What became the post-War era's "less developed countries" (LDCs) varied enormously in their pre- modern or pre-industrial economic conditions. We hypothesize that if these countries are arrayed on a continuum of pre-industrial development such as that of the demographer Ester Boserup, countries...

This major new textbook has been specifically written for students in Development Studies. It provides a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary picture of development research over the past generation. Organised around four major themes, it is the only textbook in this field to present critically...