| Course Description: |
The purpose of this course is to provide a comparative analysis of the long-term growth of three of the largest economies in Asia: India, China and Japan. The course deals primarily with the economic determinants of each country's growth, but the role of cultural, political and religious factors, as well as the ethnic diversity within China and India, will be taken into account in explaining the relative economic success of each country. The main focus of study will be on identifying and comparing the relative importance of those factors that appear to have hindered, or have promoted economic development in each of the three economies. Among the main themes to be explored are the roles of rural development and technology, peasant society and other cultural influences affecting economic growth, manufacturing industry and industrialisation, population growth, urbanisation, foreign influences, and economic systems. Analytical emphasis will be on identifying and comparing long-run determinants of each country's success (or the lack of it) in achieving economic growth and development. |