Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This report, written in 1949, examines the United States government's in-service training programs for specialists from Latin American republics, specifically focusing on the National Office of Vital Statistics and the Children's Bureau. Created under the Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, these programs aimed to fulfill United Nations ideals by sharing technical knowledge to improve global health, social, and economic standards. 

The National Office of Vital Statistics program provided a year of training to ensure Latin American countries could produce reliable data for census and public health planning. This curriculum included English language orientation, university courses, and practical observation in state and local agencies. Reliable statistics were framed as essential for national sovereignty, particularly for securing international loans and participating in world councils. Former trainees, such as Carmen Miró in Panama, demonstrated the program's success by implementing life tables and preparing for the 1950 Census of the Americas. 

The Children’s Bureau program, while smaller in budget, offered specialized training in maternal and child health, social services, and nursing. It utilized a tiered approach, training top administrators, technical subordinates, and graduate students to ensure long-term institutional stability. Success stories included the training of the first registered nurse in Paraguay and the establishment of pediatric programs in Brazil. 

Despite technical successes, the report identifies significant challenges, including language barriers, political instability in participating nations, and the difficulty of adapting high-resource American methods to local settings. Ultimately, the author concludes that these programs served as a vital experiment in international education and intellectual solidarity, fostering mutual understanding and improved public administration across the Western Hemisphere.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: The researcher analyzes administrative and sociological factors influencing the effectiveness of international in-service training programs for specialists from Latin American republics during the post-WWII era. 

  • The Method: This study utilizes a comparative analysis of training programs within the National Office of Vital Statistics and the Children's Bureau, drawing from government files, correspondence, and interviews with administrators and trainees. 

  • Quantitative Finding: In 1946-1947, 10 U.S. government agencies provided training to 325 selected trainees across 36 distinct fields; the estimated cost for 12 months of vital statistics training was $2,660 per person; in fiscal year 1948, the National Office of Vital Statistics training budget was $69,000, while participating American Republics contributed $103,422. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Success is attributed to rigorous candidate screening, personalized program supervision, and consistent post-training follow-up; major obstacles include linguistic barriers, political instability in home countries, and the difficulty of adapting advanced U.S. methodologies to limited local resources. 

  • Finding: The programs aim to standardize global statistical methods and improve international health and social welfare by establishing a network of trained "key employees" at the national level.

Publication Date

1-1949

Faculty Sponsor

Archive

Download

Share

COinS