Studies of Social Life - Böcker

This little book has been written at the suggestion of the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning. That body was the successor of the Academic Assistance Council which was formed in 1933 by heads of British Universities and learned Societies to assist scholars and scientists and investigators "who, on grounds of religion, political opinion or race, were unable to carryon their work in their own country". They were, at the time of the formation of the Society, particularly, but not exclusively, refugees from Nazi oppression, and deprived of their academic posts on one of these grounds. But they soon embraced refugees from other tyrannies. The British example was followed by similar efforts in many countries. The National and International effort, initiated in 1933 on behalf of academic freedom, is still far from completed. For the persecution of free thought and research has become an endemic ill of our time, and calls for a continuous activity of the free Universities. The major task, however, of saving for science and scholar­ ship the victims of Nazi persecution has been accomplished, and most of the academic societies which were formed in the Thirties to take up the challenge have been dissolved. It seems opportune then to place on record this effort of cultural soli­ darity for the displaced scholars, and the contribution which has been made to the world's intellectual life by those who were rescued.

"The Ethnic German Refugee in Austria 1945 to 1954" is an objective book and that is why the reading of this extremely interesting study creates a feeling of sadness, but at the same time a conviction that it is still possible to alleviate the grief of the numerous refugees in Austria, provided properly co-ordinated assistance is offered. The resultant feeling of sadness, which is most acute, is due to the characteristic of this book in which facts and figures are given in a purely scientific and sober manner, thus driving home the truly horrible human folly that was at the bottom of two world wars. Millions of people were turned from house and home, people for whom the very notion of "native country" has become a lata morgana. As flotsam and jetsam they have drifted to lands and places where they are not at all or barely welcome, and where, on the whole, they cannot find a permanent and humane existence. This thorough study which is averse to sentimentality cannot fail to make a deep impression on the reader. Allowance is made for the difficult position in which Austria found herself after the first world war, and especially after the second; it is granted that nevertheless much has been done for the refugees there. Further it cannot be ignored that various official and private agencies have contributed greatly to lighten the burden of the refugees.

Le livre de M. Zubrzycki met excellemment en evidence cer- tains facteurs determinants du devenir d'une communaute natio- nale en pays etranger. On ne pouvrait en effet comprendre "Les Polonais en Grande- Bretagne", si l'on negligeait les raisons pour lesquelles ils sont venus la apres avoir quitte leur pays et les circonstances qui ont entoure leur installation dans Ie milieu d'accueil. M. Zubrzycki a justement souligne Ie caractere politique d'une immigration qui ne peut etre consideree comme une immigration au sens usuel du terme. Les Polonais en Grande-Bretagne se considerent comme une communaute d' "exiles politiques". Ils se sont opposes a tout changement de vues, d'usages et de regles de conduite. Ils ont ete determines a sauvegarder leur originalite culturelle et nationale "comme la seule voie dans laquelle pouvait Cire accomplie leur mission politique d' emigration combattante". M. Zubrzycki a montre comment l'etablissement des immigres a pris un caractere institutionnel, avec toutes sortes de conse- quences socioJogiques. La distribution geographique des Polonais en agglomerations ou "enclaves" nationales n'est pas la moindre de ces consequences. M.Zubrzycki a parfaitement decrit aussi et illustre Ie role des associations polonaises, celui de l'organisation religieuse et de la presse nationale.

THIS study is concerned with the search for a new unity of social knowledge and social inquiry. As such it is addressed to all those who see in the present compartmentalization and special­ ization of the social sciences the reason for the bewildering pro­ liferation of subject matters, the preoccupation with trivia and the failure to make the maximum use of our knowledge for human welfare. More specifically, I am addressing this book to those who are dealing with "interdisciplinary" problems such as the study of foreign areas, the analysis of sociocultural change, economic development of "backward" economies and the planning and teaching of "integrated" courses in the social sciences. The book suggests an answer to the question, How can our specialized knowledge about man and society be unified? As such the study reflects the conviction that all scientific knowledge, in order to make the greatest possible contribution to human welfare, must become comprehensive in character. In fact, such knowledge differs from popular and common-sense understanding precisely by the fact that it is systematically formulated and held together in terms of a few unifying conceptual frameworks. Indeed, all scientific understanding is, above all, an effort to simplify by unifying what has long appeared as unrelated and disparate. Those who believe that compartmentalization and specialization are the royal road to success in the social sciences may find this an irritating book.

