Small works : poverty and economic development in southwestern China / John A. Donaldson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Donaldson, John A., 1970-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Poverty--China--Yunnan Sheng.

Poverty.

Poverty--China--Guizhou Sheng.

Economic development--China--Yunnan Sheng.

Economic development.

Economic development--China--Guizhou Sheng.

Yunnan Sheng (China)--Economic conditions.

Yunnan Sheng (China).

Guizhou Sheng (China)--Economic conditions.

Guizhou Sheng (China).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (237 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

How can policymakers effectively reduce poverty? Most mainstream economists advocate promoting economic growth, on the grounds that it generally reduces poverty while bringing other economic benefits. However, this dominant hypothesis offers few alternatives for economies that are unable to grow, or in places where economic growth fails to reduce or actually exacerbates poverty. In Small Works, John A. Donaldson draws on his extensive fieldwork in two Chinese provinces-Yunnan and Guizhou-that are exceptions to the purported relationship between economic growth and poverty reduction. In Yunnan, an outward-oriented developmental state, one that focuses on large-scale, urban development, has largely failed to reduce poverty, even though it succeeded in stimulating economic growth. Provincial policy shaped roads, tourism, and mining in ways that often precluded participation by poor people. By contrast, Guizhou is a micro-oriented state, one that promotes small-scale, low-skill economic opportunities-and so reduces poverty despite slow economic growth. It is no coincidence that this Guizhou approach parallels the ideas encapsulated in the "scientific development view" of China's current president Hu Jintao. After all, Hu, when Guizhou's leader, helped establish the micro-oriented state in the province. Donaldson's conclusions have implications for our understanding of development and poverty reduction, economic change in China, and the thinking behind China's policy decisions.

Contents:

Guizhou and Yunnan in comparison

Why do similar areas adopt different developmental strategies?

Roads : building connections to markets

Migration : go east, young man (and woman)

Tourism : joyous village life

Coal mining : black gold

Conclusion : the micro-oriented state, development, and poverty.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9780801462788

0801462789

9780801462771

0801462770

OCLC:

747936496