Carol K. Coburn

Hoosier Schools: Past and Present.

Introduction Acknowledgments Chapter 1 OAwakening the Public MindO: The Dissemination of the Common School Idea in Indiana, 1787-1852 Scott Walter Chapter 2 Urban School Reform in the Victorian Era William J. Reese Chapter 3 Curricular Reform in an Industrial Age Ted Stahly Chapter 4 Civic Education in Indianapolis During the Progressive Era Alexander Urbiel Chapter 5 Community and Control in the Development of the Extracurriculum: Muncie Central High School, 1890-1930 Laurie Moses Hines Chapter 6 Gymnasium or Coliseum? Basketball, Education, and Community Impulse in Indiana in the Early Twentieth Century David G. Martin Chapter 7 Urban Schools in Post-War Indiana William J. Reese Chapter 8 The Challenge of Racial Equality Maureen Reynolds Chapter 9 School Reform in Indiana Since 1980 Barry Bull

Life at Four Corners: Religion, Gender, and Education in a German-Lutheran Community, 1868-1945.

Defined less by geography than by demographic character, Block, Kansas, in many ways exemplifies the prevalent yet seldom-scrutinized ethnic, religion-based community of the rural Midwest. Physically small, the town sprang up around four corners formed by crossroads. Spiritually strong and cohesive, it became the educational and cultural center for generations of German-Lutheran families. In this book Carol Coburn analyzes the powerful combination of those ethnic and religious institutions that effectively resisted assimilation for nearly 80 years only to succumb to the influences of the outside world during the 1930s and 1940s. Emphasizing the formal and informal education provided by the church, school, and family, she examines the total process of how values, identities, and all aspects of culture were transmitted from generation to generation.

New Women of the Old Faith: Gender and American Catholicism in the Progressive Era (review)

describes how Catholics participated in urban renewal through the construction of a meeting hall that served both church and city functions. He writes, “The [Catholic] response mirrored more powerfully than ever the close cooperation between Church and city” (p. 148). During the Great Depression, Catholics cooperated with city officials to assist those in need. During the rise of suburbia after World War II, new churches, which served as centers for community activities, were built in these burgeoning communities. In his final two chapters, Avella shows how the Church and the city partnered in meeting the needs of an expanding Latino community and fighting the growing problem of homelessness. Aptly and accurately he concludes,“The Catholic Church has played an important role in Sacramento’s evolution” (p. 277).

Eyes Open on a World: The Challenges of Change (review)

Particularly challenging for the Knights were fundamental changes in American society starting in the 1960’s. Challenges to their Americanism and loyalty had ceased; yet that very loyalty put the Knights at odds with countercultural and left-of-center political forces. It became natural in a sense for them to emphasize the Roman part of their Catholicism and its expression centered increasingly on Pope John Paul II and Vatican benefactions and projects.