title: Benign or malignant? The effects of institutions.
abstract: The institutions discussed in this paper are those which most children attend for some (and in a few cases, most) of their time. It is argued that, not only are there differences in institutions ostensibly performing the same function, but that, with rare exceptions, differences in organization, philosophy and ethos can exert an influence on inmates in both the long and the short term. The question of what attempts have been made to alter the influence of institutions is then addressed in terms of changing structure, organization and attitudes. The agents of change include government committees, a local education authority, researchers, pressure groups and/or staff of the institutions. Whilst the enduring nature of institutions is recognized, some suggestions for strategies of change are made. These draw on research evidence indicating the kinds of institutional environments most suitable for children's development, the need for a coherent unified policy on child care, and for effective parent involvement, all of which could make the influence of institutions more positive--benign rather than malignant.
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002669:Child Welfare; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010290:Parents; D012574:Schools; D006113:United Kingdom