| As Joan Robinson argued more than 25 years ago, economics should be "concerned with actual contemporary problems" and therefore put its "arguments in terms of the structure and behavior of the economy" in which we live. This dissertation, consisting of three essays tied together by the idea that theory and analysis should remain close to the world under investigation, demonstrates that development economics is a people-centered, interdisciplinary endeavor that must indeed focus on analyzing "actually existing economies."; The first essay considers the significance of participatory development to institutional economics. I argue that these approaches share significant methodological ground, and as such, institutional economics may have much to gain by learning more about this innovative approach to development analysis and action. I compare institutional economics and participatory development, and present participatory development as an approach that could be fruitfully utilized by institutional economists.; The second essay is a case study of farm produce vending in the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, reporting on primary fieldwork undertaken by the author. The analysis investigates the role of vending in household income, the heterogeneity of enterprises and livelihoods, problems faced by the vendors, and policy options. An interdisciplinary, quantitative and qualitative field-based case study approach is taken to investigate farm produce vending in Zimbabwe.; The third essay investigates economic transition as regards the light that can be shed upon it by classical and neoclassical economics. I compare the theories of Smith and Marx with those of Arrow and Debreu, and argue that the problematic economic transition of Russia can be seen in part as a result of a following of neoclassical visions of the economy, while the relatively successful economic transition of China can be seen in part as a result of a following of more classically-inspired views of the economy. Central to classical economics' superiority to neoclassical theory in this regard is its emphasis on history, institutions, and power, traits that allow classical economists to keep their analyses focused on actually existing economies. |
