This paper has a double purpose. First, it reports and analyzes the findings of a study which examined value orientation differences between Puerto Rican and Anglo American junior high school students in an urban school. Second, it discusses the implications of the results in terms of the amelioration of conflict in bilingual and multicultural situations. The value orientation framework examines the relationship of both cultural groups towards: a) authority, b) peers, and c) the forces of nature. The striking differences shown by both groups in their relationship to authority and their environment (forces of nature) demonstrate the need to develop instructional and curricular models to reduce cultural conflict in American schools. The paper proposes a framework to do so.
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