Issues of Economic Development and Developmental Cooperation
|
In development studies there is an emerging consensus on the importance of institutions – systems of societal rules – in economic development and social change. One example is recognition of non-codified property rights in natural resources by the state held by traditional users of tropical forests. This recognition often proves essential to reduce the vulnerability of their livelihood. Based on the general acknowledgement of the importance of institutions three different research threads developed. The first treats institutions as the independent variable and inquires the relationship between a given set of institutions and observed societal outcomes – be they aspired or considered in the need of change. The second research thread inverts the approach adopted by the first and analyses the question of how and by what drivers institutions change. That is, institutions become the dependent variable. One aspect covered under this research thread is the relationship between progressive legal reforms and prevailing and persistent social structures. This question assumes particular importance when legal reforms aim to strengthen the social position of marginalised groups. The third research thread investigates the possibility of fostering institutional change by third parties. The identification of criteria for efforts to change institutions is an important aspect covered by this research thread. Institutional research in this field critically discusses “institutional transplants”, that is, the transfer of institutional innovations that generated desired social outcomes in a given situation to other societal contexts. The question of adapted solutions assumes high importance in this regard. This problem dimension has been addressed in the following research projects:
|