Download or read book The Handbook of Economic Development and Institutions written by Jean-Marie Baland and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-21 with total page 786 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive reference on the most current economics of development and institutions The essential role that institutions play in understanding economic development has long been recognized across the social sciences, including in economics. Academic and policy interest in this subject has never been higher. The Handbook of Economic Development and Institutions is the first to bring together in one single volume the most cutting-edge work in this area by the best-known international economists. The volume’s editors, themselves leading scholars in the discipline, provide a comprehensive introduction, and the stellar contributors offer up-to-date analysis into institutional change and its interactions with the dynamics of economic development. This book focuses on three critical issues: the definitions of institutions in order to argue for a causal link to development, the complex interplay between formal and informal institutions, and the evolution and coevolution of institutions and their interactions with the political economy of development. Topics examined include the relationship between institutions and growth, educational systems, the role of the media, and the intersection between traditional systems of patronage and political institutions. Each chapter—covering the frontier research in its area and pointing to new areas of research—is the product of extensive workshopping on the part of the contributors. The definitive reference work on this topic, The Handbook of Economic Development and Institutions will be essential for academics, researchers, and professionals working in the field.

Download or read book The Postcolonial Condition of Names and Naming Practices in Southern Africa written by Tendai Mangena and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-08-17 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Postcolonial Condition of Names and Naming Practices in Southern Africa represents a milestone in southern African onomastic studies. The contributors here are all members of, and speakers of, the cultures and languages they write about, and, together, they speak with an authentic African voice on naming issues in the southern part of the African continent. The volume’s overarching thesis is that names are important yet often underestimated socio-politico-cultural sites on which some of the most significant events and processes in the post-colony can be read. The onomastic topics covered in the book range from the names of traditional healers and male aphrodisiacs to urban landscapes and street naming, from the interface between Chinese and African naming practices to the names of bands of musicians and mini-bus taxis. There is a strong section on literary onomastics which explores how names have been variously deployed by southern African fiction writers for certain semantic, aesthetic and ideological effects. The cultures and languages covered in this volume are equally wide-ranging, and, while some authors focus on single languages and cultures (for example Thembu, Xhosa, Shona), others look at inter-cultural influences such as the influence of the Portuguese and Chinese languages on Shona naming. Written by Professor Adrian Koopman Emeritus Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Download or read book Nurturing Sustainable Prosperity in West Africa written by Stephen Armah and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Through the lens of personal experience, Dr. Armah walks us through the scholarly research on culture, corruption and economics as it applies to the Ghanaian experience. We are left with a partially disappointing picture of a country wealthy in people and resources, but poor in growth but cannot help but imagine that Ghana has turned a corner and that history may well turn out to be kind to the country Dr. Armah clearly loves.” –Kenneth Leonard, Associate Professor, University of Maryland at College Park “Management consultants and corporate leadership experts have often verified Peter Drucker’s observation that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ This book represents a heartfelt effort to recognize and grapple with the power of culture over economic strategy and development policy. Stephen Armah’s reflections on Ghanaian experiences reveal how a deeper appreciation of culture and mindset can help us understand the persistence of corruption and elements of a path forward.” –Alex Winter-Nelson, Director of ACES Office of International Programs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign “This book is an interesting introduction to the ways in which culture influences economic growth and productivity in Ghana. Using a combination of revealing anecdotes and citations from the literature Dr. Armah explores the ways that culture can positively, and negatively, impact the institutions that are necessary to allow a country to thrive. Aspects of culture that are a hindrance cannot be changed immediately, but can, over time, adapt to improve the country.” –Erik Cheever, Professor, Department of Engineering, Swarthmore College "An easy and thought provoking read! It contains a bold message that I expect will facilitate an important conversation not only in Ghana but across Africa.” –Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, Associate Professor of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University “Armah’s thesis is that corruption, economic inefficiency, and weak formal institutions are culturally rooted in Ghana, and that the real work of development involves changing the worldviews that give life events their meaning and determine how people respond to formal policies and institutions. This is a controversial argument that will provoke lively debate. Armah's book puts the literature on economic development and culture into dialogue with stories of life in post-independence Ghana.” –Stephen A. O'Connell, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College Using Ghana as a case study, this book argues that local culture and tradition play a role in shaping economic institutions that operate in a country. This book focuses on how certain cultural practices lead to an environment more susceptible to cronyism and corruption. The book then discusses the relationship between culture and rampant corruption, and how these in sum have harmed Ghana’s economic development. “I have no doubt that culture, in terms of attitudes, values, norms and behavior, is the single most important explanatory factor in Ghana's underdevelopment. It explains the widespread corruption, poor work ethic and indiscipline. These are the issues Stephen Armah courageously takes on in this book as needing to be addressed in Ghana's development.” -Stephen Adei, Professor Emeritus, Ashesi University “Stephen Armah’s Nurturing Sustainable Prosperity in West Africa explores and interprets the economics, transnational organizations, socio-cultural politics as contexts and processes for understanding corruption in Ghana, in particular and Africa as a whole. Focusing on the continuous transactions among Ghanaians with reference to their social and personal obligations against the backdrop of the pervasive corruption exemplified in his case studies, Armah clearly explains the process of constructing socio-political mores and policies to remedy or root out chronic corruption. Armah examines the institutionalized and non-formal customary practices that engender nepotism, absenteeism, lawlessness and general malaise that hamper development. The book provides an important analysis and solutions to corruption. It will be of interest to not only to scholars of economics but also, to the general reader, policymakers and servant- leaders in contemporary Africa.” -Pashington Obeng, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, Ashesi University

