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This chapter provides a general overview of the mechanisms for accreditation and recognition of qualifications in higher education in the United States. It introduces the role of some main actors in this field of accreditation, such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United States Department of Education (USDE). Furthermore, it refers to the international activities of US accrediting organisations. Finally, it examines the role of accreditation in acceptance of degrees, transfer of credit and individual certification and licensure in the United States. (DIPF/Orig.).

Chronicles the history of public education in Germany from the foundation of the first universities in the 14th century to the present, highlighting issues of (1) state & church power, (2) hierarchical organization, (3) goals & curricula, (4) social function, & (5) pedagogies & politics. It is shown how the schools served to preserve social segmentation based on the principle of "occupational estates" (Berufsstande), through which, following elementary education at the Volksschules, the lower classes were steered into vocational training while the middle & upper classes enjoyed an education at gymnasiums (secondary schools) that allowed them entrance into bourgeoisie society or membership in the aristocracy as educated elite. Changes in educational policy under National Socialism & during the post-WWII period are outlined, tracing the development of more equal educational opportunities for all children. A call is made for continued educational reform to more closely link general & vocational education so as to improve coordination between education & employment. K. Hyatt Stewart

[The author tried] to review how the debate of the significance of community for political thinking and citizenship education has emerged out, of the liberalism versus communitarian debate and the revival of a civic republican conception of politics. This raises the issue of how do we develop through community involvement, especially on the local level, a more deliberative and democratic politics which can also provide a more political framework for citizenship education. Thus community involvement in the new citizenship curriculum based on the pedagogy of service learning must address the question of how the learning experience can be best structured to challenge students to become learning experience can be best structured to challenge students to become 'political' and aware of the political significance of civic engagement in local communities. (DIPF/orig.).

The interest in developing effective multicultural education practices derives from the increasing heterogeneity of most societies... The growing worldwide relevance of cultural awareness in general and multicultural competence in particular (did not) imply a comitant growth in the appreciation for the disciplinary contributions of cultural anthropology... In fact, anthropology has benefited only mariginally from the "cultural turn" taken by the humanities and social sciences since the mid-1970s. The article characterizes the American case underlining that the contributions of scientists have been disregarded or downright misused. Than it reviews the results of the COER survey (Commission of Ethnic Relation) which was organized in preparation for the 14th ICAES (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences) world congress which was held in 1998 in Virginia (USA). Finally there are given some basic recommendations in developing multicultural education. (DIPF/Orig./St.)

Investigates the impact of educational policies & practices on immigrant children in NJ, drawing on a survey of 161 school districts concerning their immigrant student population & programs to serve that population, supplemented by in-depth case studies of 12 school districts with promising programs & services. No coherent immigrant education policy exists at either the federal or state level. This has meant that education of these students is shaped by a series of legislative & judicial mandates handed down at both the state & federal levels. School districts tend to concentrate on the language needs of students, to the neglect of other economic, social, cultural, & psychological factors that influence the learning process. As NJ's immigrant population becomes more diverse, & children's educational needs become more complex, school districts will have to create better programs to assist these students. The federal government is encouraged to allocate more money for professional development, & researchers are urged to develop more creative & effective solutions to problems faced by school districts in this area. 8 Tables, 2 Appendixes, 19 References. D. M. Smith

Reviews the nature & role of the Third World state, focusing on Marxist approaches. The terms nation-state & Third World are European inventions produced from the 16th-19th centuries both in practice & liberal political theory. State forms in the non-European context grew directly out of the colonial experience of the 17th & 18th centuries. Recent Marxist interpretations challenge the traditional liberal understanding of the state; much of Marxist literature analyzes class struggles for control of Third World states, & debates in this tradition in Africa & South Asia are briefly discussed. However, events have forced commentators beyond Marxist models because global forces have dismantled the notion of a unified Third World borne out of the anticolonial struggle. Context-specific research is needed to underpin a new unified theory of the state. D. M. Smith

