Causality and Endogenous Structural Change in Economics and History
Author
Summary, in English
There is traditionally a division of labor between economics and economic history, the task of economic history being that of studying the evolving constraints of economic mechanisms. Recent theorizing on endogenous structural change challenges this view: if structural change is endogenous to economic mechanisms, any strict division of labor between causal analysis and structural analysis breaks down.
Rather such views call for an integration of causal and structural analysis. This paper looks for such a methodology, noting especially the contributions made by two Swedish economists, Johan Åkerman (1896-1982) and Erik Dahmén (1916-2005). With evolutionary, Marxian, Hayekian and critical realist contributions, the paper examines notions of endogenous structural change with the aim of expounding how the notion can be thought in terms of underlying mechanisms to aid such structural analysis. The findings of endogenous mechanisms underlying structural change are crystallized into a mathematical model and a simple methodological framework.
Rather such views call for an integration of causal and structural analysis. This paper looks for such a methodology, noting especially the contributions made by two Swedish economists, Johan Åkerman (1896-1982) and Erik Dahmén (1916-2005). With evolutionary, Marxian, Hayekian and critical realist contributions, the paper examines notions of endogenous structural change with the aim of expounding how the notion can be thought in terms of underlying mechanisms to aid such structural analysis. The findings of endogenous mechanisms underlying structural change are crystallized into a mathematical model and a simple methodological framework.
Department/s
Publishing year
2015
Language
English
Full text
- Available as PDF - 325 kB
- Download statistics
Document type
Working paper
Topic
- Economic History
Keywords
- endogenous structural change
- causality
Status
Submitted