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Full download ORGB 3 3rd Edition Nelson Solutions Manual all chapter 2024 pdf
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7 STRESS AND WELL-BEING AT WORK
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After readings this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
6 Discuss individual factors that influence a person’s response to stress and strain.
Individual differences, such as gender and Type A behavior pattern, enhance vulnerability to
strain under stressful conditions. Other individual differences, such as personality hardiness and
self-reliance, reduce vulnerability to strain under stressful conditions.
7 Identify the stages and elements of preventive stress management for individuals and
organizations.
The three stages of prevention are primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Primary
prevention is intended to reduce, modify, or eliminate the demand or stressor causing stress.
Secondary prevention is intended to alter or modify the individual’s or the organization’s
response to a demand or stressor. Tertiary prevention is intended to heal individual or
organizational symptoms of distress and strain.
KEY TERMS
stress 107
stressor 107
distress 107
strain 107
homeostasis 108
ego-ideal 108
self-image 108
workaholism 112
participation problem 114
performance decrement 115
compensation award 115
Type A behavior pattern 116
personality hardiness 116
transformational coping 116
self-reliance 117
counterdependence 117
overdependence 117
preventive stress
management 117
primary prevention 117
POWERPOINT GUIDE
Introduction
Slide 1 – Learning Outcomes
LO6 Discuss individual factors that influence a person’s response to stress and strain.
Slide 25 – Individual Differences Slide 28 – Personality Hardiness
Slide 26 – Gender Effects Slide 29 – Self-Reliance
Slide 27 – Type A Behavior Patterns
LO7 Identify the stages and elements of preventive stress management for individuals and
organizations.
Slide 31-32 – Preventative Stress Slide 36 – Job Strain Model
Management Slide 37 – Social Support at Work and
Slide 33 – Preventative Stress Maintenance Home
Slide 34 – Beyond the Book: Non-effective Slide 38 – Individual Preventive Stress
Stress Relief Techniques Management
Slide 35 – Organizational Stress Prevention Slide 39 – What Can Managers Do?
Stress is the unconscious preparation to fight or flee that a person experiences when faced
with any demand. Distress is the adverse psychological, physical, behavioral, and
organizational consequences that may arise as a result of stressful events. Strain is the same
as distress.
2. Describe four approaches to understanding stress. How does each add something new to our
understanding of stress?
(1) The homeostatic/medical model explains the fight-or-flight response that we use to define
stress. (2) The cognitive appraisal approach describes how we classify events as stressful or
not. (3) The person-environment fit approach argues that stress results when the role
expectations are confusing and/or conflicting. (4) The psychoanalytic approach is based on
Freudian theory and involves the ego-ideal and the self-image, and the comparison between
the two.
3. List three demands of each type: task, role, interpersonal, and physical.
Task demands related to stress are lack of control, uncertainty, career progress, overload, and
new technologies. Role demands include interrole expectations, intrarole expectations, and
person role expectations. Interpersonal demands are abrasive personalities, sexual
harassment, and leadership styles. Physical demands include extreme environments,
strenuous activities, and hazardous substances.
Nonwork demands are personal life stressors that carry into the workplace. Marital
expectations, childcare and elder care are all demands that may take individuals away from
their focus at work, either physically or mentally.
Moderate stress has been found to have a positive effect on performance. The Yerkes-
Dodson law indicates that there is an optimum point of positive effect from stress. After this
point is reached, the curve turns downward and has negative ramifications on performance.
The optimum point will vary from individual to individual.
6. What are the major medical consequences of distress? The behavioral consequences? The
psychological consequences?
7. Why should organizations be concerned about stress at work? What are the costs of distress
to organizations?
There are a variety of direct and indirect costs to organizations because of distress. Reduced
attentiveness may result in accidents for persons distracted by stress. Stress can also increase
absenteeism and turnover. Participation problems, performance decrements, and
compensation awards all involve costs to organizations.
8. How do individual differences such as gender, Type A behavior, personality hardiness, and
self-reliance moderate the relationship between stress and strain?
These are individual factors that affect the connection between the stressors and strains.
Type A personality individuals are prone to difficulties because their personalities make them
more susceptible to stress. Personality hardiness enhances one's ability to cope with stress.
Self-reliance helps individuals manage stress through healthy relationships with others.
