The Political Economy of Government Subsidised Housing in South Africa

Download The Political Economy of Government Subsidised Housing in South Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429774788
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (297 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Government Subsidised Housing in South Africa by : Sithembiso Lindelihle Myeni

Download or read book The Political Economy of Government Subsidised Housing in South Africa written by Sithembiso Lindelihle Myeni and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-08-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book unpacks the political economy of government subsidised housing programmes in South Africa. Exploring government policy towards subsidised housing in South Africa, this edited collection analyses various programmes, their shortcomings and potential options to address these weaknesses in the context of a country suffering from an exponential demand for housing in the face of insufficient supply. The Political Economy of Government Subsidised Housing in South Africa looks at the complex and contested nature of the issue in post-apartheid South Africa, stimulating debate and knowledge sharing on housing programmes, proffering solutions to the issue. The book explores the issue from both practical and intellectual standpoints, exploring the relationship between historical institutional legacies and contemporary power structures, and their role in provision of housing for the growing population of South Africa. This book will be of great interest to students of urban and regional planning, political economy, development studies, and African studies.

Political Settlements and Agricultural Transformation in Africa

Download Political Settlements and Agricultural Transformation in Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000580733
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (5 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Political Settlements and Agricultural Transformation in Africa by : Martin Atela

Download or read book Political Settlements and Agricultural Transformation in Africa written by Martin Atela and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the ways in which political settlements can contribute to positive changes in Africa’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Contemporary Africa has seen many governments, donors, and commercial private enterprises supporting innovative agricultural and agroprocessing schemes with the purpose of diversifying economies. However, many of the schemes collapse or at best fail to generate the needed jobs. Focusing on case studies in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, this book takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines economic analysis, life histories, policy approaches methods, and political economy theory to reframe the field with new questions. The contributors offer alternative explanations for the failure of employment creation schemes in Africa and show how political settlements can bring together stakeholders to settle on win–win approaches to productive employment schemes and inclusive development. Providing new insights on the political economy of agrarian and labour relations in Africa, this book will be of interest to policy actors and development practitioners wishing to support inclusive growth in Africa, as well as to scholars of African politics and economics, public policy, and development.

Majority State Ownership of Oil and Mining Sectors in Africa

Download Majority State Ownership of Oil and Mining Sectors in Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 0429751869
Total Pages : 171 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (297 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Majority State Ownership of Oil and Mining Sectors in Africa by : John James Quinn

Download or read book Majority State Ownership of Oil and Mining Sectors in Africa written by John James Quinn and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-09-30 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Majority State Ownership of Oil and Mining Sectors in Africa: The Resource Curse Undermined shows that countries in sub-Saharan Africa with majority state ownership of their major oil or mineral export sectors suffered from more severe versions of the natural resource curse than other similar countries. Examining natural resource exporting nations in sub-Saharan Africa between 1966 to 2000, Quinn shows that on average, states with majority state ownership of these sectors featured lower growth, lower incomes, declining alternative export sectors, more debt, lower levels of investment, lower levels of political and civil rights, and more domestic conflict than other similar countries. These results remained fairly consistent across both cross-country data, as well as in paired case studies. One surprise finding is that these countries either had depreciating currencies, or did not feature high levels of currency appreciation, on average, which is inconsistent with resource curse literature predictions. Rather, most countries with majority state ownership had high levels of currency overvaluation – which operated in a similar manner as currency appreciation. This work should appeal to students and faculty interested in the political economy of development, the natural resource curse, and African development, as well as politicians, policy makers, and NGO workers working in these areas. The strong recommendation of the book is that governments should control 50% or less of these sectors.

The Future of Zimbabwe’s Agrarian Sector

Download The Future of Zimbabwe’s Agrarian Sector PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000601870
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Future of Zimbabwe’s Agrarian Sector by : Grasian Mkodzongi

Download or read book The Future of Zimbabwe’s Agrarian Sector written by Grasian Mkodzongi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-06-24 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume reflects on the recent political developments in Zimbabwe and their current and future impact on the agrarian sector. Utilising new empirical data gathered across Zimbabwe, the contributors shed light on the liberalisation of agricultural policy after Mugabe. Chapters examine how the adoption of neo-liberal orthodoxy in agrarian policy making will affect the new agrarian structure, looking at issues such as productivity, the impact on vulnerable groups, changing land tenure arrangements, joint ventures and land grabbing. Providing a new way of conceptualising Zimbabwe’s agrarian futures, this book will be of interest to researchers, NGOs and policymakers interested in the politics of land and agriculture in Zimbabwe and southern Africa.