Download or read book Unified Growth Theory written by Oded Galor and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-11 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For most of the vast span of human history, economic growth was all but nonexistent. Then, about two centuries ago, some nations began to emerge from this epoch of economic stagnation, experiencing sustained economic growth that led to significant increases in standards of living and profoundly altered the level and distribution of wealth, population, education, and health across the globe. The question ever since has been--why? This is the first book to put forward a unified theory of economic growth that accounts for the entire growth process, from the dawn of civilization to today. Oded Galor, who founded the field of unified growth theory, identifies the historical and prehistorical forces behind the differential transition timing from stagnation to growth and the emergence of income disparity around the world. Galor shows how the interaction between technological progress and population ultimately raised the importance of education in coping with the rapidly changing technological environment, brought about significant reduction in fertility rates, and enabled some economies to devote greater resources toward a steady increase in per capita income, paving the way for sustained economic growth. Presents a unified theory of economic growth from the dawn of civilization to today Explains the worldwide disparities in living standards and population we see today Provides a comprehensive overview of the three phases of the development process Analyzes the Malthusian theory and its empirical support Examines theories of demographic transition and their empirical significance Explores the interaction between economic development and human evolution

Download or read book Recent Developments in Computational Collective Intelligence written by Amelia Badica and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book consists of 19 extended and revised chapters based on original works presented during a poster session organized within the 5th International Conference on Computational Collective Intelligence that was held between 11 and 13 of September 2013 in Craiova, Romania. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is titled “Agents and Multi-Agent Systems” and consists of 8 chapters that concentrate on many problems related to agent and multi-agent systems, including: formal models, agent autonomy, emergent properties, agent programming, agent-based simulation and planning. The second part of the book is titled “Intelligent Computational Methods” and consists of 6 chapters. The authors present applications of various intelligent computational methods like neural networks, mathematical optimization and multistage decision processes in areas like cooperation, character recognition, wireless networks, transport, and metal structures. The third part of the book is titled “Language and Knowledge Processing Systems”, and consists of 5 papers devoted to processing methods for knowledge and language information in various applications, including: language identification, corpus comparison, opinion classification, group decision making, and rule bases.

Download or read book Essays on Culture Institutions and Development written by Jon Robbert Jellema and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Routledge Handbook of the Informal Economy written by Ceyhun Elgin and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-08-30 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Delve into the complex landscape of the informal economy with the Routledge Handbook of the Informal Economy, a groundbreaking volume that transcends conventional economic analysis by contextualizing it within a broader regulatory and social framework. This comprehensive handbook offers cutting-edge categorical, thematic, and regional analyses of the informal, or shadow, economy. An esteemed international ensemble of contributors draws on diverse economic perspectives, exploring a spectrum of definitions and measures, including household, firm-level, and employment-based metrics, alongside perceptional and model-based estimates. Employing a variety of econometric and methodological approaches, the volume provides both regional and global estimates of the informal economy's extent. Beyond conventional boundaries, it unveils various facets of informality, from child labor, tax evasion, and self-employment to precarious and undeclared work. In-depth examinations of the determinants and consequences of informality enhance the volume's robust analysis. As a forward-looking compendium, the handbook also offers insights into the future trajectory of the informal economy as we journey further into the 21st century. This definitive and up-to-date reference work is indispensable for readers in labor economics, development economics, political economy, policy studies, and sociology, offering a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted dimensions and dynamics of the informal economy.

