Investment patterns in Scanian primary education before and after the Elementary School Act of 1842

Sammanfattning: This qualitative study utilizes the so far seldom used protocols of parish councils to study the processes of investments in early primary education in 11 Swedish parishes in the southern region of Scania. The aim of the thesis is to study the reasons for investments during the period 1830 to 1850. The hypothesis is that farmers that have stronger property rights over their farmland are more likely to invest in education due to economic incentives. These investments were categorised as school buildings and teacher wages. The results suggests that economic incentives were in play, but that these incentives may also affect the farmers in parishes dominated by an estate.