African Perspectives on Poverty, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Innovation

Download African Perspectives on Poverty, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Innovation PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 9811958564
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (119 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis African Perspectives on Poverty, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Innovation by : Oliver Mtapuri

Download or read book African Perspectives on Poverty, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Innovation written by Oliver Mtapuri and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-11-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the connections between poverty and innovation in Africa. Through case studies and theorizations from a distinctly African perspective, it stands in contrast to current theoretical works in the field, which remain very much rooted in Western-orientated thinking. The book investigates the application of methodologies which explain numerous African contexts in connection with issues of poverty and inequality. It reflects on comparative practices and praxes on the African continent, including commonplace traditions and practices in alleviating poverty, taken against a background of the failure of current prescriptions for poverty alleviation, such as the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP). There is a dire need for new practical perspectives which move Africa forward using its indigenous knowledge. Owing to a general lack of recorded African theories and methodologies on poverty, inequality and innovation, this book represents a pioneering corpus of African knowledge addressing poverty and inequality through local innovations. Adopting a transdisciplinary approach, it is relevant to students and scholars in development studies and economics, African studies, social studies, political history and political economy, climate studies, anthropology and geography.

Transformative Innovation for Sustainable Human Settlements

Download Transformative Innovation for Sustainable Human Settlements PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1040188818
Total Pages : 237 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (41 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Transformative Innovation for Sustainable Human Settlements by : Andrew Emmanuel Okem

Download or read book Transformative Innovation for Sustainable Human Settlements written by Andrew Emmanuel Okem and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-11-18 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book uses the transformative innovation policy (TIP) as a lens to show how innovative processes, practices and systems could address critical challenges and facilitate the delivery of sustainable human settlements in South Africa. The TIP approach shows that addressing societal problems is not a function of a technical solution within a government department but one that requires partnership with multiple stakeholders. The book argues that it is essential to understand and embrace innovation policy that is transformative and responds to the social and environmental needs at local, provincial and national levels. It demonstrates that innovation policy should focus on transforming the socio-technical systems that demand embracing notions such as experimental delivery and learning, directionality and inclusivity. Chapters explore the ability of the state to transform its organisational processes and capacity to improve and align its planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation systems to high levels of efficiency and sustainability targets. Bringing together various theoretical and empirical perspectives on innovation in the context of sustainable human settlement, this book will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of Housing, Human Settlements, Architecture, Public Policy, Development Studies, Civil Engineering, Political Science and Public Administration.

Oil and Development in Ghana

Download Oil and Development in Ghana PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000220850
Total Pages : 141 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (2 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Oil and Development in Ghana by : Nathan Andrews

Download or read book Oil and Development in Ghana written by Nathan Andrews and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-11-09 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book gives a comprehensive overview of Ghana’s hydrocarbon economy using actor network and assemblage theories to contest the methodological nationalism of mainstream accounts of the resource curse in resource-rich countries. Drawing upon recent field research focused on Ghana’s oil and gas sector and utilizing the theoretical framework of actor network theory, the authors contend that there is an assemblage of political, economic, social and environmental networks, processes, actions, actors, and structures of power that coalesce to determine the extent to which the country’s hydrocarbon resources could be regarded as a "curse" or "blessing." This framing facilitates a better understanding of the variety (and duality) of local and global forces and power structures at play in Ghana’s growing hydrocarbon industry. Giving a nuanced and multi-perspectival analysis of the factors that underlie oil-engendered development in Ghana, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of African political economy, development and the politics of resource extraction.

Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa

Download Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : AOSIS
ISBN 13 : 1779952201
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (799 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa by : Charles Hongoro

Download or read book Innovation for inclusive development and transformation in South Africa written by Charles Hongoro and published by AOSIS. This book was released on 2023-03-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science, technology, and innovation (STI) are generally accepted as major drivers of growth and can help address poverty and directly improve the well-being of different groups in society. However, under certain circumstances, STI can reinforce social exclusion and inequalities. This book explores discourses around directionality and the importance of Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) in addressing policy questions that explore the relationship between IID with inequalities in income and opportunities. It seeks to unpack the concept of IID and what it means in a country such as South Africa – a country characterised by endemic poverty, deepening inequality, and high levels of unemployment. The book is largely original and based on a critique of existing literature to expose specific issues or bolster specific arguments about the role of IID in equitable and inclusive development. This book has been written by various scholars who understand the various notions of IID and how it can possibly be applied and the relevance of such knowledge for policy, programmes and practice.

