States or Markets?

The Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University is probably the best known British research centre in development studies. In this series they aim to bring the results of their most interesting large research projects to the widest possible audience. The books are drawn from a number of disciplines and have their origins in research projects, reflective work by IDS Fellows or conference papers. The series' range reflects the particular expertise of IDS Fellows and encompasses both the traditional concerns of the discipline and prevailing theoretical debates. This is the first volume in the IDS Development Series. The authors argue against the prevailing neo-liberal view that the slow progress of developing countries has been caused mainly by excessive economic intervention by their own governments. The book examines the usefulness of neo-liberal theory and prescription for tackling problems in agriculture, industry, education and health. It considers its impact upon the rural poor and upon women.
It assesses its record on trade, financial and structural adjustment policies and its lack of attention to political and strategic issues which tend to determine the ultimate variability of these, or any other attempts at policy reform. The chapters are written by specialists in each of these fields. It regrets the deficiencies of 1960s structuralism and the oversimplistic view of the role of the state, takes on board the valid critiques coming from empirical results and theoretical reflection in the 70s and 80s, and builds this into a critique of the 1980s neo-liberal paradigm, opening the way into a 1990s emphasis on institutions, grass roots views, a more complex role for the state and a greater sensitivity to political complexities.