Interpersonal Relations: Some Suggestions for Theory Development

This article argues the need for theory development in the field of interpersonal relations training. Criteria, based on the four major divisions of philosophic inquiry (ontology, logic, axiology, and epistemology), are presented for assessing the substantive adequacy of interpersonal relations training theories. Three views of interpersonal relations—Ivey and Authier's Microcounseling, Kagan's Interpersonal Process Recall, and Strong's Social Psychological Approach—are then examined using these four criteria.     

Good Engineers

Engineers continually make judgements and promote their decisions. Codes of practice offer little practical kelp, but engineering texts are full of declarations of what is approved and what is not. There is also a practical knowledge gained by exposure to dilemmas which teaches us through our feelings what it means, for us, to be a good engineer. Engineering judgements are seldom easy since judgements frequently require a balance between the good and the bad. Science is inappropriate for ethical judgements; it leads us to forsake wisdom and maturity. It is literature, especially in the form of the novel and the tragedy, that highlights how people cope with ethical dilemmas. There are many relevant tragedies and novels with a technological flavour that can be compared and contrasted, debated and discussed by students and professionals.     

Education,Equality and Social Cohesion: A distributional approach

Promoting social cohesion through education has re-emerged as an important policy objective in many countries during the past decade. But there is little clarity in policy discussions about what social cohesion means and how education may affect it. In this article we distinguish between social capital and societal cohesion and argue that education acts in differential ways on each. Using comparative, cross-country analysis, we develop a 'distributional model' which shows the relationship between equality of educational outcomes and various measures of social cohesion. In the final part of the article we discuss theories explaining the cross-country trends and variations in educational inequality and social inheritance in education, and argue that education system characteristics, such as degrees of 'comprehensiveness' in secondary schooling, may be an important factor in both. We conclude by arguing that policies to increase social cohesion through education must pay more attention to the reduction of educational equality than they currently do.     

No Issue,No Problem? Co-education in Dutch Secondary Physical Education during the Twentieth Century

This article places the current state of Dutch co-education in physical education into a longitudinal perspective. Occasionally, comparisons are made with Germany and England. The dominant, twentieth-century, co-educational tradition in the Netherlands--including its pragmatic argumentation-- has influenced educational ideals, as well as school practice, with respect to physical education. Due to a historical lack of fundamental discussions about co-education, today's problems relating to nationwide co-education in Dutch physical education programmes are trivialised. This is highlighted within this article by an analysis of the only manual on co-education ever published in the Netherlands. In conclusion, the article suggests that because co-education is not regarded as a controversial issue in the Netherlands, gender problems in physical education are neglected.     

The Educational Benefits of a Commercial Failure

The financial failure of an industrial collaborator released the author and colleagues from the normal constraints of commercial confidence. In addition a large residue of source material was acquired at minimal cost. As an example of the benefits, the paper describes in some detail a case study in design for manufacture.     

Client Perceptions of Counselors-In-Training: The Effects of Sex and Gender Role Orientation

The effects of the sex of the counselor and of gender role orientation on client ratings of counselors-in-training were examined. An interaction between sex and gender role orientation was found for differences in clients' willingness to refer a friend to the counselor. Implications for training and research are discussed.     

Review of Research on Practicum Supervision

This six-year review of research on practicum supervision examines articles in terms of findings and the research designs employed. Research is classified according to (a) counselor—supervisor similarity, (b) training methods, and (c) evaluation. Conclusions from the review indicate: (a) the investigators found no support for matching counselors and supervisors according to similar traits; (b) there was some support for modeling, didactic, and experiential methods; (c) there was some support for peer supervision; and (d) an experimental design was used in only 4 of the 19 studies examined.     

Are You There,Supervisor? It's Me,Your Counselor!

In recent years counselors have attempted to clarify their role for their employers and/or supervisors. These attempts although well-intentioned, have achieved limited success because supervisors in community mental health centers, principals in schools, deans in community colleges and universities, and employers in governmental agencies continue to heap administrative and secretarial tasks upon counselors. This leads to a reduction in counselor-client contact hours and an increase in counselor burnout. Suggestions are presented here to help counselors understand the employers' frame of reference—an important first step in initiating change.