Employment and development: essays from an unorthodox perspective

Amit Bhaduri's distinction as an economic theorist lies in challenging mainstream theory in a precise yet compelling way. The essays in this collection, written by the author over the last quarter century, mark a fresh approach to one of the most important economic problem of our time. Why poverty and unemployment, as two sides of the same problem, appear and persist, and are often bypassed by the process of development? The author looks at this problem from a multidimensional perspective. In the first section he discusses some of the theoretical issues involved, and point to oversights in standard theorizing on the subject. The second section draws out the connection between development of a predominantly agrarian economy and unemployment. The final section deals with the problem in the context of transitional economies of east Europe and draws lessons. In particular the essays highlight the errors from the use of orthodox theories relied on by the IMF and the World Bank. By rejecting the uncritical and mechanical acceptance of globalization as the remedy to all evils, the author invites the reader to think independently, and thereby stimulates argument and debate