  urlLink Early Childhood Research &  Practice.  Fall 1999.  A Comparison of the National Preschool Curricula in Norway and Sweden :  " In the Swedish curriculum,
 allowing children to have an influence on their everyday life in preschool is formulated as a specific goal.  Preschool should strive to give each child adequate opportunities to develop the following abilities ( Utbildningsdepartementet,  1998a,  p.  14)
 the ability to express thoughts and opinions,  and thereby gain influence on her or his situation;  the ability to take responsibility for her or his own actions and for the environment of the preschool;  and the ability to understand and act in accordance with democratic principles by being involved in different forms of cooperation and decision- making processes.  According to the Swedish plan,
 democracy and aspects of it should constitute both content and method in the everyday life of children.  Preschool should actively and consciously influence and stimulate children to develop an understanding of the common democratic values in our society,  to make it possible for them to take part in society in the future.  Preschool should strive for each child to develop the following ( Utbildningsdepartementet,  1998a,
 p.  11)  openness,  respect,  solidarity,  and responsibility;
 the ability to respect and understand other human beings and their situations;  the ability to discover,  reflect upon,  and state her or his own opinion on different ethical dilemmas and life questions in everyday life;  an understanding of all people’ s equal worth,
 independent of gender and social or ethnic background;  and respect for all living species and care for our environment.  Besides the more specific goals,  cooperation with parents is viewed as a necessity.  One of the subject areas in the Norwegian plan is 'society,  religion,
 and ethics. ' Through work in the subject area 'local environment and society, ' the preschool can help children ( Q- 0903B,  1996,
 p.  65)  get to know the local community through direct experience and discover how different functions in society and working places are connected and their importance for day- to- day life;  realize that all people,
 young and old,  are members of the community and that they can contribute to the community;  get to know about social and cultural differences in the preschool and the local environment;  and get a beginning idea of how society is built,  historically and at present.  The Norwegian plan says that preschool has an important function as a transmitter of tradition and should strengthen children's identity and ties with their home community by acquainting them with local history,
 landscape,  architectural traditions,  and local song and music traditions.