All three of these preventions are steps in which organizations attempt interventions to
reduce stress. Primary prevention is focused reduction of stress by reducing, modifying, or
eliminating the cause(s) of stress. Secondary prevention attempts to alter or modify the stress
response. Tertiary prevention is reactive, and is designed to heal individuals after the stress
has had an impact on the individual. Job redesign is effective because it increases workers’
control over their situation. Goal setting increases task motivation, and reduces role conflict
and ambiguity. Role negotiation allows individuals to modify their work expectations.
Social support systems build a community and socioemotional approach to help support
individuals.
Individuals can practice learned optimism, which is a positive way of perceiving actions and
events. Time management is a technique to control schedules that cause stress. Leisure
activities help one maintain a balanced lifestyle. Secondary prevention methods for
individuals include physical exercise, relaxation training, and diet. Opening up to individuals
through self-disclosure can reduce the burden of stressful situations. Professional help may
be warranted if the stress exceeds an individual’s ability to cope.
On a practical side, it is in their best interest to do so. Benefit coverage for individuals with
controllable illnesses is exorbitant. A more altruistic reason is that individuals who are in
control of their stress are better performers on the job, making individual health a worthy
pursuit. While individuals do share responsibility for managing their stress, many lack
appropriate knowledge and/or resources to do so.
2. Is there more stress today than in past generations? What evidence is available concerning
this question?
Students will vary on this question. It is interesting to challenge them to compare their lives
with frontier America, the medieval era, or even the first portion of the 20th century.
3. Discuss the following statement: Employers should be expected to provide stress-free work
environments.
To some degree, this is legally true. Employers need to eliminate dysfunctional situations
from the work environment. If employers can assist individuals with their stress control, they
should do so. The only truly stress-free environment is a coffin.
The courts have been tossing this issue around more frequently. Supervisors should make
reasonable inquiries and provide reasonable assistance. Have students debate this question in
opposing teams.
5. Do you use any stress prevention methods that are not discussed in the chapter? If so, what
are they?
These are often very interesting lists. Students are often surprised that instructors have stress
and that we practice stress reduction techniques.
6. Write a memo describing the most challenging demands and/or stressors at your workplace
(or university). Be specific in fully describing the details of these demands and/or stressors.
How might you go about changing them?
This memo could be assigned prior to the class period(s) in which stress is discussed. Then,
during the class students can be encouraged to consider what categories of demands and/or
stressors they are experiencing and whether or not they have chosen the most effective means
for managing those demands and/or stressors.
This is a great exercise to give students a broader perspective of stress than they get from the
textbook. Encourage students to share in class the responses they obtained from the medical
professionals and to discuss the similarities and differences among the responses.
8. Do research on social support and diaries as ways to manage stressful and/or traumatic
events. Develop an oral presentation for class that explains the benefits of each of these
approaches for preventive stress management. Include guidelines on how to practice each.
If students have also completed Question 6 above, they could consider how social support
and/or diaries could help them deal with the specific stressors and/or demands they are
experiencing.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
The purpose of the Ethical Dilemmas is to encourage students to develop their awareness of
ethical issues in the workplace and the managerial challenges they present. The dilemmas are set
up to present situations in which there is no clear ethical choice. The goal for the instructor is to
guide students through the process of analyzing the situation and examining possible alternative
solutions. There are no “right” answers to the questions at the end of each scenario, only
opportunities to explore alternative generation and generate discussion of the appropriateness of
each alternative. The student portion of the activity is on a handout at the end of this chapter
guide.
Consequential – If Neil continues to falsify the reports, the firm may eventually get caught
and Neil could face jail time for committing a crime. If he refuses to falsify the reports, he
could lose the otherwise very positive work environment he has found in Johnston & Marcus.
Character – Despite Neil’s obvious happiness about the improvements in work-life balance
afforded by his new job, the stress of falsifying monthly reports is already beginning to take a
toll on him physically and emotionally. If he continues to falsify the reports, he probably
will enjoy the time with his family less and less as time goes by due to his honest nature. If
he quits or is fired, he may be able to find another job that will still afford him good work-life
balance.
Students should follow this challenge by developing an action plan for overcoming their stress
and/or anger. The action plan should focus on specific, concrete steps the students can take to
improve in each of these areas.The student portion of the activity is on the review card in the
student edition of ORGB and on a handout at the end of this chapter guide.
