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The traditional role of evolutionary theory in the social sciences has been to explain the existence of an object in terms of the survival of the fittest. In economics this approach has acted as a justification for hypotheses such as profit maximisation, or the existence of institutions in terms of their overall efficiency. This volume challenges that view and argues that one of the first tasks of economic theory should be to explain the enormous diversity of institutional arrangements that has characterised human societies.
Examines broad patterns of development and some economic issues facing Latin American countries. Includes a chapter outlining recurrent patterns of economic development and economic crises throughout the past 500 years.
The traditional role of evolutionary theory in the social sciences has been to explain the existence of an object in terms of the survival of the fittest. In economics this approach has acted as a justification for hypotheses such as profit maximisation, or the existence of institutions in terms of their overall efficiency. This volume challenges that view and argues that one of the first tasks of economic theory should be to explain the enormous diversity of institutional arrangements that has characterised human societies.
The bulk of contemporary economics assumes rather than explains differences between people or groups of people. Yet, many of these differences are produced by society or they imply differing opportunities and outcomes. This book argues that economists should concern themselves with the explanation of the social causes and effects of such differences. D’Ippoliti introduces the concept of diversity to summarise all differences that are of social origin and that a theory or model seeks to explain. This contrasts with the traditional concept of heterogeneity that instead refers to differences that are deemed to be exogenous of economic theory. In approaching this, the book ranges from the fields of methodology and history of economics to applied empirical work, as well as gender diversity which is considered in depth. The analysis of the thinking of two major economists of the past, John Stuart Mill and Gustav Schmoller, demonstrates how gender diversity exemplifies some of the fundamental issues in economics, such as the division of labour, society’s capacity to reproduce itself, and the role of social institutions and their impact on individual and collective behaviour. The book maintains that growth of GDP and of the services sector cannot be trusted to automatically bring about greater inclusion of women in the labour market. Active policy interventions are needed, spanning from the removal of discrimination to the provision of public services and the establishment of fair competition in the market, along with an improved division of social and political power between the sexes. This work will be of interest to researchers and students focusing on the history of economic thought, labour economics, social policy and gender studies.
A transnational survey of the economic development of Europe, exploring why some regions advanced and some stayed behind.
Bringing together a wide range of empirical studies from around the world (Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany, France, UK, Israel, Russia, China, Taiwan, Argentina, Canada), framed in related contemporary theoretical frameworks, this book examines the question of the significance of proximate vs. more distant relationships for economic agents' performance and local economic development. While this question has been the subject of intense debates in recent years, it is obvious that proximity and distance are not explanatory factors as such. The book argues for the need to understand the aims of economic relationships, the nature of the regional environment in which they originate, and the scale at which they operate. The book suggests that the notions of diversity, innovativeness, maturity and multiple scales should be incorporated into the debates on the significance of proximity for economic performance.
This exciting new textbook examines the concepts of evolution as the underlying cause of the rich diversity of life on earth-and our danger of losing that rich diversity. Written as a college textbook, The Diversity and Evolution of Plants introduces the great variety of life during past ages, manifested by the fossil record, using a new natural classification system. It begins in the Proterozoic Era, when bacteria and bluegreen algae first appeared, and continues through the explosions of new marine forms in the Helikian and Hadrynian Periods, land plants in the Devonian, and flowering plants in the Cretaceous. Following an introduction, the three subkingdoms of plants are discussed. Each chapter covers one of the eleven divisions of plants and begins with an interesting vignette of a plant typical of that division. A section on each of the classes within the division follows. Each section describes where the groups of plants are found and their distinguishing features. Discussions in each section include phylogeny and classification, general morphology, and physiology, ecological significance, economic uses, and potential for research. Suggested readings and student exercises are found at the end of each chapter.
This volume documents in a unique manner the momentum the institutionalist, evolutionary research agenda has regained over the past two decades. The thought-provoking contributions come from prominent authors with a rather heterogeneous theoretical background. Nonetheless, they all convene in elaborating on issues that have always been at the core of the institutionalist agenda and show how these issues relate to cutting edge research in modern economics. Ulrich Witt, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena, Germany This excellent EAEPE Reader brings together a range of perspectives on the role of institutions in economics. It is very well structured, with parts on microeconomics, macroeconomics, markets and economic evolution. Each part contains chapters written by renowned experts in their respective fields and there is an authoritative introductory chapter by the editor. This Reader is invaluable for economics students and academic economists wishing to better understand how institutions and individual behaviours interact in the economic system. Much of standard economic analysis either ignores institutions or makes overly restrictive assumptions about them the authors in this book show, persuasively, that economics, without an adequate treatment of institutions and institutional change, is of very little scientific worth. John Foster, The University of Queensland, Australia This is a great set of essays. To get the richness they contain, the reader must be already familiar with the broad orientation of the literature on economic institutions. Given that background, I can think of no collection or essays that frame, illuminate, and probe modern institutional economics as well as does this set. Geoffrey Hodgson, who chose the collection, and the authors of the essays, are to be congratulated and thanked. Richard R. Nelson, Columbia University, US It is now widely acknowledged that institutions are a crucial factor in economic performance. Major developments have been made in our understanding of the nature and evolution of economic institutions in the last few years. This book brings together some key contributions in this area by leading internationally renowned scholars including Paul A. David, Christopher Freeman, Alan P. Kirman, Jan Kregel, Brian J. Loasby, J. Stanley Metcalfe, Bart Nooteboom and Ugo Pagano. This essential reader covers topics such as the relationship between institutions and individuals, institutions and economic development, the nature and role of markets, and the theory of institutional evolution. The book not only outlines cutting-edge developments in the field but also indicates key directions of future research for institutional and evolutionary economics. Vital reading on one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing areas of research today, The Evolution of Economic Institutions will be of great interest to researchers, students and lecturers in economics and business studies.
Maps capture data expressing the economic complexity of countries from Albania to Zimbabwe, offering current economic measures and as well as a guide to achieving prosperity Why do some countries grow and others do not? The authors of The Atlas of Economic Complexity offer readers an explanation based on "Economic Complexity," a measure of a society's productive knowledge. Prosperous societies are those that have the knowledge to make a larger variety of more complex products. The Atlas of Economic Complexity attempts to measure the amount of productive knowledge countries hold and how they can move to accumulate more of it by making more complex products. Through the graphical representation of the "Product Space," the authors are able to identify each country's "adjacent possible," or potential new products, making it easier to find paths to economic diversification and growth. In addition, they argue that a country's economic complexity and its position in the product space are better predictors of economic growth than many other well-known development indicators, including measures of competitiveness, governance, finance, and schooling. Using innovative visualizations, the book locates each country in the product space, provides complexity and growth potential rankings for 128 countries, and offers individual country pages with detailed information about a country's current capabilities and its diversification options. The maps and visualizations included in the Atlas can be used to find more viable paths to greater productive knowledge and prosperity.
Examines differences in the rates of economic growth in Latin America and mainland North America since the seventeenth century.