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Individuality and community: The contrasting role of the state in family life in the United States and Sweden 1
Author(s) -
SCARR SANDRA
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1996.tb00642.x
Subject(s) - poverty , autonomy , value (mathematics) , state (computer science) , welfare state , social value orientations , welfare , economic growth , psychology , sociology , development economics , political science , economics , politics , law , microeconomics , algorithm , machine learning , computer science
Underlying moral values of individuality versus community and assumptions about what is a “just society” make public policies toward children vastly different in Sweden and the United States. This article explores the origins, cost, and benefits of welfare policies that permit child poverty in the U. S. as a cost of the high value of autonomy/individuality, and policies that prevent child poverty in Sweden, at the cost of economic competitiveness and individual initiative. I conclude that both extremes of moral values have more social costs than benefits but that children should be protected in any nation as the future of the society.