Healthy life adjustment is linked primarily to the presence of two factors, self-reliance and a
secure support network. People who are self-reliant and yet are able to depend on others when
appropriate are better equipped to manage the challenges they meet than are those without self-
reliance and support. An absence of self-reliance may be expressed as either overdependence or
counterdependence. The overdependent person strives for too much togetherness in
relationships, clinging to others out of fear of being incomplete. The counterdependent person
strives for too much separateness, avoiding relationships with others and denying the necessity or
importance of such relationships.
On the other hand, the person who has not experienced or has overcome the effects of repeated
separation anxiety has a strong chance of becoming self-reliant. The attribute of self-reliance
means accepting responsibility for one’s own well-being and, at the same time, knowing that
someone will be available and willing to help in times of need. Self-reliant individuals have
resolved the conflict between their separateness in the world and their need for union with
others; they can work comfortably and naturally either with others or alone, depending on which
Self-Reliance/Counterdependence Norms:
Student/Managers: Mean = 16.81 (n = 310)
Military (Officers/Enlisted): Mean = 20.79 (n = 163)
Self-Reliance/Overdependence Norms:
Student/Managers: Mean = 15.43 (n = 310)
Military (Officers/Enlisted): Mean = 14.95 (n = 163)
Adapted from J. C. Quick, D. L. Nelson, and J. D. Quick, ”The Self-Reliance Inventory,” in J. W. Pfeiffer (ed.), The
1991 Annual: Developing Human Resources (San Diego: Pfeiffer & Co.,
1991), pp. 149-161.
1. Explain how the internal conflict between an individual’s identity and sexual orientation
could become an organizational diversity issue.
2. Can you think of a situation in which it is better for individuals to hide their sexual
orientation than to be open?
If a person’s work environment is not likely to support openness about his or her sexual
orientation, then the person will experience poor person-environment fit and will need to
carefully evaluate whether s/he wishes to remain employed with that organization or leave
for another position where openness about sexual orientation is encouraged. There may be
several valid reasons why a person may choose not to leave a negative environment. In those
cases, it will be better not to expose his/her sexual orientation, as that will make the work
environment especially anxious and uncomfortable.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
7.1 GENDER ROLE STRESSORS
This exercise allows students to examine the differences in the stressors based on gender roles
and expectations. If time allows, you might want to have two groups, one all males and another
all females, exchange their lists after Step 3. Instead of a full class discussion, have students
reverse roles and have the males discuss the female pressures, and then the females discuss the
male pressures. The student portion of the activity is on a handout at the end of this chapter
guide.
1. Students complete the analysis by filling in the blanks with the names of people from whom
they receive social support. Next to each name, they are to write the type of support they
receive: E = emotional caring and nurturance
I = informational support
A = appraisal and evaluative feedback
M = role modeling and guidance
S = instrumental support, providing resources or acting on behalf
of a person
2. Students gather in groups of five or six to discuss the questions provided on their worksheets.
Adapted from J. C. Quick, D. L. Nelson, and J. D. Quick, “The Self-Reliance Inventory,” in J. W. Pfeiffer (ed.), The
1991 Annual: Developing Human Resources (San Diego: University Associates, 1991: 149-161.
1. Ask students how they know if their boss with the nonstop demands, their spouse who
seldom makes it home to dinner, their coworker—or even themselves—are work-
addicted.
2. Have students take this quiz to see how many of the characteristics often associated with
work addiction apply to them or someone they know. Students should mark yes next to
each description that sounds familiar.
3. Have students show this quiz to their partner, coworker, or friend and see how someone
who knows them well answers about them. And assume that, in this case, the person has
truer answers for them than they do for themselves.
4. Give students the results of the quiz: If you score between 10 and 15, you need to take a
hard look at how much of your life has been taken over by work. Unless you score less
than three, don't consider yourself home free. You, too, have tendencies to let your work
overgrow your garden.
SOURCE: J. C. Wallace, B. D. Edwards, T. Arnold, M. L. Frazier, and D. M. Finch, “Work Stressors, Role-Based
Performance, and the Moderating Influence of Organizational Support,” Journal of Applied Psychology 94 (2009):
254–262.
