1st Edition

Culture, Institutions, and Development New Insights Into an Old Debate

Edited By Jean-Philippe Platteau, Robert Peccoud Copyright 2011
288 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

288 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

280 Pages
by Routledge

Does culture matter? This question has taken on added significance since fundamentalist revivalism has recently gained ground in different parts of the world. The old controversy between Max Weber and Karl Marx, which centres around the extent to which cultural factors such as social norms and values affect economic growth is of critical importance, particularly because of its policy... Read more

Part 1: Overview of issues 1. The role of culture in development: an overview Jean-Philippe Platteau 2. Culture and development: the continuing tension between modern standards and local contexts Héla Yousfi 3. Culture and development: do social struggles make a difference? Jean-François Bayart  Part 2: Religion, family and ethnicity 4. Economic underdevelopment in the Middle East: the historical roles of culture, institutions, and religion Timur Kuran Comments Mona Makram Ebeid 5. Family and kinship ties in development: an economist’s perspective Eliana La Ferrara 6. The demand for disadvantage Rohini Somanathan  Part 3: Culture and entrepreneurship 7. Markets and the diffusion of institutional innovations Marcel Fafchamps 8. Culture, management and development Philippe d’Iribarne 9. The invention of traditions and entrepreneurship: a critical perspective Jean-Pierre Warnier  Part 4: Culture and poverty reduction 10. Culture matters for poverty, but not because of a culture of poverty - Notes on analytics and policy Michael Walton Comments Stuti Khemani and Stéphanie Mahieu  Part 5: Conclusion 11. Repositioning culture Jean-Philippe Platteau and Robert Peccoud

Biography

Jean-Philippe Platteau is Professor of Economics and Director of CRED (Centre for Research in the Economics of Development) at the University of Namur, Belgium.

Robert Peccoud, a sociologist, is Director of the Research Department at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Paris.

'Jean-Philippe Platteau's Culture, Institutions and Development makes a major contribution to development studies. Its wide-ranging essays explore the impact of such cultural factors as religion, tradition, the role of the family and ethnic ties on development. The essays are clear and to the point, and accessible to readers without an extensive technical background. This volume should prove of great interest to those involved in development studies from across the social sciences, as well as to development practitioners.'

- Victor D. Lippit, University of California, Riverside