The present study is based on research largely pursued in Holland from December 1956 until July 1957. The inquiry is centered around the development of academic economics in Holland between 1800 and 1870. This period suggested itself as an appropriate unit of time though it became necessary to extend the specified period in certain parts of the study. Reasons for the temporal delimitation of the investigation will become apparent, as will the reasons for concentrating on academic economics. Financial assistance from the Rockefeller Foundation helped to make possible the field research carried out in The Netherlands. Most of the material incorporated into the study was found in the following Dutch libraries: Bibliotheek der Nederlandsche Econo- mische Hoogeschool, Rotterdam; Economische-Historische Bi- bliotheek, Amsterdam; Universiteitsbibliotheek van Amsterdam; Handels-Economische Bibliotheek, Amsterdam; and Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag. The study was greatly enhanced by suggestions and kind assistance from a number of librarians in charge of the above libraries. I further wish to acknowledge cooperation of Professors ]. H. Van Stuijvenberg, I. J. Brugmans, A. M. De J ong, P.Hennipman, G. M. Verrijn Stuart, and F. De Vries, who helped to direct my explorations when sources on Dutch economics were largely unfamiliar to me. Helpful advice and suggestions were supplied also by Drs. G. Koen, Drs. J oh. De Vries, and Drs. H. H. Behrens.

The study of environment in the administrative management con­ text is of a relatively recent vintage. It owes much to the comparative emphasis upon the applications of social disciplines within the organ­ ization's framework. It derives much from the modem perspectives of a total managerial strategy unrestricted by the limited internal firm situations. Basically, environmental studies have contributed to the incorporation of an extra-business and profit dimension in the mana­ gerial functions. Much has already been written about social sciences and their behavioral utility for rational administration. After several years of teaching and consulting activities focusing on this subject, I was quite convinced, however, that an "Environmental Interaction" approach could contribute to the effectiveness of both the practicing manager and the preaching academician in their persuasive efforts to apply environmental outlook in everyday business decisions and functions. This is the basic rationale for this book. I am grateful to a number of people who have contributed to the direct and indirect preparation of this research study. Dean John C.

The expulsions of German nationals from former Reich territories east of the Oder-Neisse Rivers and of German minority communities from various Eastern European nations following the collapse of the Nazi regime in 1945 constitute one of the least appreciated consequences of the Second World War. Numbering some ten million people, this group formed nearly a fifth of the total population of the new West German state which emerged in 1949 and presented a grave threat to its early stability. The state (Land) which received the greatest number of these largely destitute expellees in proportion to its indigenous population was Schleswig­ Holstein: in the years between 1945 and 1948 its population doubled. This predominately agrarian area underwent severe strains in accommodating these newcomers, and its handling of the expellee problem provided a bench mark for the evaluation of the assimilation process throughout the Federal Republic. While the tracing of the assimilation of the expellees into the West German polity and society has been voluminously documented l at the national level, much less research into the process has been conducted at the state and local levels. The principal reason for this seems to lie in the belief that the process has been success­ fully completed at these lower levels and may be considered a 1 The classic treatment of the first decade and a half of the assimilation process from the national level is Eugen Lemberg and Friedrich Edding, eds.