Chapter 7 explores the causes and consequences of stress in the workplace as well as techniques
and approaches for coping with stress. Stress is present in every workplace; the key to managing
workplace stress is to have it be manifested as eustress rather than distress. The case provides a
powerful example of what happens when distress occurs. The Yerkes-Dodson law can be
invoked to aid in understanding of the impact of the Great Recession, as well as to encourage
thinking about what employees and employers can do to diminish the level of distress and
enhance the level of eustress.
The Great Recession has increased⎯for many people, significantly increased⎯the level of
experienced stress. Indeed, “huge chunks of the workforce seem to be stressed out by their
jobs⎯and it’s getting worse.” “Put your ear to the ground nowadays and you hear a steady
rumble of ‘stress-stress-stress-stress’, like a herd of bison in the distance.”
Numerous reasons are cited for these elevated stress levels: lack of job security, shrinking
pensions, micromanagement and over-control of employees, de-skilled jobs, routine abuse by
ill-informed and ungrateful customers, long work hours, and virtually non-existent support
from management. Other reasons are hiring and salary freezes, job layoffs, and bonus
reductions. Still other reasons include people’s concerns about declining home values, their
ability to pay college costs, and the heightened anxiety resulting from both declining home
values and paying for college educations.
2. How have the responses of businesses to the Great Recession affected employees’ stress
levels?
Individual businesses responded to the Great Recession in several different ways. One
common corporate response was downsizing, which in turn helped reduce costs. Downsizing
According to Paula Allen, the increased demands on employees cause many of them to not
realistically assess the situation let alone solve critical problems or even get enough sleep and
relaxation. Allen also observes “[t]here’s always the feeling, if things are rough, [that] you
should be working 24 hours a day. If you are doing that, it’s going to take a toll. You’re
going to build resentment, fatigue.”
3. How can the Yerkes-Dodson law help in understanding the impact of the Great Recession on
people’s stress levels?
Application of the Yerkes-Dodson law to the human impact of the Great Recession indicates
that the level of stress being experienced by people has moved well beyond the optimum
level. For many people, the level of stress has become excessive and it has had detrimental
effects for both employees and employers. As Sarah Dobson wrote: “[t]he recent recession
was grueling, no doubt, and it’s not over yet. So it’s no surprise employees are complaining
of higher stress and heavier workloads.” And as Carole Spiers wrote: “[p]eople are more
insecure in their jobs, so they’re putting up with things they otherwise wouldn’t necessarily
put up withAs a result, employers are not getting the best out of their employees.” Spiers
also observes that when employees do not feel they are valued by their employers, or
employees are working long hours or feel as though they are treated like numbers, those
employees will not be loyal to the organization. In addition, employee performance suffers,
and company productivity and profitability declines.
4. Drawing on your answer to the preceding question, explain what individuals could do to deal
effectively with their stress levels.
Individuals need to take appropriate measures to lower their level of experienced stress,
thereby returning to a more optimum level (i.e., moving from distress on the high side toward
eustress in the middle). By applying material contained in the text to the case, reasonable
intervention possibilities would include the following:
• Embracing positive thinking.
• Managing time pressures more effectively.
• Engaging in enjoyable leisure time activities.
• Engaging in physical exercise.
5. Drawing on your answer to the third question, explain what employers could do to help
employees deal effectively with their stress levels.
Just as individuals should take personal responsibility for doing as much as they can to
reduce their experienced stress level, employers can assist employees in returning to a more
optimal level of stress by altering policies, processes, and procedures over which they have
control. Some reasonable possibilities regarding employers’ actions to reduce employee
stress levels would include the following:
• Redesigning employees’ jobs.
• Engaging employees in goal setting.
• Negotiating work roles.
• Pursuing team building activities.
• Assisting employees with career management challenges.
SOURCE: This case solution was written by Michael K. McCuddy, The Louis S. and Mary L.
Morgal Chair of Christian Business Ethics and Professor of Management, College of Business,
Valparaiso University.
VIDEOS
THE UPSIDE OF ANGER
Terry Ann Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen) turns to ferocious anger and alcohol after her husband leaves
for his secretary. Neighbor Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), a retired Detroit Tigers pitcher and
host of a radio talk show, tries to befriend Terry and help her cope as a drinking buddy. Add four
beautiful daughters and the interpersonal interactions become complex and sometimes comedic.
