Participants In Sweden Research Articles

Teachers and tests: assessing pupils' reading achievement in primary schools

The purpose of the present study was to examine validity aspects of teachers’ judgements of pupils’ reading skills. Data come from Sweden's participation in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2001, for Grades 3 and 4. For pupils at the same achievement levels, as measured by PIRLS 2001 test, teachers’ judgements of pupils’ achievement levels varied from one teacher to another. Moreover, there were significant differences between teachers’ judgements in Grades 3 and 4. Teachers in Grade 3 who had taught their pupils for almost 3 years showed higher correspondence between their judgements and pupil achievement within classrooms than 4th-grade teachers who, typically, had only taught their pupils for approximately 1 semester at the time of the data collection. The results indicate that teachers’ judgements and tests can be useful within classrooms, but that teachers may need external assessments to calibrate judgements over classrooms.

The Effect of Classroom Diversity on Tolerance and Participation in England, Sweden and Germany

The belief is widespread in educational circles that ethnically mixed schools contribute to inter-ethnic tolerance and community cohesion. Some political science studies, however, have found that trust and participation are lower in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. This paper explores the relation between classroom ethno-racial diversity, ethnic tolerance and participation in England, Sweden and Germany using data from the IEA Civic Education Study among 14-year-olds. Controlling for various conditions at the individual and classroom levels, it finds a positive effect of classroom diversity on ethnic tolerance in Sweden and Germany, which is in agreement with the contact perspective on inter-ethnic relations. However, it does not find an effect on tolerance in England. Moreover, classroom diversity only shows a positive relation with participation in Sweden. The effect of diversity thus varies substantially across the two outcomes of interest and the three countries examined. It is therefore tentatively concluded that country-specific factors shape this effect to a significant degree.

Investigating political equality: The example of gender and political participation in Sweden

A common thought is that political participation must be equally high among different social groups – such as women and men or various socioeconomic groups – in order for political equality to be fulfilled. This approach has, however, been criticized for being too crude. Several scholars argue that one must also study the reasons behind group differences in participation. If these differences are explained by differences in resources – and not political motivation – political equality is threatened, as this points to structural inequalities determining participatory differences. Using this perspective, I make an empirical investigation into the political participation of women and men in Sweden, a country known for unusually far-reaching political gender equality. In spite of this, men devote more of their political activities to areas of production, such as questions relating to working life, and I find that this difference may be explained by a male advantage in political resources (civic skills, primarily). The conclusion is that political equality has not yet been fully realized between women and men in Sweden. Hence, future studies should consider separating between different policy areas, when empirically evaluating the status of political equality. Quantitative methods are used in the empirical analyses.

Why Bother Lying When You Know So Few Care? Party Contact, Education and Over‐reporting Voter Turnout in Different Types of Elections

Studies on individual‐level voter turnout in the European Parliament elections rely solely on self‐reported turnout data. At the same time, a long tradition in public opinion research examines the impact of individual and contextual variables on over‐reporting of voter turnout. The ultimate goal of these efforts is an assessment of the bias introduced when turnout models are estimated from self‐reported turnout data. In this article, it is proposed that certain characteristics related to turnout (and turnout over‐reporting), like university education or party contact, should also be positively associated with political awareness and knowledge. If so, they might contribute to respondents' greater ability to distinguish between different salience levels, significantly increasing non‐voters' propensity to over‐report turnout in high‐salience elections, but not in low‐salience ones. This hypothesis is tested using data on electoral participation in Sweden, comparing patterns of turnout over‐reporting in the (high‐salience) national parliament elections and the (low‐salience) European Parliament elections. The results of this test, the first one to give an account of patterns of over‐reporting of turnout in the European Parliament elections, largely support the above hypothesis. Finally, the consequences of this phenomenon for the validity of inferences made from self‐reported turnout data are analyzed.

Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance among Turkish immigrants in Sweden

AimTo investigate whether the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was higher among Turkish immigrants in Sweden, than in their area of origin in Turkey. Methods238 Turkish immigrants aged 20 years and older living in Flemingsberg, Sweden, were compared with 1549 participants of the same age living in the Konya area of Turkey. Data collection included anthropometric measurements, blood pressure (BP) measurements, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). ResultsPrevalence of laboratory-verified diabetes was 11.8% among participants in Sweden compared to 7.1% among participants in Turkey (p 0.018). Turkish women in Sweden had a higher prevalence of diabetes than Turkish women in Turkey, 12.8% vs. 7.6% (p=0.037). Similarly, IGT was 17.8% among Turkish men in Sweden compared to 4.9% among men in Turkey (p<0.001) and 2-h blood glucose was higher among the immigrants (p<0.001). Systolic BP was also higher among the immigrants, especially in men (p<0.001) who also had a higher BMI (p=0.003). ConclusionsThe higher prevalence of diabetes and IGT among Turkish immigrants in Flemingsberg, Sweden, suggests that migration is associated with diabetes and that there are important implications for public health in Sweden.

Apple Pie–Spinach Metaphor: Shall e-Democracy make Participatory Planning More Wholesome?

