How and why does history matter for development policy ?, Vol. 1 of 1

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How and why does history matter for development policy ?

Author:	Woolcock, Michael; Szreter, Simon; Rao, Vijayendra;	Collection Title:	Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5425
Country:	World;	Date Stored:	2010/09/20
Document Date:	2010/09/01	Document Type:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English	Major Sector:	Education; Public Administration, Law, and Justice; Health and other social services
Rel. Proj ID:	1W-Equity And Development Research Program -- -- P099861;	Region:	The World Region
Report Number:	WPS5425	Sub Sectors:	Health; Other social services; General education sector; General public administration sector; Law and justice
SubTopics:	Cultural Policy; Economic Theory & Research; Population Policies; Cultural Heritage & Preservation; Development Economics & Aid Effectiveness	TF No/Name:	TF094629-KCP
Volume No:	1 of 1

Summary: The consensus among scholars and policymakers that "institutions matter" for development has led inexorably to a conclusion that "history matters," since institutions clearly form and evolve over time. Unfortunately, however, the next logical step has not yet been taken, which is to recognize that historians (and not only economic historians) might also have useful and distinctive insights to offer. This paper endeavors to open and sustain a constructive dialogue between history -- understood as both "the past" and "the discipline" -- and development policy by (a) clarifying what the craft of historical scholarship entails, especially as it pertains to understanding causal mechanisms, contexts, and complex processes of institutional change; (b) providing examples of historical research that support, qualify, or challenge the most influential research (by economists and economic historians) in contemporary development policy; and (c) offering some general principles and specific implications that historians, on the basis of the distinctive content and method of their research, bring to development policy debates.


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