This sequence has two parts with a title screen separating them. Part I follows the family dinner
with Denny as a guest. Terry is standing on the porch holding her drink against her forehead as
Denny arrives. Part I ends with Terry saying, “Then leave. Any other reason than that for you to
be here, frankly, is just pitiful.” She returns to the house while Denny stays on the porch.
Part II follows the bungee jumping scene and Denny driving Lavender “Popeye” Wolfmeyer
(Evan Rachel Wood) home. It begins with Terry and Denny eating ice cream from the same
container. Denny tells her that “Popeye” suggested he marry her mother. This scene ends after
Denny kicks down the bathroom door. Terry screams, jumps into the bathtub, and Denny
approaches silently.
1. Assess the stressors affecting Terry and Denny. View Part I for Terry and Part II for Denny.
Terry lists the stressors in her life with her statements about bills, responsibilities, four
daughters, one of whom hates her, and the other three leaning that way. She also lists some
Denny’s stressors in Part II of the film sequence come directly from Terry. She quickly
rejects any suggestion of marriage; she does it in a way that Denny perceives as demeaning.
He then comments in the bedroom about not giving “a cheap shot” and Terry responds with
part of her stressor list. Denny experiences the emotional effect of anger followed by the
behavioral effect of impulsive behavior—kicking down the bathroom door.
2. Are Terry and Denny having a distress or eustress response? Give examples of behavior in
the film sequences to support your observations.
Terry shows her distress response at the beginning of the film sequence. She holds her cold
drink glass against her forehead. She describes calling her husband Grey in Sweden with
deep regret and concludes that he will marry his secretary.
3. Review the earlier section, “The Consequences of Stress.” What consequences do you
observe or predict for Terry and Denny?
Terry’s severe stress effects make a long list. She experiences anger (against Grey),
irritability, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. The behavioral effects include the
obvious alcohol abuse and irritability expressed toward Denny at the end of the Part I
sequence.
Denny’s severe stress effects include irritability and anger. The latter appears in his behavior
as he approaches the bathroom and kicks in the door.
MODERN SHED
Modern Shed’s lead sales consultant, Scott Pearl, relies on disciplined goal setting. After noting
that Modern Shed was popular with people who wanted small backyard studios, Pearl
determined that selling two 10 ft. x 12 ft. structures per month would be an achievable first sales
goal. Today, as Modern Shed seeks to build upon its early success, Pearl is once again setting
goals. This time, the marketer is focusing on the company’s larger sheds—12 ft. x 16 ft.
According to Pearl, Modern Shed’s larger dwellings need to make up 25 percent of all products
sold. With that in mind, Pearl has a plan for how achieve the higher target: he will pitch the
larger shed as a “nanny solution” for Seattle’s well-to-do families.
1. How might being an outside contractor add stress to Scott Pearl’s job?
2. How does Scott Pearl’s person-environment fit affect his responses to stressors?
Scott Pearl is a seasoned marketer with a solid background in real estate. His past
experience and success match with his job as a sales consultant for Modern Shed. Since
his new role expectations are familiar and consistent with his skills and abilities, Pearl is
better equipped to handle the challenging work demands of selling for Modern Shed.
Very early in his teaching career, Charles Best had some powerful experiences that would
significantly transform his life as well influence the lives of countless others. Recalling
inspired lunchroom conversations with his fellow teachers about ideas for programs and
projects and the frustration of not having the resources to execute them, Best had a
brainstorm for creating Donor’s Choose. “Best figured there were probably plenty of people
who would rather fork over a bit of cash for a specific classroom project than write a check to
a traditional charity. So he moved back to his parents’ home to save money and designed the
Web site” for DonorsChoose.org. To convert the idea from a pipe dream to a viable venture,
Best needed the help of his students and his fellow teachers. His students’ volunteered to
help start the Web-based organization. To lure his fellow teachers into trying out the
organization’s new Web site, Best offered them his mother’s famous pear dessert. Best then
used his savings to fund these projects anonymously. DonorsChoose.org has been growing
ever since.
2. Using ideas about personality and perception, attitudes and emotions, ethics, and motivation,
explain the behavior of financial contributors to DonorsChoose.org.