The Netherlands is an unusual nation in many ways. It is not only that nearly half her land is below sea level. Nor is it that she is one of the world's most crowded lands; her more than 13 million people create a population density of about 1000 per square mile. Nor is it that half her national income is dependent upon world trade. Nor is it that so small a nation could achieve peace and prosperity with so little natural resources. What is most unusual is that the Netherlands has made such a rapid and total adjustment to the demands of modern technological society. In no small measure this was achieved by a deliberate policy of planning, direction, control and development. Its postwar history tells how a determined people under intelligent govern­ ment leadership rose from a broken economy to a level of economic and social development that places their society among the most modern in the world. The Netherlands is a success stor} that in some measure has been overlooked by a wider world. This will be an attempt to record her story, touching upon some of the causes and results of this success. The Netherlands is undoubtedly one of the most planning conscious of modern nations. This is not to say that the Dutch government or its people have any concept comparable to the totality of Soviet Five Year It might be more accurate to see Dutch planning as similar to Plans.

The ping-pong diplomacy and its aftermath discussion, coupled with the entry of communist China into the United Nations and the subsequent expulsion of Taiwan, will generate considerable political dialogue about the changing balance of power and the fate of the other China. These political discussions will obviously overshadow the true role and function of the existence of Taiwan. Given the time, Taiwan could become a model for the development process for other emerging countries. Taiwan's experience with eco­ nomic development has real relevance for many countries. For exam­ ple, in less than two decades Taiwan has achieved the industrial and economic growth that should well make it the envy of nearly all other developing nations. Its per capita income is exceeded only by Japan among the countries of the Far East. Yet, despite vigorous economic and industrial growth, obvious breakdowns in this economic progress come into view. The lack of managerial input threatens to become a real bottleneck. The study reported in this volume examines the feasibility and utility of transferring advanced management know-how and practices into the industrial enterprises in Taiwan in order to generate further economic and industrial growth. The study itself concerns management practices and effectiveness of American subsidiaries, Japanese sub­ sidiaries, and comparable local firms in Taiwan.

The present study is based on research largely pursued in Holland from December 1956 until July 1957. The inquiry is centered around the development of academic economics in Holland between 1800 and 1870. This period suggested itself as an appropriate unit of time though it became necessary to extend the specified period in certain parts of the study. Reasons for the temporal delimitation of the investigation will become apparent, as will the reasons for concentrating on academic economics. Financial assistance from the Rockefeller Foundation helped to make possible the field research carried out in The Netherlands. Most of the material incorporated into the study was found in the following Dutch libraries: Bibliotheek der Nederlandsche Econo- mische Hoogeschool, Rotterdam; Economische-Historische Bi- bliotheek, Amsterdam; Universiteitsbibliotheek van Amsterdam; Handels-Economische Bibliotheek, Amsterdam; and Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag. The study was greatly enhanced by suggestions and kind assistance from a number of librarians in charge of the above libraries. I further wish to acknowledge cooperation of Professors ]. H. Van Stuijvenberg, I. J. Brugmans, A. M. De J ong, P.Hennipman, G. M. Verrijn Stuart, and F. De Vries, who helped to direct my explorations when sources on Dutch economics were largely unfamiliar to me. Helpful advice and suggestions were supplied also by Drs. G. Koen, Drs. J oh. De Vries, and Drs. H. H. Behrens.

That a developing economy needs management even more than resources is now becoming abundantly clear to all students of growth. There was perhaps a facile assumption in the earlier years that the rate of growth in a developing country depended in almost direct proportion to two factors: the resources available within the country, the land, water, minerals, savings and other relevant inputs; and the initial importation of aid from without, in terms of capital and skills not available within - but the factor of good management was somehow ignored, as also the attitudes of the people and their leadership to growth. These two factors are now coming into their own as being crucial to development and there is a new appreciation of the need for a good supply of well trained managers and providing them with an environment that is permissive and encouraging. These essays are a timely analysis of this new-felt need, and a valuable source of new leads and hypotheses, for they examine the multi-facets of the problem of India's growth, but with keeping the professional manager squarely in the middle of the study. And after all it is he upon whom the major responsibility for develop­ ment and growth will depend, given the chance. The contributors to this symposium are seven young Indians, all management educators of distinction at universities in the United States, and one hopes that they will themselves pick up some of the leads and pursue them. P. L.