Economy-Environment-Development-Knowledge / Edition 1

by Ken Cole

Overview

As we approach the end of the second millennium, we find ourselves in times of radical social change. Orthodox explanations of the economy, the environment and the development process are unable to provide coherent policies for such issues as employment creation, environmental degradation and social progress.
Economy-Environment-Development-Knowledge provides alternative perspectives on these fundamental aspects of human existence. Economists, environmentalists, and development theorists have so far been unable to agree on the most successful prescriptions to address problems. To understand, contrast and compare alternative understandings of economic, environmental and development issues, we need to be aware why theorists conceptualise the process of social experience so differently.
Part 1 of Economy-Environment-Development-Knowledge addresses the subjective preference, cost-of-production and abstract labour theories of values in economics; Part 2 explains egocentrism, ecocentrism and socioecocentrism as competing theoretical perspectives in environmental theory; Part 3 highlights modernisation theory, structuralist theory and class struggle as ways to account for the process of development and Part 4 examines the generation of knowedge through positivism, paradigms and praxis, legitimating competing perspectives in economics, environmentalist and development. The book concludes by considering why different people find alternative explanations more or less plausible.
By addressing the disagreements between theorists, Economy-Environment-Development-Knowledge provides a unique basis to contrast and compare the plethora of theories of, and policies for, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and social progress.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415162593
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/04/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

1. The Scientific Parameters of Social Existence Part One Economy 2. Economy 3. The Consumer as Economic Dynamic - The Subjective preference theory of value 4. The Producer as Economic Dynamic - The cost-of-production theory of value 5. The Citizen as Dconomic Dynamic - The Abstract labout Theory of Value Part Two Environment 6. Environment 7. The Environment as a source of pleasure - egocentrism 8. The Environment as a Productive Resource - Ecocentrism 9. The Environment and Social Evolution - Sociocentrism Part Three Development 10. Development 11. Development as the Fulfilment of Individuals' Potentials - Modernisation 12. Development as fulfilling the technical potentials of co-operation - structuralism 13. Development as the fulfilment of people's social potentials - class struggle Part Four Knowledge 14. knowledge 15. What? - Identifying Events - Positivism 16. How? - Defining System - paradigms 17. Why? - understanding processes - praxis 18. Intellectual Panorama, Ideological vision and political view

Editorial Reviews

'As a lecturer teaching Development Studies - I have been waiting for this book, there is nothing like it. It is an incredible analysis - quite brilliant.' - Ian Yaxley, Queen Margaret University College

From the Publisher