I would just like to say that I am basing this article on the fact that Sweden has a reasonably good welfare system. But just what consequences does that have…? \u00a0 Can there be disadvantages with a system like this?<\/p>\n
\u00a0There are plenty of good things that come from having a country with good welfare, which I\u2019m sure people have written a lot about.<\/p>\n
\u00a0In a lot of countries there is a strong \u201ccommunity feeling\u201d where people do a lot of volunteer work in schools, for individual families, a lot of good deeds by churches or other religious groups. A huge amount of work is done by individuals, parents making school lunches, baking for sports\/school events et.c All in all adults do a lot for their society to work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0What does this show their children? I think it sends the message that \u201cwe take responsibility for seeing things through, finishing our projects\u201d and \u201cwe help each other, through the bad times and share the good ones\u201d. From a very young age,\u00a0 children in these countries take part in\u00a0 after-school activities and clubs, join the student council, or prep groups for the yearly school festival. There is no teacher standing over these kids,\u00a0 forcing them to do anything. It is volunteering.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Well, in Sweden of course there are parents who buy\/bake cookies or sandwiches for their kids football team and people do donate a lot of money to charities, but in general I have never thought of Sweden or experienced Sweden as a country where a lot of volunteer work is done. We do not have after-school clubs, and all activities at school are led by teachers (and often when the teachers are not there there is total chaos).\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think the reason is that in Sweden we have such a well-functioning welfare system that we have rarely have to volunteer for any causes and that for a very long time it has just not been a central part of the Swedish culture. We have reached a point where we take for granted, expect, our welfare system to do things for us, and maybe rightly so since we pay such high taxes. But we are then unable to solve problems, not having experience taking problems into our own hands.<\/p>\n
\u00a0We have created a society that enables everybody to live very individualistically, without really having to depend on your community, without having to ask for help and have the opportunity to help others.\u00a0 Volunteering gives such a great feeling and I’m afraid many Swedes are missing out on that feeling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I would just like to say that I am basing this article on the fact that Sweden has a reasonably good welfare system. But just what consequences does that have…? \u00a0 Can there be disadvantages with a system like this? \u00a0There are plenty of good things that come from having a country with good welfare…<\/p>\n