Download or read book Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue written by Unesco and published by UNESCO. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyses all aspects of cultural diversity, which has emerged as a key concern of the international community in recent decades, and maps out new approaches to monitoring and shaping the changes that are taking place. It highlights, in particular, the interrelated challenges of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue and the way in which strong homogenizing forces are matched by persistent diversifying trends. The report proposes a series of ten policy-oriented recommendations, to the attention of States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, international and regional bodies, national institutions and the private sector on how to invest in cultural diversity. Emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity in different areas (languages, education, communication and new media development, and creativity and the marketplace) based on data and examples collected from around the world, the report is also intended for the general public. It proposes a coherent vision of cultural diversity and clarifies how, far from being a threat, it can become beneficial to the action of the international community.

Download or read book Conflict Culture and History written by Stephen J. Blank and published by . This book was released on 2002-06-01 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Five specialists examine the historical relationship of culture and conflict in various regional societies. The authors use Adda B. Bozeman's theories on conflict and culture as the basis for their analyses of the causes, nature, and conduct of war and conflict in the Soviet Union, the Middle East, Sinic Asia (China, Japan, and Vietnam), Latin America, and Africa. Drs. Blank, Lawrence Grinter, Karl P. Magyar, Lewis B. Ware, and Bynum E. Weathers conclude that non-Western cultures and societies do not reject war but look at violence and conflict as a normal and legitimate aspect of sociopolitical behavior.

Download or read book China written by John King Fairbank and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006-04-30 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John King Fairbank was the West's doyen on China, and this book is the full and final expression of his lifelong engagement with this vast ancient civilization. The distinguished historian Merle Goldman brings the book up to date and provides an epilogue discussing the changes in contemporary China that will shape the nation in the years to come.

Download or read book Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy written by Avner Greif and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-01-16 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher Description

Download or read book Essays on Conflict Institutions and Ethnic Diversity written by Pelle Ahlerup and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Wealth And Poverty Of Nations written by David S. Landes and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2015-04-20 with total page 743 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of nations is a history of haves and have-nots, and as we approach the millennium, the gap between rich and poor countries is widening. In this engrossing and important new work, eminent historian David Landes explores the complex, fascinating and often startling causes of the wealth and poverty of nations. The answers are found not only in the large forces at work in economies: geography, religion, the broad swings of politics, but also in the small surprising details. In Europe, the invention of spectacles doubled the working life of skilled craftsmen, and played a prominent role in the creation of articulated machines, and in China, the failure to adopt the clock fundamentally hindered economic development. The relief of poverty is vital to the survival of us all. As David Landes brilliantly shows, the key to future success lies in understanding the lessons the past has to teach us - lessons uniquely imparted in this groundbreaking and vital book which exemplifies narrative history at its best.

Download or read book Cultural Populism written by Jim McGuigan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-11-01 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2004. This book provides a novel understanding of current thought and enquiry in the study of popular culture and communications media. The populist sentiments and impulses underlying cultural studies and its postmodernist variants are explored and criticized sympathetically. An exclusively consumptionist trend of analysis is identified and shown to be an unsatisfactory means of accounting for the complex material conditions and mediations that shape ordinary people’s pleasures and opportunities for personal and political expression. Through detailed consideration of the work of Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall and ‘the Birmingham School’, John Fiske, youth subcultural analysis, popular television study, and issues generally concerned with public communication (including advertising, arts and broadcasting policies, children’s television, tabloid journalism, feminism and pornography, the Rushdie affair, and the collapse of communism), Jim McGuigan sets out a distinctive case for recovering critical analysis of popular culture in a rapidly changing, conflict-ridden world. The book is an accessible introduction to past and present debates for undergraduate students, and it poses some challenging theses for postgraduate students, researchers and lecturers.

Download or read book Introduction to Sociology 2e written by Nathan J. Keirns and published by . This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This text is intended for a one-semester introductory course."--Page 1.

Download or read book Navigating Global Business written by Simcha Ronen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-17 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Navigating Global Business integrates and synthesizes all available country cluster studies into a nested meta-structure accompanied by eco-cultural correlates that distinguish amongst clusters. The broad range of analyses will appeal to researchers and practitioners, seasoned multi-firm executives, those in small firms seeking internationalization, and anyone intrigued by the greater question of human diversity. The book covers key work-related cultural dimensions for much of the world, and includes examples of applications in most business areas. Also exhibited are the correlates of culture, some of which, such as language and religion, speak to the origin of cultural variations in addition to illustrating key variants of the global terrain. Finally, the authors examine how patterns might have changed over time, providing a rigorous and realistic assessment of the fruits of globalization.

Download or read book Thank You for Being Late written by Thomas L. Friedman and published by Picador USA. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Version 2.0 with a new afterword"--Cover.