Disability,Stigma and Otherness: Perspectives of Parents and Teachers

This qualitative study explored the perspectives of parents and teachers in the US with regard to the meaning and implications of disability in the context of schoolling, and of raising a child with a disability. The findings revealed broad conceptual differences in the perspectives of these two groups. Teachers’ beliefs were generally consistent with medical model perspectives on disability as biologically defined. Parents’ interpretations, more aligned with a sociocultural paradigm, were situated in the cultural meanings ascribed to disability and linked with issues of stigma, marginalisation and access. The findings also revealed the existence of master narratives on families of children with disabilities, entrenched in assumptions of pathological functioning and negative outcomes among these families. Implications for professional–family partnerships in the education of students with disabilities are discussed.     

Teacher perspectives on partnerships on families of children with autism

The success of students with disabilities in school and community largely relies on productive family professional partnerships (FPPs). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) recognises the importance of family collaboration to student success by mandating that parents be involved in the Individualised Education Plan (IEP) process as full team members. While several previous studies examined the perspectives of parents of children with disabilities on partnerships with educators, less research exists on teacher perspectives on family professional collaborations. Additionally, there are even fewer studies that focus on teacher perspectives on partnerships with parents of children with autism, a disability category which continues to increase in prevalence. The present study contributes to the literature by examining teacher perspectives on factors that build and hinder positive partnerships with families of children with autism. Researchers surveyed 25 Special Education teachers and conducted additional individual interviews and open-ended questionnaires to examine teachers' first-hand experiences. Findings identified four common themes that educators felt helped and hindered collaborative relationships with families. Study results may lead to the development of specific family professional collaboration strategies that can be implemented and discussed in school districts, teacher trainings, pre-service teacher education programs and family workshops.     

‘Building brighter futures for all our children’– a new focus on families as partners and change agents in the care and development of children with disabilities or special educational needs

This paper looks at recent trends in Government policy and practice around supporting and involving parents of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) in their care, development and education. In particular, the paper examines the opportunities offered in the Children's Plan ( DCSF, 2007 ) and Aiming High ( HM Treasury/DfES, 2007 ), and the strong emphasis on earlier intervention and a range of new services to facilitate better partnership with parents (including those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds). Note: In using the term ‘disabled children’, the author is using the broad definition of disability within the Disability Discrimination Acts (DDA) 1995 and 2005. The DDA definition includes the majority of children with identified and significant levels of SEN.     

Que Luchen por sus Intereses (To Fight for Your Interests): Unearthing Critical Counter-Narratives of Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Parents

This article reports on findings from a year-long research project conducted during the 2012–2013 school year in a PK–12 school district, located in the Mountain West region of the United States, utilizing the Photovoice method. The findings in the project point to the important critical counter-narratives Spanish-speaking immigrant parents present to the larger school community when given the opportunity to have their voices and perspectives heard and recorded in written form. The article provides teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff in schools and school districts with insight into the hopes and aspirations of Spanish-speaking immigrant parents and highlights educational practices that address issues of equity and access, as seen through the eyes of the participants in the study.     

Immigrant girls as caregivers to younger siblings: a transnational feminist analysis

This article employs a transnational feminist lens to examine the experiences of racialised immigrant girls who provide care for their younger siblings. The article draws on findings from a participatory action research study in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to examine the role that immigrant girls’ caregiving practices play in transnational families’ social, economic, and cultural survival. It argues that greater attention should be given to the diverse and complex contexts, consequences, costs, and contributions of immigrant girls’ caregiving labour.     

传统民间组织对村庄治理的启示

传统民间组织与当今农村社会在政治、经济、文化等方面所具有的相似性,决定了传统民间组织内部治理模式对于当今村庄治理具有重要的启迪和借鉴意义。家族宗族和乡约是古代最重要的两类乡村民间组织,主要通过族长、家法族规和乡约规则进行治理。而善堂善会、会馆和行会等则着重通过财务公开提高组织的公信力,从而增强其生命力。传统民间组织内部治理模式启示我们要加强农村民间组织建设,完善村民委员会治理结构,并形成监督制约机制。     

“隐性单亲”对儿童的危害及其解决途径

"隐性单亲"对儿童的主要危害:影响儿童性别认同和价值观形成、发展,阻碍儿童自信心形成、发展;阻滞学习进步和与异性儿童良好人际关系形成、发展。其主要形成原因是:社会变迁;学校考核制度弊端;家长教育观念发展滞后;课外生活内容单调。其主要解决途径是:家长教育观念发展;父亲要充分利用多种形式表达对儿童的爱护;学校考核制度改进;家庭、学校生活调整;社会多种支持。     

丽水新生代独生子女现状、特点及家庭教养方式思辨

根据丽水第六次人口普查资料和专题统计调查资料,以同条件的非独生子女作为参照,分析了丽水市新生代独生子女的现状、特点,并从问卷分析所反映出来的家庭教育问题引发一系列思考,希望能引起社会的广泛重视。