The dramatic growth in parochial schools has intensified the need for liberals to rethink arguments about civic education & diversity. Although parochial schools should not be publicly funded, it is contended that diversity should be extended by including students from parochial schools/home schools in the curriculum of public schools, & providing religious students alternative assignments/texts when requested. It is argued that allowing for separate schools while also encouraging parents to send their children to public schools on either a full- or part-time basis is the best way to enhance liberal citizenship. The lack of diversity in many separate schools is discussed, along with some benefits of moderate parochial schools; the threat to liberal values posed by religious schools that do not emphasize critical thinking or mutual respect for all; & reasons public financing should not be extended to parochial schools. Other issues addressed include strategies for cooperation between public & parochial schools; the treatment of religion in multicultural public schools; & difficulties related to the accommodation of religious beliefs in public institutions. J. Lindroth

An examination of the contrast between citizenship & "customership" in the context of community focuses on education policy in the UK during the 1979-1997 Conservative government period to show the damage done by the marketization of citizenship. The three key problems stemming from marketization processes -- distortion, degradation, & residualization -- are related to the introduction of market criteria into UK education policy. While residualization has not occurred in the British education system, examples of distortion include grant-maintained schools, local management of schools, parental school choice, the use of test scores to measure achievement, & the maintenance of selection. Nursery & training vouchers are detailed as evidence of degradation. A discussion of the dual individual & collective nature of education notes the immediate benefits of education to the individual, & the long-term state advantages of an educated citizenry, contending that education policy can never be totally statist or individualist. It is maintained that the dialectic of education policy conflict generates new attempted syntheses, as well as interesting compromises between citizens, markets, & communities. 15 References. J. Lindroth

Auf dem Hintergrund zunehmender Globalisierung und der offensichtlichen Vormachtstellung der USA befasst sich der Beitrag mit dem Konzept der Staatsbürgerschaft als notwendige Funktion für eine gesunde und integrative Demokratie. Neben einem historischen Abriss über klassische Formen und Ursprünge von Staatsbürgerschaft sowie über theoretische Diskurse von der Renaissance bis zur Gegenwart werden die Rolle des Nationalstaates und das Völkerrecht unter Globalisierungsbedingungen beleuchtet. An Anlehnung an Habermas wird hier die Beziehung von "ethnos" und "demos" in der Bildung moderner Nationalstaaten erörtert. Im abschließenden Teil werden auf der Basis verschiedenster Theorien (Nussbaum, Hardt und Negri, Bacevich) die Möglichkeiten für globale Staatsbürgerschaft im Rahmen von kultureller Differenz und Pluralismus untersucht. Darüber hinaus wird für eine neue bürgerliche Erziehung plädiert, die den neuen Realitäten des globalen Migrantenstromes Rechnung trägt. Am Ende steht die Frage, welche westlichen Vorstellungen von demokratischer Staatsbürgerschaft solche fundamental-religiösen Formen integrieren können, die seitens des islamistischen Fundamentalismus gegen den Westen gerichtet sind. (ICH).

Summarizes the results of studies of nine industrialized countries (US & Europe) in an effort to determine the effects of female education level & employment opportunities on family formation in a variety of cultural contexts. The results are interpreted here within the framework of Gary Becker's (1981) theories on marriage & family. In all countries examined, higher female education has had a profound effect on marriage & birth rates, but widely varying effects on cohabitation. It is concluded that increased female education only begins to delay marriage when cohabitation becomes an alternative route for emancipation from the parental household. 6 References. M. Wagner

British (Rampton Report 1981 & Swann Report 1985) & US studies on the interaction of schooling, race, & education are reviewed; more discussion of race & higher education has taken place in the US than in GB. The practice of teaching topics concerning race in the British social science courses is complex, due to the contested nature of race. Teaching race cannot really be addressed in full with either pluralist multiculturalist or essentialist forms of antiracist education. Using interview data from lecturers & students, possibilities for a synthesis of the two forms in GB are discussed, including issues of curriculum, the teacher's subject position, student backgrounds, & conflicts among students in the seminar room. M. Pflum

British (Rampton Report 1981 & Swann Report 1985) & US studies on the interaction of schooling, race, & education are reviewed; more discussion of race & higher education has taken place in the US than in GB. The practice of teaching topics concerning race in the British social science courses is complex, due to the contested nature of race. Teaching race cannot really be addressed in full with either pluralist multiculturalist or essentialist forms of antiracist education. Using interview data from lecturers & students, possibilities for a synthesis of the two forms in GB are discussed, including issues of curriculum, the teacher's subject position, student backgrounds, & conflicts among students in the seminar room. M. Pflum