FAMILY ATTITUDES TO DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION BEFORE AND AFTER RESETTLEMENT - THE CASE OF A SCANDINAVIAN WELFARE-STATE

North American research tends to show that the families of people with developmental disabilities oppose deinstitutionalization, but that th ey change their minds after resettlement has taken place. This paper p resents a study of family attitudes to similar sen,ice changes in a po litical and social context rather different from North America: A Scan dinavian Welfare State. It is based on Norwegian data on family attitu des and an resident living conditions before and after facility closur es. The U.S. pattern of initial opposition and ''after the fact'' supp ort is largely replicated. Family attitudes and attitudinal changes ar e related to characteristics of the resident, the respondent (relative ), the old sen,ices, and the new services; none of which appear to be good predictors of family attitudes. Family participation in the reset tlement process is briefly described and related to attitudes. Results are discussed in relation to problems of democracy/paternalism and fa milies' general readiness to prefer current services.