People who contribute to DonorsChoose definitely have a strong interest in supporting public
education efforts, but many of them are only able to contribute modest amounts. Yet taken
together these modest contributions fund projects that make an educational difference for
many public school teachers and even more students. DonorsChoose.org “put[s] donors
squarely in charge andgive[s] them plenty of options. The proposals are written by the
teachers themselves, explaining the students’ needs and what kind of impact they expect
from the project. Then donors are put in control: [t]hey pick the project they like the most.
Finally, every donor gets a package of thank-you letters from students and pictures of the
kids reading the donated books” or using the donated supplies or engaging in the supported
activities.
The facts suggest that DonorsChoose contributors are people who are interested in helping to
make a difference in the world. They have a definite interest in children and helping them
succeed educationally. They believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn
and to realize his/her full potential.
Supporting educational projects through DonorsChoose.org can have a powerful and positive
emotional impact on the donors. Supporting these educational projects can bring happiness
to the donors. Even small donations can bring happiness to the donors. Interestingly,
research has shown that investing in others provides a positive return.
Students should be encouraged to identify other individual differences variables that they
believe appropriately describe the donors.
3. Explain the behavior of staff members at DonorsChoose.org. by using ideas about personality
and perception, attitudes and emotions, ethics, motivation, and learning and performance
management.
Writing in the book Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business, Nancy Lublin, one of America’s
most successful non-profit leaders, comments on how successful nonprofit organizations like
DonorsChoose.org arouse worker motivation. “They often have a flat management structure.
Nonprofit bosses tend to muck in with volunteers when the heat is on (you’ll find them, for
example, helping to stuff goody bags for fund-raising events). New employees are quickly
given real responsibility, even if they are young (which is what the Millennials now entering
the workforce want)Ensuring there is plenty of time during the working week for genuine
funcan deliver better results than a bonus[D]oling out titles liberally and
creativelycosts nothingyet such titles appeal to people and make them proud.”
ILLITERACY.
On a basis of population estimated (1917) at slightly more than
eight millions, 725,000 were estimated to be illiterate, about 42 per
cent of the school population. Illiteracy is most rife in remote
Provinces of the Andes and in the Territories, sparsely settled and
inhabited by people of roving habits and poorly developed
industrially. Under the lead of the director general of the schools of
the Province of Mendoza, a systematic campaign to eliminate
illiteracy was begun in 1916. It was recognized that financial
considerations made it impossible to establish the number of primary
schools which would be demanded, certainly not for the many
remote points where only the legal minimum of 15 or 20 illiterates
were to be found. Home schools (escuelas del hogar) were therefore
established, officially ranking as auxiliary to the already existent
schools, for illiterates of 8 to 20 years, and offering as a minimum
curriculum reading, writing, the four fundamental operations of
arithmetic, the duties of the Argentine citizen, elements of ethics, and
personal hygiene. Such schools may begin any day of the year, and
with a minimum of five pupils. Any person desiring to open such a
school must fulfill the following conditions:
(a) He must be at least 20 years of age, of good moral reputation,
certified by the chief civil official of his residence.
(b) He must speak the national language correctly and be able to
give instruction in it.
Such schools shall not be established at less distance than 5
kilometers from an established primary school supported by national,
provincial, or local funds, but if the school be intended exclusively for
boys from 15 to 20 years old it may be located at any point. Such
schools are to be visited freely by school and civil authorities, and by
persons designated by the provincial general inspectors.
Related in character to the escuelas del hogar of the Province are
the escuelas tutoriales, established by national decree of 1916,
applying to all the Provinces and especially to the Territories. In
these schools, established at points designated by the National
Council of Education, any number of children not regularly enrolled
in the primary schools may be taught by private individuals who
conform to the requirements of primary teachers, and by teachers
regularly engaged in primary work. The latter, by special exception,
receive additional compensation for such instruction. The same law
also provides remuneration, to be fixed by the general council of
education of the Province or Territory for all persons, not teachers,
who are certificated to have taught illiterates, whether children or
adults, to read and write.
Most novel of all undertakings for the wiping out of illiteracy are the
traveling schools (escuelas ambulantes). Provided for by the original
organic school law of 1884, these schools were not, because of lack
of funds, put into operation until 1914. Up to that time there was a
conviction that their need was insignificant by contrast with the
greater problem of illiteracy in the cities, and that to scatter funds
available for combating illiteracy was not prudent. How serious this
mistake was appeared in 1914 when it was ascertained by
systematic count that of nearly 35,000 children of the Territories not
in school only 6,000 lived in towns.
