First published in 1983, François Perroux’s A New Concept of Development analyses the major paradox of our era: the desire for progress and the mistrust of its consequences. The authors argues that the approach to the question of development may be the key to understanding both the present and what the future brings, representing a pattern which will seek to shape man’s potential to his designs. By analysing the ideas and theories propounded by the economic approach the author’s aim is to clarify both the meaning and direction of research in development. A scientific, oriented economy and efficient strategies should and must be the two components of one and the same momentum, required to go beyond the perilous paradox of our era.
Throughout the world today former nation-states, as disparate as Yugoslavia, Somalia, and Canada, have either disintegrated or threaten to splinter into regions. The conflicts are economic, social, ethnic, linguistic, religious, political, and cultural. Higgins and Savoie analyze the reasons for these conflicts and show why attempts to eliminate regional disparities within nations have been largely unsuccessful. This volume is a highly readable, comprehensive survey of the literature and current debates in the fields of regional economics, development, policy, and planning.
The Handbook of Alternative Theories of Economic Development explores the theories and approaches which, over a prolonged period of time, have existed as viable alternatives to today’s mainstream and neo-classical tenets. With a total of 40 specially commissioned chapters, written by the foremost authorities in their respective fields, this volume represents a landmark in the field of economic development. It elucidates the richness of the alternative and sometimes misunderstood ideas which, in different historical contexts, have proved to be vital to the improvement of the human condition. The subject matter is approached from several complementary perspectives. From a historical angle, the Handbook charts the mercantilist and cameralist theories that emerged from the Renaissance and developed further during the Enlightenment. From a geographical angle, it includes chapters on African, Chinese, Indian, and Muslim approaches to economic development. Different schools are also explored and discussed including nineteenth century US development theory, Marxist, Schumpeterian, Latin American structuralism, regulation theory and world systems theories of development. In addition, the Handbook has chapters on important events and institutions including The League of Nations, The Havana Charter, and UNCTAD, as well as on particularly influential development economists. Contemporary topics such as the role of finance, feminism, the agrarian issue, and ecology and the environment are also covered in depth. This comprehensive Handbook offers an unrivalled review and analysis of alternative and heterodox theories of economic development. It should be read by all serious scholars, teachers and students of development studies, and indeed anyone interested in alternatives to development orthodoxy.
Routledge Library Editions: Development will re-issue works which address economic, political and social aspects of development. Published over more than four decades these books trace the emergence of development as one of the most important contemporary issues and one of the key areas of study for modern social science. The books cover the most important themes within development and include studies of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Authors include Sir Alexander Cairncross, W. Arthur Lewis, Lord Peter Bauer and Cristobal Kay. An extensive collection of previously hard to access or out of print books, this set presents an unrivalled opportunity to build up a wealth of material in the field of development studies, with a particular focus upon economic and political concerns. The volumes in the collection offer both a global overview of the history of development in the twentieth century, and a huge variety of case studies on the development of individual nations. For institutional purchases for e-book sets please contact [email protected] (customers in the UK, Europe and Rest of World)
Development Economics has been identified as a homogeneous body of theory since the 1950s, concerned both with the study of development issues and with the shaping of more effective policies for less advanced economies. Development Economics in the Twenty-First Century brings together an international contributor team in order to explore the origins and evolution of development economics. This book highlights the different elements of ‘high development theory’ through a precise reconstruction of the different theoretical approaches that developed between the 1950s and the 1970s. These include the theory of balanced and unbalanced growth theory, the debate on international trade, the concept of dualism, dependency theory, structuralism and the analysis of poverty and institutions. The chapters highlight the relevance and usefulness of these analyses for the contemporary theoretical debate on development issues. Comparative perspectives are explored and analysed, including those of Keynes, Hirschman, Krugman and Stiglitz. The chapters situate development economics within current debates among economists and historians of economic thought, providing a platform for future research. This book is suitable for researchers and students with an interest in Development Economics, the History of Economic development and the Economics of Developing Countries.
Regional economics – an established discipline for several decades – has undergone a period of rapid change in the last ten years resulting in the emergence of several new perspectives. At the same time the methodology of regional economics has also experienced some surprising developments. This fully revised and updated Handbook brings together contributions looking at new pathways in regional economics, written by many well-known international scholars. The aim is to present the most cutting-edge theories explaining regional growth and local development. The authors highlight the recent advances in theories, the normative potentialities of these theories and the cross-fertilization of ideas between regional and mainstream economists. It will be an essential source of reference and information for both scholars and students in the field.
In this classic text, now in its fourth edition, Gilbert Rist provides a complete and powerful overview of what the idea of development has meant throughout history. He traces it from its origins in the Western view of history, through the early stages of the world system, the rise of US hegemony, and the supposed triumph of third-worldism, through to new concerns about the environment and globalization. In a new chapter on post-development models and ecological dimensions, written against a background of world crisis and ideological disarray, Rist considers possible ways forward and brings the book completely up to date. Throughout, he argues persuasively that development has been no more than a collective delusion, which in reality has resulted only in widening market relations, whatever the intentions of its advocates.
La connaissance joue un rôle fondamental dans l'évolution des sociétés contemporaines, les mécanismes de production, d'appropriation et de dissémination des connaissances se heurtent aujourd'hui aux contraintes de la globalisation. Les fondements et les mécanismes de fonctionnement d'une économie immatérielle se trouvent ainsi remis en cause dans de nombreux domaines (stratégies R&D et d'innovation des agents économiques, gestion de l'environnement, dispositifs de formation, analyse macroéconomique des économies, etc.). Cette remise en cause, dont la lecture se fait à travers l'analyse des stratégies et des comportements des acteurs économiques, suscite la formation de paradoxes, voire de contradictions. Après avoir mis en évidence les repères, les trajectoires et les promesses que dessine l'économie du savoir, cet ouvrage propose d'explorer les singularités de la production et l'usage des connaissances, les processus de qualification et de gestion des ressources cognitives, mais également ceux qui ont trait au fonctionnement des économies.
