Search

Alternative methods of redistribution policy in mixed economies are compared in this paper. The paper deals with the objectives, methods, and problems in redistribution policy. The chief objective is to highlight principles and general problems, drawing heavily on the experiences of Sweden. This country is chosen as a case study since attempts to pursue an income redistribution policy have been made in this country since the early 1930's. Foci of the paper include strategic variables in distribution policy, distribution between the public and private sectors, distribution within the private sector, and the efficiency of distribution policy. Two discussants' comments are attached to the report. One takes a positive view of what can be accomplished by traditional measures to achieve greater equality and equality of opportunity. A comparison of Sweden and Great Britain in terms of distribution of consumption and wealth, the tax system, and the extent to which the provision of free services or goods such as health, school meals, or education achieves greater equality by removing those items from the area within which income differences find experession in spending, are addressed. The second paper remarks on Lindbeck's step by step procedures and how they call attention to the differences between income, consumption, and welfare. (Author/AM)

A study of the current expressed reading interests of children in the first two years of school conducted in ten countries--Austria, Canada, England, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Panama, Sweden, and the United States--is reported in this paper. Over 2,000 children drew pictures about what they would best like to read or have read to them. They were then interviewed for additional information in an attempt to ascertain the derivation of their interests. Specific topics drawn and/or stated by the children are listed along with the categories into which topics were placed. Three of the conclusions appearing to grow out of the study are: although some significant differences emerged from country to country, there were more similarities in interests across the ten countries than differences; fairy tales and fantasies were the most preferred expressed reading interests of first- and second-year children in the ten countries; and reading interests of second-year children demonstrated more preferences for nonfictional topics than the interests of first-year children. (Author/WR)

This paper reports on research designed to explore the status of children and the relationship of patterns of child care to social structure and social change. The study is based on interviews with scholars and government officials, an analysis of statistical data and research reports, and visits to day care centers, playgrounds, and other settings in the United States, Sweden, Israel, and China. While much of the information necessary to assess the system of child care in this country has not been systematically collected and analyzed, there are a number of empirical indicators of child neglect and abuse. The current "crisis" seems to be the result of a combination of social trends of which the following appear to be major ones: (1) changes in the structure of households, (2) changes in sex roles which downgrade parenthood and child rearing, (3) loss of child care options outside the family, (4) a serious imbalance in the supply and demand for child care, and (5) the costliness of children. The role of the child and role system involved in child care which operates in different societies is also discussed. (Author/CS)

This paper describes a research project which was designed to analyze the extent of functional literacy at different grade levels in Sweden. Functional literacy is defined here as the use of the mechanics of reading for different information purposes. A test battery was administered to 2600 students in grades six through twelve. The test battery was intended to represent a sample of important skills needed for functional literacy in a modern industrial society. The battery included comprehension tests of normal prose, tables, forms encountered in everyday life, difficult prose such as text from a home insurance policy, and a reading rate score. The tests were administered twice with an interval of one year between testing. Some results were an increase in reading comprehension from grade to grade at all levels, with the exception of the highest percentiles in grades eleven and twelve, and wide overlapping of scores between grades. Questionnaires were sent to 950 head teachers asking for their opinion of the value of the skills measured by the test battery and asking them to indicate a minimum score for satisfactory ability. Partial data results are discussed. A majority of the teachers who responded indicated that they felt the skills measured were important. (MKM)

