective against wheezing for males, but not females, with high cortisol. Findings suggest complex associations among adversity, cortisol, child sex, and caregiver sensitivity in predicting wheezing.     

Children’s sibling relationships and gendered practices: talk,activity and dealing with change

This article addresses children’s sibling relationships as a site of social learning involving the (re)production of femininity and masculinity, drawing on in‐depth qualitative interviews with children aged 8–12. We begin by noting the lack of focus on gender in the majority of previous work on siblings. After introducing our own study, we look at the ways in which children understood their siblings in relation to themselves, highlighting points of closeness and division, and pointing to class distinctions around individuality and collectivity. We then explore how ‘talk’ and ‘activity’ are key gendered features of children’s relationships with their sisters and brothers, revealing versions of femininity and masculinity, and interplays of power. Finally, we consider how these gendered features of sibling practices have implications for children’s ability to deal with change in relationships with their sisters and brothers, especially living apart from each other, and we return to class as a feature of their understandings.     

Origins of Print Concepts at Home: Print Referencing During Joint Book-Reading Interactions in Taiwanese Mothers and Children

Research Findings: This study examines the amount of attention to print paid by Taiwanese mothers and children during joint book reading over time and the relationship between the use of print referencing by Taiwanese mothers and the print concepts skills of their children measured at age 3;0. A total of 42 Taiwanese mother–child pairs from middle-class families participated in this study. Mother–child interactions during joint book reading were video recorded and analyzed when the children were 1;2, 2;2, and 3;0. The mothers’ use of print referencing strategies correlated positively and significantly with children’s use of print referencing both synchronically and diachronically during joint book reading. Significant positive correlations were also found between children’s performance on a print concepts test at 3;0 and print referencing strategies used by their mothers when the children were 2;2 and 3;0. Practice or Policy: It is suggested that parents and preschool and kindergarten teachers increase their use of print referencing strategies when they read books to young children.