A STUDY OF FAR RIGHT RESSENTIMENT IN AMERICA

Three samples from a major U.S. metropolitan area are used withina quasi-experimental design to study individuals who contributedmoney to the far right campaign of David Duke to become Governorof Louisiana in 1991. Using mail survey and Census data, contributorsare compared both with their near neighbors and with a probabilitysample of the predominantly white portions of the metropolitanarea. The Duke contributors are spread in what appears to bea nearly random way over the white urban and suburban townsand townships, rather than being clustered together or locatedin a few subculturally distinct places. Those who respondedto our questionnaire—a remarkably high 86 percent of thetarget contributor sample—are also similar demographicallyto their neighbors and to the white cross-section, except forbeing older and more often male. In political and social attitudesand values, the Duke contributors are strikingly different fromthe other two samples in most, though not quite all, respects,but their near neighbors are indistinguishable from the generalwhite population.     

BOOK REVIEWS

E DUCATIONAL P HILOSOPHIES AND D EMOCRATIC F AITH . By James W. Skelton.
A DULT E DUCATION . By P. H. Sheats, C. D. Jayne, and R. B. Spence.
P HILOSOPHY AND THE I DEOLOGICAL C ONFLICT . By Charles S. Seely.
G ANDHI : H IS L IFE AND M ESSAGE FOR THE W ORLD . By Louis Fischer.     

POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE, ATTRIBUTION, AND INFERRED INTEREST IN POLITICS: THE OPERATION OF BUFFER ITEMS

Bishop (1987) observed that being unable to answer a politicalknowledge question decreased self-reported interest in publicaffairs. This effect was unaffected by the introduction of upto 101 unrelated buffer items. In contrast, a single bufferitem that provided respondents with an external explanationfor their lack of knowledge greatly reduced the context effectin the present study. Implications for the operation of bufferitems are discussed.     

Advancing Doctoral Social Work Education: An Application of the Social-Ecological Framework

Graduates of social work doctoral programs are an integral part of social work education and, as faculty, training of BSW and MSW students. Missing from the literature are theoretical frameworks that advance the study of “what works and for whom” in social work doctoral education. Building upon the existing literature, this article proposes a conceptual framework for enhancing doctoral students’ experiences, as well as doctoral education programs. Specific strategies grounded by this framework are put forward to guide PhD students and educators in advancing doctoral social work education.     

A Criterion-Referenced Test for Archery

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate a criterion-referenced test for archery at the beginning level. Subjects shot a total of 24 arrows from a distance of 20 yards (18.3m). Each arrow was considered a trial, and scored as 0 for an arrow score of 1 or 3, and as 1 for an arrow score of 5 or higher. Specific techniques for estimating validity and reliability in a criterion-referenced framework were applied to the data, and Berk's (1976) method was utilized in establishing an optimal cut score. The activity was sensitive to instruction, and the techniques applied to the data functioned well. The validity estimate was .73; the reliability estimates were k =.73 and P = .87. Based on the second 12 arrows, subjects who scored a 5 or greater were designated masters, and those scoring 4 or less were designated nonmasters. This cutoff score was used in the derivation of the reliability and validity estimates. Berk's method proved very useful in establishing a valid and reliable cutoff, and misclassifications were, to a great extent, minimized.