Lapp schools in Sweden and some of their current problems are described. In discussing teacher training and related educational situations, a brief history of Lapp education is given, beginning with the establishment of the Skytteanian School in 1632. From the second half of the 1700's, there existed both permanent and ambulatory schools in the home villages, a point of controversy until the 1930's. The permanent form was more effective but did not reach as many children; in the ambulatory form, students who completed the 2 year course were expected to spread their knowledge of Christianity and reading to their home villages. Also, defenders of the ambulatory system felt that the permanent schools drew the Lappish youth away from their nomadic life, losing their traditional way of life. It was this ideology which formed the basis for the 1913 nomad school reform. The instruction in these schools was adapted to the Lapp culture, including such things as nomad studies and vocational instruction in reindeer breeding. Most important in satisfying the unique educational demands of Lapps, though, is teacher education and recruitment. Additionally, the paper stresses the importance of economy, emphasizing that destruction of capital means economic loss; in a wider sense, the human being is a form of capital and it is a loss to society when an individual is unable to realize his potential because of educational deprivation. The Lapps cannot afford to lose their roots in the culture of their ancestors; neither can they afford to work for its development. (KM)

The personnel function in industrial society has been marked by crisis, reappraisals, struggles for power, and guilty conscience. The profession is again under pressure; company management often questions its contribution to the solution of strategic personnel matters, while employees and their unions question its values, and wish to place its actions under the control of the employees. The description of the present situation must be based on tendencies toward change which have already had effect. Some of the tendencies which we may observe in action at present and which will influence personnel work in the future include: (1) movement toward a postindustrial society, with industry's principal branch being services and the basic conflict between the capital owner and the worker giving way to conflict between the professional and the layman; (2) movement toward a realignment of power, between the company and society and within companies, prompting considerable personal development on the part of employees and necessitating new company organization; (3) movement toward a more humane technology; and (4) movement toward a more open and more flexible company organization. Personnel officers must become realistic specialists in people, able to analyze values and processes of change in different situations. (Author/AJ)

With reference to data from a Swedish investigation into learning difficulties in mathematics, an analysis is presented of models and taxonomies applied to special education problems. The author suggests that such developmental cognitive theories as those of J. Bruner, J. Piaget, and R. Gagne are suitable as a starting point for a taxonomy in mathematics for low achievers but contain inconsistencies. Proposed is a three dimensional model which relates the child's stage of development, instructional objectives and activities, and mathematics content categories. (Author/DB)

An overview is provided of the development of national planning and the centralization of research libraries in four countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Included in the review are cooperative projects and the actions of government and/or library commissions in each country. Planning at the local level and inter-Scandinavian efforts are excluded, as are standardization and other developmental work in library routines. In the chapter on Finland, a model is presented of the inquiry processes used in the planning objectives, and the participants in the decision making processes. Advantages and disadvantages are cited for planning as conducted by librarians and as carried out by outside experts. Suggestions are made for an optimal planning organization. (Author/SL)

An investigation of the political and social content of mass media and the manner in which individuals and groups evaluate and use mass media is summarized in this report. The first section provides a brief overview of the development of the mass media system in Sweden, while the second section outlines the theoretical framework for the present study and offers an orientation to the types and aims of related current research. The third and fourth sections summarize the results of the study, and the final section presents a general discussion of the functions of the press for the Swedish political system. (FL)

Representatives of teacher associations in 17 countries address four basic questions concerning educational change in their countries: (1) What are the most significant pressures for educational change in your country at this time? (2) What are some of the reactions of your members to these pressures? (3) What have been some of the major pressures for change in your country over the past 10-15 years? (4) Which pressures do you anticipate will exert the most influence in the foreseeable future? (Author/IRT)

Papers presented on engineering education in Britain and on the continent include: the changing pattern of engineering education (W.E. Buckley); preparation for industry (N. Herbert; developments in craft education: city and guilds courses (J. Cushing); developments in craft education: sub-technician level course (J. Longden); beyond Haslegrave (the Haslegrave Committee on technician courses and examinations) (W.A.G. Easton); engineering education in the Netherlands (A.J.W. Rommes); some aspects of the Swedish experience (G.E. Wheeler); introduction to project A, on the transition from school to employment; introduction to project B, on recruitment, selection, and development of teaching staff (J. Latcham); and introduction to project C, on the consideration of the Haslegrave Committee's report (W.E. Buckley). (MSE)