Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0345/03456.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 31KB | 548 lines

$Unique_ID{COW03456}
$Pretitle{441}
$Title{Sweden
On Sweden.    Introduction}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Stig Hadenius and Ann Lindgren}
$Affiliation{Swedish Institute}
$Subject{sweden
swedish
political
social
gustav
king
swedes
parliament
party
power}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Varmland's Waters*0345601.scf
Royal Palace*0345602.scf
Swedish Faces*0345603.scf
Bronze Age Trumpet*0345604.scf
}
Country:     Sweden
Book:        On Sweden
Author:      Stig Hadenius and Ann Lindgren
Affiliation: Swedish Institute
Date:        1990

On Sweden.    Introduction

[See Varmland's Waters: Sailing on Varmland's peaceful waters. Courtesy of
Swedish Embassy, Washington DC.]

     The Swedish Institute is a government-financed foundation established to
promote and further Swedish contact with individuals and institutions abroad
and to serve as a channel for international cultural and educational exchange.
Through its various information activities the Institute endeavors to increase
knowledge about Sweden in other countries.

     On Sweden provides a general introduction to Swedish society and culture.
For those interested in more detailed information, a list of other
publications produced by the Swedish Institute is given at the end of the
book. These publications can be obtained from Swedish diplomatic missions
abroad or directly from the Swedish Institute, P.O. Box 7434, S-103 91
Stockholm, Sweden.

     The authors alone are responsible for the opinions expressed in this
book.

The Swedes

[See Royal Palace: Stockholm. Courtesy Swedish Embassy, Washington DC.]

     What does it mean to be typically Swedish? What traits are shared by the
8.5 million inhabitants of Sweden? Are they reserved, hard-working people who
are respectful of authority, as some observers say? Or are they adaptable,
inquisitive and competitive, as others claim?

     Since World War II, many researchers have been reluctant to speak of
"national character" or to attempt systematic studies of what makes one people
different from another. Such research, they argue, can easily assume a racist
tone. Besides, it is impossible to characterize a whole people; differences
among individuals are so great that it often seems meaningless to try to find
a common denominator.

     Yet journalists and writers have not hesitated to report on national
peculiarities that they observe. In the case of Sweden, their starting point
has often been the welfare state, the "Swedish model" or a more general
fascination with this small, ambitious northern European country which has
performed well in international competition in so many fields.

     Some people consider Sweden paradoxical. For example, it is a capitalist
nation and has given birth to many well-known multinational corporations,
which have helped make it one of the most affluent countries on earth. At the
same time, it has the world's strongest trade union movement and has a larger,
more influential public sector than virtually any other Western country.

Egalitarian and independent

     The Swedish model, a concept that emerged in the late 1930s, has been
defined in various ways, both positive and negative. A similar term, coined
around the same time by the American journalist Marquis Childs, is "Sweden,
the middle way." Both refer to the fact that in many fields, the Swedes have
avoided militantly individualistic or socialistic solutions, instead choosing
a middle path of pragmatic, collective ones. This has applied to such areas as
economic and industrial policy; to such services as child care, old age care,
health care and education; and to labor relations.

     Egalitarianism has been among the dominant social themes in Sweden during
the postwar period. High marginal taxes, relatively small income differentials
and an extensive social welfare system have also made Sweden a country where
the gaps between people's living standards are unusually narrow.

     Yet at the personal level, Swedes are not so group-oriented as the above
might imply. They are often reluctant to get too close to others. Instead
they try to be self-reliant. To a great extent, their upbringing and education
aim at creating what educators describe as independent, sensible, autonomous
individuals. The family network is weaker in Sweden than in many countries.

     In recent decades, it has become fairly common for a man and a woman in
Sweden to live together and even have children without being formally married.
Legislation has extended nearly all the privileges of marriage to such
couples. Some ethnologists see this phenomenon as evidence of a typically
Swedish fear of losing one's integrity and autonomy. People hesitate to
formalize relationships. But in the past few years, there has been a shift
toward more marriages and a heavier emphasis on the nuclear family.

Efficient

     One frequent explanation as to why Sweden has performed comparatively
well against international competition is that the Swedes are efficient.
Although the law entitles them to comparatively long vacations and various
leaves of absence, on the job they tend to be highly quality-conscious and
systematic. This is one reason why such Swedish-owned companies as Volvo,
Saab-Scania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Tetra Pak and IKEA have become familiar
names in the global marketplace.

     The Swedes have shown considerable skill in utilizing and adapting to new
technology. During the 1980s Sweden became one of the countries with the
largest number of industrial robots and personal computers per capita in the
world.

     Sweden's flair for organization celebrated a major triumph in 1967, when
the whole country switched almost effortlessly from left-hand to right-hand
traffic-literally overnight. Both natives and foreigners also regard Sweden as
a country where things work. As a rule, both private and public sector
bureaucracies function rather smoothly, and any notable exceptions attract
massive attention from the media.

Shy

[See Swedish Faces: Wining smiles, Swedish style. Courtesy Swedish Embassy,
Washington DC.]

     At a Swedish open-air market; people do not argue about prices or product
quality. Customers who are not satisfied move on to another stand to see if it
offers better bargains. Swedes are often described as shy and afraid of
conflict. Comparative interview studies indicate that loud confrontations in
families and at workplaces do occur less often in Sweden than in many other
countries. Swedes choose to remain silent instead of indulging in aggressive
behavior and are often reluctant to show their feelings openly.

     Because of this self-control, to an outsider some Swedes may seem a bit
unwelcoming or formal - without really being that way at all. Visitors to
Sweden are also surprised by the numerous "Thank you's" and by the formal
speeches and toasts offered even at small private dinners.

     Some people have pet theories as to why many Swedes are shy and quiet.
One common explanation is the severe climate and the long, dark winter nights.
The vast forests that cover half of Sweden's 450,000 km^2 (174,000 mi^2) land
area are also said to have contributed to the national reticence. For
centuries, Sweden was a thinly populated, agrarian country whose inhabitants
largely had to shift for themselves, and whose social cohesiveness was thus
limited.

     Obviously there are numerous exceptions, geographic and social, to what
is "typically Swedish." There are many kinds of Swedes, and the national
character is constantly changing.

The New Swedes

     For centuries, Sweden was ethnically very homogeneous. In the late 19th
and early 20th century, more than a million Swedes (nearly one fourth of the
entire population) emigrated, mainly to the United States. During that period,
immigration was negligible. By then the Sami (or Lapps), mainly a people of
reindeer-herding nomads living in the far north, were the only ethnic minority
who really stood out.

     Since World War II, the situation has been different. Today about 10
percen