Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures

The theme of this conference focusses attention on conflict and negotiation. In this paper, I take one example of these issues, and examine the cultural and psychological aspects of these phenomena that take place during the process of acculturation. During acculturation, groups of people and their individual members engage in intercultural contact, producing a potential for conflict, and the need for negotiation in order to achieve outcomes that are adaptive for both parties. Research on aculturation, including acculturation strategies, changes in behaviours, and acculturative stress are reviewed. There are large group and individual differences in how people (in both groups in contact) go about their acculturation (described in terms of the integration, assimilation, separation and marginalisation strategies), in how much stress they experience, and how well they adapt psychologically and socioculturally. Generally, those pursuing the integration strategy experience less stress, and achieve better adaptations than those pursuing marginalisation; the outcomes for those pursuing assimilation and separation experience intermediate levels of stress and adaptation. Implications for public policy and personal orientations towards acculturation are proposed. With respect to the conference theme, since integration requires substantial negotiation, but results in the least conflict, the concepts and findings reviewed here can provide some guidance for the betterment of intercultural relations.     

Drugs, Camera, Action! A Video Approach to PSE

A seven-year partnership between a Norfolk high school and an NHS drug treatment agency has raised awareness about drugs, alcohol, HIV and AIDS among all sections of the school community. In an innovative approach to drug education, factual lessons have been augmented in Personal and Social Education (PSE) by videoed discussions touching on a range of issues, filmed at Year 9 and played back at Year 11. The sessions have had a powerful effect and helped give participants greater awareness of the transition from youth to adulthood. The insights gained and the techniques used may well have relevance to other aspects of a PSE programme.     

人生教我的20个功课

为了庆祝变得更老（下个月我这把老骨头就90岁了）：我写下人生教我的一些功课。这是我写过的最叫座的专栏。1．人生是不公平的,但还是好得很。2．怀疑的时候,为未来踏出一小步。3．人生太短,短到来不及浪费时间去恨任何一个人。4．生病的时候,你的工作不会照顾你,你的朋友和父母才会和你保持联络。5．每个月付清你的账单。6．你不需要每一次都吵赢,同意你原本不同意的。7．找人一起哭,这要比独自啜泣更能治疗伤痛。8．对上帝生气没有关系,他受得了。     

从文化认同与涵化视角看民族团结教育研究的深化——基于文化互动心理研究的初步分析

基于文化认同的涵化是探讨民族团结教育深化的重要视角;涵化心理的理论和实证调查说明,稳健的民族互动与团结基于和谐的涵化,即兼顾族群认同和国家认同,对两种文化持整合策略。因此,民族团结教育研究中要重视涵化心理学成果,促进双文化认同与整合。

Abstract：

Cultural identification is a significant perspective fo the promotion of the education for ehinic Unity.The theoretical analysis and survey result show that healthy ethnic interaction and utnity are based upon harmonious acculturation which based upon both ethnic and national identification,and the integration of bi-cultures.The relevant education must make use of the fruits of psychological acculturation so as to Promote the education for ethinic unity.     

Researching the Attitudes Towards Mathematics in Basic Education

The objective of this study was to check attitudes towards mathematics and to analyse if there are differences in attitudes that could be attributed to the type of school, gender, grade, age, the frequency in which mathematical problems were understood, the amount of days dedicated to the study of mathematics, school failure, whether help on the completion of homework was offered and to the self-perception of mathematical performance. A total of 209 students of the 3rd and 4th Grades of basic education in the private school system in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, were surveyed. They responded to an attitude towards mathematics scale and to a questionnaire for their characterisation, during school hours and in the absence of their mathematics teacher. The average figure on the attitudes scale was 52.718, with a standard deviation of 11.837. Significant statistical differences were found (alpha = 0.05) in the attitudes according to the type of school, the frequency in which the subjects understood the mathematical problems solved in the classroom, grade, age and to the self-perception of mathematical performance.     

Changes in reports and incidence of child abuse following natural disasters

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to investigate if there is a higher incidence of child abuse following major natural disasters. METHODOLOGY: Child abuse reports and substantiations were analyzed, by county, for 1 year before and after Hurricane Hugo, the Loma Prieta Earthquake. and Hurricane Andrew. Counties were included if damage was widespread, the county was part of a presidential disaster declaration, and if there was a stable data collection system in place. RESULTS: Based on analyses of numbers, rates, and proportions, child abuse reports were disproportionately higher in the quarter and half year following two of the three disaster events (Hurricane Hugo and Loma Prieta Earthquake). CONCLUSIONS: Most, but not all, of the evidence presented indicates that child abuse escalates after major disasters. Conceptual and methodological issues need to be resolved to more conclusively answer the question about whether or not child abuse increases in the wake of natural disasters. Replications of this research are needed based on more recent disaster events.     

The perceptions of stakeholders of the implementation of a state funding model in South African public schools

The government has made great strides in redressing past imbalances in education through the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF) policy that focuses on equity in school funding. This NNSSF model compels the state to fund public schools according to a poverty quintile system, where poor schools are allocated much more funding for resources than affluent schools. Using qualitative research, school management teams, school governing bodies and principals of six public schools located within the Gauteng West District were interviewed to determine their views of how the NNSSF policy had been implemented. One of the findings revealed that equity in public schools has not been fully achieved since funding provided by the state is insufficient to address the backlog in educational resources. It is recommended that the state abandons the policy of funding schools according to quintile rankings but instead, fund schools based on resource needs.