Despite claims that planners' attitude towards public participation has not always been enthusiastic, there have been genuine attempts to devolve powers through participation—although seldom with success. In this paper we discuss several major attempts to improve participation in Sweden including case studies of e-participation. Despite great expectations on information and communication technologies, Swedish experience indicates that the status quo between planners and people remains.

Unemployment and labour-force participation in Sweden

This paper investigates the relationship between Swedish unemployment and labour-force participation. Cointegration analysis supports a robust long-run relationship between the two variables. This finding puts the empirical relevance of the unemployment invariance hypothesis into question.

The Puzzle of Gender‐equal Political Participation in Sweden: The Importance of Norms and Mobilization

Political participation is higher among men than women in most parts of the world. However, earlier research has shown that this does not hold true in Scandinavia, including Sweden, where gender differences are remarkably small. This article studies the causes of the Swedish situation. A conventional hypothesis is formulated based on research from other parts of the world. It assumes that gender‐equal participation in Sweden can be explained by the lack of gender differences in certain political resource and motivational factors that are often analyzed. However, this hypothesis is not supported by the data, which instead indicates a female disadvantage with regard to both resources and motivation. Two alternative hypotheses are developed and shown as empirically viable. The first assumes that women more often adhere to norms that emphasize the importance of being politically active, which promotes their participation in politics. The second focuses on collective mobilization based on interests specific to women. In line with this hypothesis, only women are shown to be members of women's organizations and hold more radical opinions on issues related to gender equality and reproduction. These factors have a positive impact on women's participation, and together they explain a noticeable amount of the male advantage with regard to conventional explanatory factors. Therefore they are important contributory causes of gender‐equal participation in Sweden, although other factors, not discussed here, also contribute. Quantitative methods are used in the analyses, and the study material is the 1997 Swedish Citizenship Survey.

Commuting and Citizen Participation in Swedish City-Regions

Commuting has become an increasingly important feature of modern life. Theories of public participation, such as the civic voluntarism model, claim that commuting is likely to reduce the time available for political activism. Based on data from an American context, Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone has concluded that this is exactly what happens. However, empirical studies based on European data on how commuting may affect political participation are rare. This article aims to address this question with regard to Swedish city-regions. Is there also a negative relationship between commuting and citizen participation in Sweden? The analysis is based on survey data for 7, 200 citizens from seven Swedish city-regions belonging to three different size categories. The relationship between commuting and several different forms of public participation is investigated, controlling for the variables suggested by the civic voluntarism model. The analysis indicates that there are no signs of a negative relationship and some aspects of participation are actually positively linked to commuting. These findings suggest that the civic voluntarism model needs to be revised, at least in a European context. The article ends with a discussion about how differences between Sweden and the US can be accounted for and what the more general consequences for democracy may be.

Regional reform and citizen participation in Sweden

Seven years ago the Swedish government launched a Regional Reform Programme with the aim of establishing a new intermediate level of governance alongside the national level and that of the local municipality. The conditions for achieving constructive institutionalization differ considerably in Skåne and Västra Götaland, the two regions participating in the pilot programme. However, the level of citizen participation (i.e. voter turnout in regional elections) in the two regions does not differ—in both regions, citizens have demonstrated tremendous indifference towards the new fora. One reason for this could be that the reform has to a very large degree been built on traditional political structures, which in turn have suffered a loss of credibility in the past decades. There might, however, also be reason to question the often presupposed link between a region's degree of socio‐cultural consolidation and its acceptance as a vital and meaningful political entity.

Household Labor Supply and Welfare Participation in Sweden

In this paper, we formulate and estimate a structural, static model of household labor supply and multiple welfare program participation. Given the complicated nature of both the income tax schedule and the benefit rules for different welfare programs, we use unique access to a very detailed micro-simulation model to generate accurate budget sets for each work-welfare combination. Moreover, when determining the budget sets, we use extraordinary high-quality data on earnings and other types of incomes, obtained both from employers and from income tax records. The results suggest that labor supply among two-parent families in Sweden is quite inelastic. A policy simulation designed to increase labor supply incentives for low income families generated substantial positive welfare effects, despite only minor increases in labor supply and decreases in welfare participation.

Household Labor Supply and Welfare Participation in Sweden

Using a sample of Swedish households, we estimate a household labor supply model assuming that preferences for consumption and leisure can be described by a direct translog utility function. The labor supply and welfare participation decisions are treated as a discrete choice problem, and we assume that these choices follow a simple conditional logit rule. In addition, we allow unobserved individual- specific effects to be correlated across alternatives. We assume that these unobserved effects are drawn from a discrete distribution, and the correlation across alternatives is modeled using factor-loading techniques. Classification error in hours is allowed for by using a multiplicative measurement error specification. The estimates from the structural model yield inelastic labor supply among husbands and positive wage elasticity for wives. Further, the cross elasticities are close to zero.

