Don S. Anderson

Comparative Research on the Social Determinants of Adolescent Drinking

Previous research concerned with social influence and with adolescent behaviors has suggested the utility of distinctions between modeling and normative influence, parental and peer influence, instrumentality and internalization, internalization through own norms versus preferences, and among cultural contexts. Most studies investigate the effects of variables derived from only one or a few of these distinctions. In this study, interviews conducted in Australia, France, Norway, and the United States provide data to examine the utility of these distinctions for the prediction of alcohol use by adolescents. As predicted, internalization rather than instrumentality is the reason for effective social influence in all four countries, and internalized effects occur by means of preferences rather than own norms. Both peer modeling and peer norms have significant, internalized effects on adolescent drinking in allfour countries, and parental modeling has significant, internalized effects on adolescent drinking in Australia and France, but not in Norway and the United States. Contrary to predictions, parental norms are related to adolescent drinking in Australia and the United States, but not in France and Norway. Reasons for these findings and their implications for studies of social influence and adolescent behavior are discussed.

The Interaction of Public and Private School Systems

The balance of the public and private school sectors in Australia is unstable and, if present trends continue, the function of public schooling will become primarily that of a safety net for the residue of children not catered for by the private sector. The trends include a set of processes which are affecting the nature and quality of education in all schools. Under the different environments of public and private schools there are unequal exchanges across the public-private boundary—for example, of bright and motivated pupils and of influential and articulate parents. The process fuels its own momentum as remaining pupils and parents experience the problems caused by an unrepresentative clientele. The problems inherent in Australias particular arrangement have been recognised in a number of official reports since the early 1970s. Proposals for reform have not yet gained support from private school interest groups and have therefore not been attractive to governments.

Chapter 1 Attitudes towards education research knowledge and policymaking among American and Australian school principals

Abstract In-depth interviews and standardized questionnaires were administered to samples of school principals in Australia (ACT and South Australia, N = 39) and the United States (Missouri, N = 81) about their knowledge of, and use of, the results of educational research. This chapter examines respondents attitudes towards research knowledge. Among other results, we found that respondents in both countries held attitudes towards research knowledge that were quite positive. A number of factors were also found to predict these attitudes. To illustrate, respondents committed to innovation and disinterested in leaving their jobs were also likely to value research highly. We explain the implications of these and related findings.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN FOUR PROFESSIONS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This paper describes the career development to 1978 of four samples of people who entered Australian universities in 1965 or 1967. The study reported is based upon data obtained by means of a mail questionnaire survey from 1,490 respondents. The data were obtained from former students of engineering, law, medicine and teaching, and were analysed using standard techniques. Information is presented concerning the qualifications and professional status of the members of the four samples, their jobs and job changes, and influences on their job choices. The career progression of the four samples varied considerably. Significant numbers did not graduate in their chosen fields. However, the results suggest a great deal of occupational/professional stability founded upon original career plans.

Conservatism in Recruits to the Professions

The professions are the glamour occupations of our time. As never before societies believe they need them, young people are attracted into them, controversies rage about them. Very clearly one of the most noticeable changes in developed societies over the last quarter century has had to do with the growth in size, complexity and power of different professional groups and attendant institutions.

Denominational Schooling and Religious Behaviour

MOL (1968) has reported associations between attending Catholic schools and indicators of religious behaviour, for example, with respect to regularity of attendance at Church, strength of belief in God, and regularity of prayer. Among Roman Catholics who have attended Catholic schools he found much stronger indications on fifteen such religious characteristics than among Roman Catholics who had attended state schools. He also found little difference between Protestants

The Great Australian Divide: Public and Private Schooling

Phil: You invited me to write about what ‘is necessary to provide an effective, relevant, high quality education for all children … the best approaches to adopt to achieve such an education … what should be the priorities … what is not being fully utilised … and future directions and activities to reach that goal’. These are big questions, especially if we put the emphasis on all children, and I can’t pretend to address the totality of requirements; but I’m delighted to have a go at part of it, and am grateful to you for stimulating me to think about the issues. As a sociologist, I like to look at how institutions or structures influence behaviour, including learning. From this perspective, I see the divide between public and private schooling as the single greatest structural impediment to advancing the quality of education in Australia. And within our schools, a resource not fully being utilised are the students themselves, not in isolation but in peer groups and autonomous learning groups encouraged to work collectively and help one another. These two – the public-private divide and student groups – are connected, and I will explain the dynamics of this later.