The Political Economy of Neo-modernisation (Rethinking the Dynamics of Technology, Development and Inequality)

'It is of great value to complement the limitations of contemporary mainstream economic growth discourse by exploiting the complex relations between technology, development, and inequality, while concurrently providing a better academic orientation in the era of the upcoming Industrial Revolution.' -Hak-Su Kim, Chairman of the International Leaders Union and Former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations 'The theoretical strategy to present the inter-dynamic relationship between technological changes and inequality evolution by stages of economic development is innovative in explaining the root causes of developmental trajectories that are different for each country. Such an approach can teach developing countries how to establish a vision and select priorities for their mid- to long-term development planning framework.' -Mohamed El Moctar Mohamed El Hacene, Director of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and Former Minister of Petroleum and Mines, Mauritania Is there a limit to technological advancements? Are technological advancements creating a more equal and fair world? Starting from influential thinkers driving a never-ending evaluation of development discourse - incorporating theories of modernisation, endogenous growth, globalisation, neoliberalism and several others - Seung-Jin Baek answers these questions and sets out practical steps to create societies that are more equal in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This book explores why Western-centred development strategies are unlikely to bring about similar developmental paths and outcomes in developing economies. By theoretically and empirically assessing the Technology-Development-Inequality nexus, Baek explores why a distorted developmental path has been observed in recent years, with high income countries being associated with rising inequality. This is important reading for all those seeking to understand international development in a twenty-first century context. Seung-Jin Baek is a South Korean Economist, working at various United Nations Economic and Social Commissions. His research focus lies at the nexus of multidimensional inequality and sustainable transformation and is broadly applicable, most notably to the fields of development policy and political economy Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Uncovering Complexity in the Policy Mix for Sustainability Transitions (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 3-25 Reconstructing Modernisation Inclusive and Sustainable (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 27-63 Comparative Perspective on Modernisation and Institutionalism (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 65-82 Front Matter ....Pages 83-83 Stylised Fact of the Changing Inequality-Growth Landscape (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 85-117 Theoretical Reshaping for the Augmented Inequality Dynamics (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 119-156 Can the SDGs Promote Structural Transformation in Africa? An Empirical Analysis (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 157-188 Front Matter ....Pages 189-189 Limit to Improvement: Myth or Reality? (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 191-227 Is the Universal Consensus on ‘Technology Drives Development’ Analytic or Synthetic? (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 229-272 Bringing the Developmental State Back in the Age of Exponentiality (Seung Jin Baek)....Pages 273-304 Back Matter ....Pages 305-343 "Is there a limit to technological advancements? Are technological advancements creating a more equal and fair world? Starting from influential thinkers driving a never-ending evaluation of development discourse - incorporating theories of modernisation, endogenous growth, globalisation, neoliberalism and several others - Seung-Jin Baek answers these questions and sets out practical steps to create societies that are more equal in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This book explores why Western-centred development strategies are unlikely to bring about similar developmental paths and outcomes in developing economies. By theoretically and empirically assessing the Technology-Development-Inequality nexus, Baek explores why a distorted developmental path has been observed in recent years, with high income countries being associated with rising inequality. This is important reading for all those seeking to understand international development in a twenty-first century context."-- Provided by publisher