Excerpts from Journal Articles


Listed below are several abstracts to journal articles. Portions of the abstracts are underlined. Double click on these underlined phrases to view that portion of the article.

ERIC NO. ED379697
TITLE: Unlocking the Classroom Closet: Privileging the Marginalized Vocies of Gay/Lesbian College Students.
AUTHOR: DeSurra, Christopher J.; Church, Kimberley A.
ABSTRACT: A study of investigated perceptions of gay/lesbian undergraduates regarding their sense of marginalization or alienation in the college classroom. Two research questions were posed: (1) What, according to gay/lesbian students, are the characteristics of classroom environments that create feelings of marginalization? and (2) What, according to gay/lesbian students, are specific strategies employed to cope with these feelings? The participants were interviewed alone and in six focus groups of five or six students from southern California universities. Their responses, often taking the form of a narrative, were charted and categorized along two continuums representing a range of responses to the two research questions. The first continuum, the "marginalizing-centralizing continuum" ranges from narratives documenting "explicit marginalization" or homophobia on the part of instructors and students in a class and "implicit marginalization"--avoiding issues of homosexuality when they arose in the classroom, to narratives documenting "implicit centralization" and "explicit centralization" involving unplanned and planned inclusion of gay/lesbian views. The second continuum ranges from narratives documenting "response outing," that is, responses to marginalization that involve a direct confrontation or announcement of sexual orientation in the classroom to narratives documenting "response remaining closeted," "preoccupation/no active response" and "dropping out." The wealth of narratives documenting explicit marginalization and the suffering such practices induce in gay/lesbian students demands that sensitivity be implemented into the college curriculum. Too often, gay/lesbian students have been silenced in research; exploring homosexual issues with more qualitative methods can access important details that cannot possibly come through quantitative methods.

ERIC NO. ED389367
TITLE: Using Feature Films To Promote Active Learning in the College Classroom.
AUTHOR: Gregg, Virginia R.; And Others
ABSTRACT: Using feature films to teach undergraduate psychology courses can promote active learning for several reasons. Films can reach students with a variety of learning styles, including those with a visual approach to learning. Also, students seem to enjoy commercial films and their use can help decrease levels of monotony from daily lectures. Feature films also provide a context that relates psychological concepts and theories to students' real life experience and illustrate different viewpoints in a situation which may expose students to diverse perspectives and experiences. Feature films can be incorporated into the classroom by designing a course solely around the use of film, showing clips or segments of movies to supplement lectures and discussion, or showing one or two films during the term. Activities that can be used with films include having students write a diary of experiences similar to those seen in personally or socially relevant films, or teaching research methodology by asking students to identify and operationalize constructs evident in the films. Films may be selected from film guide books; computerized services; and/or suggestions from peers, students, and colleagues. Instructors should view films before using them for violent language and content and be aware of copyright laws. A list of 177 films related to mental health, child development, adolescent development, adult development, aging, disability issues, substance abuse, social psychology, racial/ethnic issues, education, gay/lesbian issues, and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is appended.

ERIC NO. ED386613
TITLE: Creating a Positive Educational Environment for Gay and Lesbian Adolescents: Guidelines and Resources for Staff Development, Curriculum Integration, and School-Based Counseling Services.
AUTHOR: Armstrong, Matthew
ABSTRACT: This project presents guidelines and resources for dealing effectively and positively with homosexuality in public schools. As the gay rights movement progresses and the civil rights of homosexual persons continue to receive legal affirmation, gays and lesbians who have kept their sexual orientation hidden will become more open about their personal lives. School systems must be prepared for gay and lesbian adolescents to seek affirmation of their identities as well. Suggestions are given for staff development that encourage teachers, counselors and administrators to examine and challenge personal biases, gain an understanding of the plight of the homosexual adolescent, and promote comfortable discussion of homosexuality in school. Participants are introduced to information regarding homosexuality that is based on scientific research and is in compliance with the standards of the American Psychiatric Association, American Counseling Association and National Education Association. Schools are encouraged to set policies that discourage discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and that promote a healthy educational environment for all students. Twenty-eight appendixes constitute two-thirds of the document. Methods of counseling and intervention with homosexual students and their parents are presented, in addition to lesson plans that appropriately incorporate homosexual themes into current high school curricula. Resources for self-help and ongoing education are also offered, along with an attitudes and behaviors questionnaire and discussion questions. (Contains 41 references.)

ERIC NO. ED385663
TITLE: Equity Education and Safer Schools, Colleges and Universities: An ASCD Resource Directory, 1994-1995.
AUTHOR: Dickson, Lea E., Comp.
ABSTRACT: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issues in Education (LGBIE) is a network of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The network has prepared a resource directory dealing with lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues in education for educators and students. The network lists publications in accord with its goals of working toward dismantling heterosexism and homophobia in the curriculum and policies of elementary, secondary, and higher education. Resources, whether publications or organizations, are listed in the following categories: (1) bibliographies and resource guides; (2) curricula; (3) diversity training; (4) professional development; (5) legal issues; (6) organizations; (7) policy statement and resolutions; (8) publications; (9) scholarship information; (10) publishing houses; (11) support services; (12) task force reports and research reports; (13) educators' groups; (14) telecommunications; (15) video and audio; and (16) youth groups and networks. One hundred twenty-nine resources are listed.

ERIC NO. ED362863
TITLE: The Next Step: Showing a Common History of Treatment for Minorities, Women and Gays in Media Content, Newsrooms and Journalism Schools; A Proposal for Further Research and Suggestions for a Curriculum.
AUTHOR: Barr, Lisa
ABSTRACT: This paper argues for discussion on the idea that "multi-culturalism" programs at universities, and particularly in journalism programs, should include exposure to gay/lesbian/bisexual issues in addition to material about minorities and women. The paper's premise is that blacks, women, and gays have received similarly shoddy, stereotypical treatment in the nation's news product, newsrooms, and journalism schools. The paper examines the media content, newsroom conditions for and journalism treatment of first gays, then women, and finally, blacks. The paper then presents some general suggestions about incorporating diversity in pre-existing or special journalism courses. The paper provides examples of "closeted" history and issues pertaining to gays. The methodology and results of a pilot study along with a journalist survey which could be applied to gay, women, black, and non-minority journalists are attached. (Contains 61 notes and 39 references.)