Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Quality Of Public Education In Boston: An Assessment And Some Recommendations, Karen Seashore Louis

Center for Survey Research Publications

Motivation, self-esteem, achievement and the development of tolerance and acceptance of others -- these are the goals that most, like Crain, et al., have come to accept as legitimate objectives of public schooling. Yet, there is substantial opinion that the public schools of Boston have been unable to achieve standards in these areas that are acceptable to the public, the students who occupy the schools, and the professionals who run them. For example, a recent survey of Boston residents' attitudes toward the schools indicates that approximately 3/4 of all respondents -- irrespective of race, or whether there were any school …

Black And White Perceptions Of Quality Of Life In Boston, Floyd J. Fowler Jr.

Center for Survey Research Publications

It is difficult, probably impossible, to compare objectively the seriousness of racial problems and tensions in Boston with those in other cities. However, there can be little doubt that there is a widespread perception that relationships between blacks and whites in Boston constitute a serious problem. Specifically, one image is that Boston is a community in which blacks are not welcome and in which they are treated with unusual hostility and abuse. Another image is that whites in Boston are unfairly maligned as racists and bigots.

In 1980, following several race-related incidents, The Boston Committee was formed. The purpose of …

Understanding The Health And Social Service Needs Of People Over Age 65, Laurence G. Branch

Center for Survey Research Publications

The complexity of the issues involved with providing appropriate health care and social services from the appropriate setting to people over age 65 can hardly be overstated. One of the present debates in the field focuses on the value of institutions as the customary setting for providing health care; the arguments are based on considerations of economic efficiency and the recipient's quality of life. Some of the debators suggest deinstitutionalizing as many of the health care recipients as possible, while simultaneously upgrading the quality and quantity of home based support services. The logic of deinstitutionalization is often buttressed by claims …

Worcester Model Cities Resident Attitude Survey, Else Wiersma, Floyd J. Fowler Jr., Center For Survey Research, University Of Massachusetts Boston, The Joint Center For Urban Studies Of The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology And Harvard University

Center for Survey Research Publications

In January of 1972, the staff and resident representatives of the Worcester Model Cities neighborhood contracted the Survey Research Program to work with them to conduct a survey of neighborhood residents. The purpose of the project was to collect data that would assist those in the Model Cities area to systematically measure residents' perceptions and feelings, to identify problems and needs, to plan programs, and, perhaps, at a later date to have a basis against which to measure change.

The project, as it was designed and as it was carried out, was a joint effort. A committee of residents and …