The “Inside-Out” Process

Fulufjället, with an area of 385 km2, was recently designated Sweden's 28th national park. This article describes how the park establishment process turned negative local opinion positive. The basis for success was a shift of focus from restrictions inside the boundaries of the national park to opportunities outside. This “inside-out” process implies a new approach to area protection and local community participation in Sweden. This is in line with the contemporary Swedish nature conservation strategy based on the principle of sustainability, which takes account of both ecological and socioeconomic development in a district.

Household Labor Supply and Welfare Participation in Sweden

Household Labor Supply and Welfare Participation in Sweden

Prevalence and risks of pathological gambling in Sweden.

This paper presents results from the first national survey of problem gambling completed in Sweden. The Swedish survey is unique in its quality and representativeness, due to the use of multiple modes of data collection, recruitment of respondents from national registers rather than from households, and high response rate. In spite of high rates of gambling participation in Sweden, the combined prevalence of problem and pathological gambling in Sweden is relatively low (3.9% lifetime and 2.0% current). Multivariate analysis shows that being male, under the age of 25 and born abroad are significant risk factors for lifetime gambling problems in Sweden. Additional risk factors are being single, living in big cities, and receiving social welfare payments. The groups most at risk for gambling problems in Sweden are people disadvantaged and marginalized by international economic changes as well as the dismantling of the Swedish welfare system.

Towards more citizen participation in Sweden

Towards more citizen participation in Sweden

Critic or Mediator? Sweden in World Politics, 1945-90

The article analyses Sweden as a critic and as a mediator and bridge-builder on the international arena since 1945. Some researchers have claimed that in the mid-1960s Sweden took on the role of critic at the expense of that of mediator. Was this true? Has Sweden's participation in international opinion-building had a negative effect on her usefulness as mediator or bridge-builder in international conflicts? And what role do the actions of a nation as critic play for the image of that state as an impartial mediator? First, the relevance of a mediator/bridge-builder's impartiality is discussed. Thereafter, Sweden as critic and mediator/bridge-builder since 1945 is presented. Sweden's actions in two concrete cases are focused on the Vietnam and Iran-Iraq wars. In both cases Sweden tried to combine the role of mediator and bridge-builder with that of critic. Finally, some general conclusions are formulated about the relationship between the role of critic and that of mediator/bridge-builder. The results show that in the mid-1960s Sweden began to take part in international opinion-building and to formulate criticism of other countries to a much greater extent than previously. But Sweden's taking on of the critic's role in the 1960s was not followed by a decrease in her mediation or bridge-building missions. The hypothesis that Sweden took on the critic's role at the expense of the mediator's role is thus not supported in this study. It is concluded that there are no objections to a country that wants to act as a mediator or bridge-builder taking an active part in international opinion-building or formulating criticism of other countries in terms of different issues. But restrictions on criticism and attitudes come up in conflicts where that country is also acting as a mediator or bridge-builder.

Institutional Real Estate Investment Practices: Swedish and United States Experiences

In recent years, institutional real estate investment activity has experienced major changes in many countries throughout the world. In Sweden, large-scale investment projects have increasingly been dominated by several major financial institutions. As in other places, real estate investment analysis in Sweden has undergone considerable change in terms of rigor, focus, and perspective. This study is the first effort ever to systematically assess the current situation in the market for commercial real estate in Sweden. The study presents the results of a comprehensive 1988 survey of over 200 commercial real estate investment participants in Sweden including insurance companies, pension funds, construction firms, property management firms, and investment companies. The survey results are compared with results reported in the United States and elsewhere within the corporate and real estate capital budgeting literatures. The results reported here can thus be compared cross-sectionally as well as over time acr...

The Struggle for Democratic Education: Equality and Participation in Sweden. Stephen J. Ball, Staffan Larsson

<i>The Struggle for Democratic Education: Equality and Participation in Sweden</i>. Stephen J. Ball, Staffan Larsson

Trends in female labor force participation in Sweden.

The labor force participation of Swedish married women increased form 49.1% to 83.5% in the past 2 decades. Results from cross section analyses carried out on micro data from 3 standard of living investigations, done in 1968, 1974, and 1981, are used to predict changes over time. Women's real wages have increased over time more than men's real wages; in combination with estimated positve own wages elasticities, this change is the most important determinant of the increase in female labor supply. The labor force participation of married women ages 20-59 has increased from 49.1% in 1963 to 83.5% in 1982; the increase is especially large for women with children under 7. Over the decades 1920-1965, when real wages of woman increased more than real incomes of men, the labor force participation rates of married women increased even faster. From 1963-1981 a dramatic narrowing of the male-female wage gap occurred; most of the decrease is a result of factors other than the human capital variables accumulated at school and on the job. The effect of centralized collective bargaining and a strong union policy to increase low wages may be important explanatory factors. Generous parental leaves and subsidized day care may have an increasing effect on fertility; but instead, fertility has decreased, perhaps less than it might have done in the absence of such policies. By using individual cross section data from the 3 standard of living investigations, estimates of participation are performed. The own wage effects of the participation equation are positive and significant but decreasing over time. Important institutional changes between the sample periods are the extended parental leaves and the increased supply of government subsidized day care.