Located first in Province of Catamarca, and in the mountain
regions of Rio Negro and the Chubut, these schools are built of
materials easily transportable, and accommodate an average of 25
pupils. Sites are selected for them which are most accessible to the
largest number of children in the district. Teachers traverse such
regions on foot or muleback, carrying necessary equipment for
instruction, and remain four and one-half months at each place,
giving instruction in reading, writing, elements of arithmetic, and
hygiene. A decided advantage is found in this succinct curriculum,
the average of successful study by the pupils of these schools being,
it is claimed, fully on a par with that of the pupils of the nine months’
primary schools, who are required to take the standard number of
subjects.
Within their first two years of existence, 20 of these schools were
established, as reported by the National Council of Education in
December, 1916; and 12 were added in 1917. The report of the
inspector general of the Province of Mendoza concluded as follows:
This new type of school must exist for many years in
Argentina to answer the needs of the actual distribution of the
population, the lack of adequate means of communication,
and the impossibility of maintaining fixed schools in the
greater part of the zones engaged in agriculture and cattle
raising. It behooves the authorities, therefore, to continue the
improvement of the system in such manner that its efficiency
shall be steadily greater, and that results shall amply
compensate for their maintenance.
An interesting phase of social conscience is shown in the
generous offer of the women pupils of the third and fourth years of
the normal school at Santa Fe to instruct illiterates afternoons and
nights in reading, writing, the elements of arithmetic, national
language and history, and practical personal and school hygiene.
This offer has been highly commended both by Argentine and
foreign educators as a step toward solving the problem of illiteracy,
worthy of imitation nationally and locally.
The struggle against illiteracy has been the subject of serious
consideration by the executive, the chief school authorities, and the
Congress. The executive has constantly urged the National Council
of Education to intensify its campaigns and has cooperated by all
means in his power in the steady diffusion of education. The Houses
of Congress have also busied themselves especially with this grave
problem. These efforts have borne fruit which, if not visible at the
present time, is certainly destined to raise the level of popular
education within the next few years. The authorities have judged that
what is needed is the patient labor which does not require an
immediate and striking solution of a most difficult problem, but is
willing to continue to exercise an ever-increasing influence upon the
rising generation, confident of the spread of education and
enlightenment with the increase of population and the improvement
in means of communication; and that it is not wise to sow schools
broadcast throughout the Republic merely for the pleasure of doing
something and of doing it rapidly. The success of the struggle
against illiteracy, certain as it is, has its roots not in merely spending
much money, but in spending money well.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
By the projected law of August, 1918, a National Board of
Technical Education is to be established to ascertain the progress of
this branch of education in other countries, to adapt whatever may
be possible to the conditions and needs of Argentina, to foster
technical instruction in the national schools, and to keep in touch
with its progress throughout the world.
NORMAL-SCHOOL TRAINING.
The sequence of studies prescribed for pupils of the normal school
according to the decree of March, 1916, is also worthy of notice.
Immediately following, and based upon the intermediate schools
which, as described above, were discarded after trial, the normal
school required four years for the teachers’ diploma, after which the
student might proceed to higher studies for the degree of teacher of
modern languages in two years or that of teacher of languages in
normal school in three years, or that of teacher of philosophy in any
institution in six years. A commendable gain of one year in each of
these was effected, and this feature is to be embodied in the new
provisions now under consideration. In addition, the new project of
educational law outlines a teacher’s course of four years, clearly
differentiating between the general or cultural and the pedagogical or
professional courses. The former are assigned to the first three
years as required; the latter are reserved for the last year,
constituting an intensive curriculum of pedagogical history and
methods and practice teaching in the required annexed practice
school. The completion (1918) of the Normal School Sarmiento in
Buenos Aires, named in honor of the founder of popular education in
South America, is to be noted. This school, capable of
accommodating 1,000 pupils and equipped with the most modern
apparatus, is worthy of comparison with the finest schools in the
other countries educationally most advanced.
HIGHER EDUCATION.
With the provision incorporated in the projected law, by which
control of national secondary education is vested in the universities,
the latter will touch national education much more intimately than
ever before. The universities of Argentina are those of Buenos Aires,
Cordoba, and La Plata, which are national, and those of Santa Fe