Internet access and use among homeless and indigent drug users in Long Beach, California.

There has been a growing interest in using the Internet to access a variety of populations for prevention education and health care. It is not clear that this is viable for homeless and other marginalized populations. The purpose of this study was to describe Internet access and use among a sample of homeless and indigent drug users. A brief questionnaire was developed to assess computer ownership, use, email, and Internet access and use. Participants were recruited through a community-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention program. 265 participants completed the questionnaire. While 55% had ever used a computer in their lifetime, only 25% had ever owned a computer, 24% had ever had their own email account, 33% had access to a working computer in the last 30 days, 10% had sent or received email in the last 30 days, and 19% had surfed or accessed information on the Internet in the last 30 days. Logistic regression predicting lifetime use of a computer showed predictive factors of having completed high school (Odds Ratio [OR] = 4.5; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 2.41, 8.38) and number of days used amphetamines in the last 30 days, per 5 days of use (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.18, 2.27). Inversely related were age, per 5 years of age (OR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.65, 0.93) and number of days used marijuana in the last 30 days, per 5 days of use (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.76, 0.99). Very low access and usage suggest that Internet-based public health education models be reexamined for this population. The association with amphetamine use may indicate a facilitating effect of amphetamine by heightening awareness and increasing wakefulness.     

The disadvantaged as a social and professional phenomenon

Being culturally disadvantaged is a social condition which is created, managed, and maintained by both social and professional institutions. When institutions attempt to sustain societal norms by selecting certain attributes and calling them desirable, these institutions are relegating large segments of the population to a deviant status if it does not share these attributes. The “culturally disadvantaged” are such a group. This phenomenon not only results in differential perceptions and expectations, but also influences their self-evaluation, academic success, and career opportunities. The transformation of deviance into incompetency has also led to formally sanctioned methods of managing deviancy. Methods, such as compensatory education, ability grouping, and special class placement can be viewed as maintaining the position that the culturally disadvantaged are indeed deviant and incompetent.     

Language characteristics of black children: Implications for assessment

After delineating a number of phonological and syntactic characteristics of black English a review of recent comparative studies is presented. The authors conclude that, while evidence is mixed concerning the question of whether whether a language deficit exists among the lower-class balck children along with a dialect difference, there is clear evidence of the existence of a dialect. The problem facing educators is that no standardized tests have been developed for use with speakers of the dialect. The authors conclude that the use of available tests with dialect speaking children may result in gross errors in educational placement of these children.     

The disadvantaged as a social and professional phenomenon

Being culturally disadvantaged is a social condition which is created, managed, and maintained by both social and professional institutions. When institutions attempt to sustain societal norms by selecting certain attributes and calling them desirable, these institutions are relegating large segments of the population to a deviant status if it does not share these attributes. The “culturally disadvantaged” are such a group. This phenomenon not only results in differential perceptions and expectations, but also influences their self-evaluation, academic success, and career opportunities. The transformation of deviance into incompetency has also led to formally sanctioned methods of managing deviancy. Methods, such as compensatory education, ability grouping, and special class placement can be viewed as maintaining the position that the culturally disadvantaged are indeed deviant and incompetent.     

Language characteristics of black children: Implications for assessment

After delineating a number of phonological and syntactic characteristics of black English a review of recent comparative studies is presented. The authors conclude that, while evidence is mixed concerning the question of whether whether a language deficit exists among the lower-class balck children along with a dialect difference, there is clear evidence of the existence of a dialect. The problem facing educators is that no standardized tests have been developed for use with speakers of the dialect. The authors conclude that the use of available tests with dialect speaking children may result in gross errors in educational placement of these children.