Social effects on growth

Updated August 2001

Introductory reading

Abramovitz, Moses (1986). Catching up, forging ahead, and falling behind. Journal of Economic History, 385-406.

Knack, Stephen and Keefer, Philip (1997). Does social capital have an economic payoff? A cross-country investigation. Quarterly Journal of Economics, November, 112(4), 1251-1288.

Moore, M. (1997). Societies, polities and capitalists in developing countries: a literature survey, Journal of Development Studies, 33(3), February, 287-363.

So, A. Y. (1990). Social change and development. Sage, Newbury Park, California.

Weiss, Yoram and Fershtman, Chaim (1998). Social status and economic performance: a survey. European Economic Review, 42, 801-820.

Woolcock, Michael (1998). Social capital and economic development: toward a theoretical synthesis and policy framework. Theory and Society, 27, 151-208.

Other key references

Burkett, J. P., Humblet, C. and Putterman, L. (1996). Pre-industrial and post-war economic development: is there a link? Manuscript, Brown University. You may be able to email Prof. Putterman for a copy.

Fershtman, C., Murphy, K. M. and Weiss, Y. (1996). Social status, education, and growth. Journal of Political Economy, 104(1), 108-132.

Galor, O. D. and Tsiddon, D. (1997). Technological progress, mobility, and economic growth. American Economic Review, 87(3), 363-382.

Helliwell, J. F. (1996). Economic growth and social capital in Asia. NBER working paper no. 5470.

La Porta, R., Lopez-de-Silanes, F., Shleifer, A. and Vishny, R. (1997). Trust in large organizations. American Economic Review, 87(2), 333-338.

Temple, Jonathan and Johnson, Paul A. (1998). Social capability and economic growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, August, 113(3), 965-990.

Zak, Paul J. and Knack, Stephen (2001). Trust and growth. Economic Journal, April, 111 (470), 295-321.

Further reading

Abramovitz, M. and David, P. A. (1996). Convergence and deferred catch-up: productivity leadership and the waning of American exceptionalism. In R. Landau, T. Taylor and G. Wright (eds.) The mosaic of economic growth. Stanford University Press, Stanford.

Adelman, I. and Morris, C. T. (1965). A factor analysis of the inter-relationship between social and political variables and per capita gross national product. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 555-578.

Adelman, I. and Morris, C. T. (1967). Society, politics and economic development. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Adelman, I. and Morris, C. T. (1968). Performance criteria for evaluating economic development potential: an operational approach. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 82, 260-280.

Alavi, H. and Shanin, T. (1982). Introduction to the sociology of "developing societies". Macmillan, London.

Baumol, W. J. (1993). Entrepreneurship, management and the structure of payoffs. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

Cole, H. L., Mailath, G. J. and Postlewaite, A. (1992). Social norms, savings behavior, and growth. Journal of Political Economy, 100, 1092-1125.

Gerschenkron, A. (1962). Economic backwardness in historical perspective.

Helliwell, J. F. and Putnam, R. D. (1995). Social capital and economic growth in Italy. Eastern Economic Journal, 21(3), 295-307.

Hirschman, A. O. (1959). The strategy of economic development. Yale University Press, New Haven.

Hoselitz, B. F. (1952). The progress of underdeveloped areas. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Hoselitz, B. F. (1960). Sociological aspects of economic growth. The Free Press, Glencoe.

Hunt, C. L. (1966). Social aspects of economic development. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Lewis, J. (1991). Reevaluating the effect of N-Ach on economic growth. World Development, 19(9), 1269-1274.

Marsh, R. M. (1988). Sociological explanations of economic growth. Studies in Comparative International Development, 41-76.

McClelland, D. C. (1961). The achieving society. The Free Press, New York.

Meyer, J. W. and Hannan, M. T. (eds.) (1979). National development and the world system. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Ohkawa, K. and Rosovsky, H. (1973). Japanese economic growth. Stanford University Press, Stanford.

Temple, Jonathan (1998). Initial conditions, social capital, and growth in Africa. Journal of African Economies, 7(3), 309-347.

Temple, Jonathan and Johnson, Paul A. (1996). Social capability and economic development, Nuffield College discussion paper no. 114.

Back to reference list