Housing Market Dynamics in Africa

Download Housing Market Dynamics in Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137597925
Total Pages : 285 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (375 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Housing Market Dynamics in Africa by : El-hadj M. Bah

Download or read book Housing Market Dynamics in Africa written by El-hadj M. Bah and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-12 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book utilizes new data to thoroughly analyze the main factors currently shaping the African housing market. Some of these factors include the supply and demand for housing finance, land tenure security issues, construction cost conundrum, infrastructure provision, and low-cost housing alternatives. Through detailed analysis, the authors investigate the political economy surrounding the continent’s housing market and the constraints that behind-the-scenes policy makers need to address in their attempts to provide affordable housing for the majority in need. With Africa’s urban population growing rapidly, this study highlights how broad demographic shifts and rapid urbanization are placing enormous pressure on the limited infrastructure in many cities and stretching the economic and social fabric of municipalities to their breaking point. But beyond providing a snapshot of the present conditions of the African housing market, the book offers recommendations and actionable measures for policy makers and other stakeholders on how best to provide affordable housing and alleviate Africa’s housing deficit. This work will be of particular interest to practitioners, non-governmental organizations, private sector actors, students and researchers of economic policy, international development, and urban development.

Clean Water and Sanitation

Download Clean Water and Sanitation PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3319958461
Total Pages : 1035 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (199 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Clean Water and Sanitation by : Walter Leal Filho

Download or read book Clean Water and Sanitation written by Walter Leal Filho and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-07-09 with total page 1035 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume is dedicated to SDG 6 "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all". Water and sanitation are fundamental to human well-being. Integrated water resources management is essential to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all and to the realization of Sustainable Development. Concretely, the defined targets are: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations Improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally Substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity Implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes Expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving Uwater and sanitation management Editorial Board Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Anabela Marisa Azul, Luciana Brandli, Dominique Darmendrail, Despo Fatta–Kassinos, Walter Leal Filho, Susan Hegarty, Amanda Lange Salvia, Albert Llausàs, Paula Duarte Lopes, Javier Marugán, Fernando Morgado, Wilkister Nyaora Moturi, Karel F. Mulder, Alesia Dedaa Ofori, Sandra Ricart

Urban Inequality

Download Urban Inequality PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1786998912
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (869 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Urban Inequality by : Owen Crankshaw

Download or read book Urban Inequality written by Owen Crankshaw and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-01-27 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on new evidence that challenges existing theories of urban inequality, Crankshaw argues that the changing pattern of earnings and occupational inequality in Johannesburg is better described by the professionalism of employment alongside high-levels of chronic unemployment. Central to this examination is that the social polarisation hypothesis, which is accepted by many, is simply wrong in the case of Johannesburg. Ultimately, Crankshaw posits that the post-Fordist, post-apartheid period is characterised by a completely new division of labour that has caused new forms of racial inequality. That racial inequality in the post-apartheid period is not the result of the persistence of apartheid-era causes, but is the result of new causes that have interacted with the historical effects of apartheid to produce new patterns of racial inequality.

The Political Economy of Modern South Africa

Download The Political Economy of Modern South Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000634760
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Modern South Africa by : Alf Stadler

Download or read book The Political Economy of Modern South Africa written by Alf Stadler and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-10-05 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1987 this book argues that South African politics reflect the changing ways in which the region has been incorporated into the world economy. It traces the effects of a process of industrialisation under the dominance of mining on the other sectors of the economy, and on the evolution of the class structure. It shows how a coercive labour system influenced the definition of political and social rights in racial terms and profoundly influenced the development of authoritarian controls over blacks in the urban and rural areas from the 1920s onwards. The book includes an essay on the different strands in the reform movement and speculates about the social and political forces which underlined the political changes which began to take place during the mid-1970s.

The Future of the South African Political Economy Post-COVID 19

Download The Future of the South African Political Economy Post-COVID 19 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3031105761
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (311 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Future of the South African Political Economy Post-COVID 19 by : Mzukisi Qobo

Download or read book The Future of the South African Political Economy Post-COVID 19 written by Mzukisi Qobo and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-10-31 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the COVID-19 pandemic through socioeconomic lens that draw on history, approaches to state-market relations, and public policy perspectives In 2020, the world experienced the worst pandemic since the outbreak of the Spanish Flu of 1918, which continues to have far[1]reaching implications for the global economy and triggered macro-economic dislocations that severely affected the most vulnerable countries and segments of society. This book was conceived as a response to the disruptive shifts induced by the pandemic, with a particular focus on South Africa. International experience has shown that countries and societies that have gone through tough economic times, either as a consequence of wars or economic depressions, have responded to crises by enacting unpopular policy measures based on difficult tradeoffs, which often made way for innovation. The authors outline policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis and propose several interventions to mitigate its effects. These include developing innovative approaches to fiscal and monetary policies, labour market policies, industrial policies, as well as social policies. Building state capabilities, improving the governance and performance of state institutions, and managing digital change are some of the clear policy interventions that are laid out in this book.

Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice

Download Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 1844457206
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (444 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice by : Lester Parrott

Download or read book Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice written by Lester Parrott and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010-04-12 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is vital that social workers have a deep and critical understanding of the social work value-base, and are able to analyse and apply values and ethics to their everyday practice. This fully-revised edition of one of our best-selling titles identifies current issues in social work and then applies an ethical dimension. These issues are then investigated further within an anti-discriminatory framework and against the background of the code of practice for social care workers and employers. Traditional value perspectives are clearly explained and current developments in virtue theory and the ethics of care for social work are also introduced.

Political Economy of Post-apartheid South Africa

Download Political Economy of Post-apartheid South Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CODESRIA
ISBN 13 : 2869787049
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (697 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Political Economy of Post-apartheid South Africa by : Gumede, Vusi

Download or read book Political Economy of Post-apartheid South Africa written by Gumede, Vusi and published by CODESRIA. This book was released on 2017-05-05 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book, made up of three parts, covers a wide spectrum of political economy issues on post-apartheid South Africa. Although the text is mainly descriptive, to explain various areas of the political economy of post-apartheid South Africa, the first and the last parts provide illuminating insights on the kind of society that is emerging during the twenty-one years of democracy in the country. The book discusses important aspects of the political history of apartheid South Africa and the evolution of post-apartheid society, including an important recap of the history of southern Africa before colonialism. The text is a comprehensive description of numerous political economy phenomena since South Africa gained its political independence and covers some important themes that have not been discussed in detail in other publications on post-apartheid South Africa. The book also updates earlier work of the author on policy and law making, land and agriculture, education and training as well as on poverty and inequality in post-apartheid South Africa thereby providing a wide-ranging overview of the socio-economic development approaches followed by the successive post-apartheid administrations. Interestingly, three chapters focus on various aspects of the post-apartheid South African economy: economic policies, economic empowerment and industrial development. Through the lens of the notion of democratic developmental state and taking apartheid colonialism as a point of departure, the book suggests that, so far, post-apartheid South Africa has mixed socio-economic progress. The author’s extensive experience in the South African government ensures that the book has policy relevance while it is also theoretically sound. The text is useful for anyone who wants to understand the totality of the policies and legislation as well as the political economy interventions pursued since 1994 by the South African Government.

The Political Economy of Green Bonds in Emerging Markets

Download The Political Economy of Green Bonds in Emerging Markets PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3031305027
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (313 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Green Bonds in Emerging Markets by : Manuel Neumann

Download or read book The Political Economy of Green Bonds in Emerging Markets written by Manuel Neumann and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-05-17 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Funding low-carbon transitions to address climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. Green bonds have emerged as a powerful tool to enlist institutional investors’ wealth for these transitions. But despite exponential growth in many parts of the world, the green bond market in South Africa has been stalling. This book project grapples with this puzzle. Firstly, it debunks some of the promises underpinning green bond markets and traces the manifold practices undergirding its promotion. Secondly, it identifies some barriers prohibiting the expansion of green bonds in emerging markets and zooms in on the depoliticizing tendencies a transition premised on financial innovation produces. Thirdly, this work discloses the idiosyncratic political economic challenges of a fossil-based economy in transition and shines a light on the competing elements of a ‘green’ and a ‘just’ transition. It argues that the limited uptake of green bonds can best be explained by the instrument’s inability to adequately incorporate the various demands levied on South Africa’s contested transition trajectory. In so doing, this book contributes important new qualitative insights into green bond markets-in-the-making and extends political economic scholarship on finance-led transition endeavors in emerging markets. Chapters 3 and 6 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The Comparative Political Economy of Development

Download The Comparative Political Economy of Development PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135171939
Total Pages : 585 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (351 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Comparative Political Economy of Development by : Barbara Harriss-White

Download or read book The Comparative Political Economy of Development written by Barbara Harriss-White and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-12-21 with total page 585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book illustrates the enduring relevance and vitality of the comparative political economy of development approach promoted among others by a group of social scientists in Oxford in the 1980s and 1990s. Contributors demonstrate the viability of this approach as researchers and academics become more convinced of the inadequacies of orthodox approaches to the understanding of development. Detailed case material obtained from comparative field research in Africa and South Asia informs analyses of exploitation in agriculture; the dynamics of rural poverty; seasonality; the non farm economy; class formation; labour and unfreedom; the gendering of the labour force; small scale production and contract farming; social networks in industrial clusters; stigma and discrimination in the rural and urban economy and its politics. Reasoned policy suggestions are made and an analysis of the comparative political economy of development approach is applied to the situation of Africa and South Asia. Aptly presenting the relation between theory and empirical material in a dynamic and interactive way, the book offers meaningful and powerful explanations of what is happening in the continent of Africa and the sub-continent of South Asia today. It will be of interest to researchers in the fields of development studies, rural sociology, political economy, policy and practice of development and Indian and African studies.