This book takes a comparative approach to economic history to offer ways to increase our understanding of the divergence between South America and Scandinavia. In particular, the book aims to deepen our understanding of why the two groups of countries have set out on radically different pathways with regard to industrialisation, long-term economic growth and income distribution.
The book draws together the results of two separate projects focusing on this comparison. The first of these projects focuses on two of the so-called settler societies of South America, namely Uruguay and Argentina, sometimes called the Pampas region. Australia and New Zealand, two other settler societies, are also considered, adding a further contrasting effect. These settler societies are compared with Scandinavia, in its broad terms, including Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The second of these projects focuses on comparisons between Brazil and Sweden. Together, the two projects have engaged the minds of economic historians from Brazil, Uruguay and Sweden. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in economic history and economic development more broadly.
Author(s): Jorge Álvarez, Svante Prado
Series: Palgrave Studies in Economic History
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 355
City: Cham
Acknowledgements
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction: A Tale of Two Capitalisms
1 Regional Characteristics
2 Settler Economies
3 Brazil in South America
4 Scandinavia in the Swedish Mirror
5 Comparing Sweden with Brazil
6 Chapter-Wise Account
References
2 Scandinavia and South America: A Renewed Tradition of Comparative Studies
1 Introduction
2 South America and Scandinavia in a Comparative Context
3 Lessons from the Literature Review
References
3 Trade Specialization, Industrial Growth and Economic Development in the Nordic and the Southern Settler Societies, 1870–1970
1 Introduction
2 The Stylized Facts
2.1 Crossing Roads
2.2 Industrialization, Structural Change and Industrial Exports
3 Theories About Structural Change and Economic Growth
4 How Can Differences Be Explained?
4.1 The Levels at the Point of Departure
4.2 Staple Theory
4.3 The Tyranny of Distance
4.4 Demographic Dynamics and Economic Growth: The Case of Natural Resources
4.5 Inequality and Growth
5 In Short
References
4 Foreign Trade and Economic Growth in the Nordic Countries, Australasia and the Rio De La Plata Region, 1870–1970
1 Introduction
2 Economic Growth 1870–1970 in the Three Regions
2.1 1870–1930
2.2 1930–1970
3 GDP and Foreign Trade
3.1 Trade Shares and Terms of Trade
4 The Theory of Balance-Of-Payments-Constrained growth—Thirlwall’s Law
5 Estimation of Import and Export Demand Functions
5.1 Export and Import Demand Functions, 1870–1970
5.2 Export and Import Demand Functions, 1870–1913
5.3 Export and Import Demand Functions, 1950–1970
6 Predictions of Thirlwall’s Law and Economic Growth in Three Regions
7 Summary and Conclusion
Appendix: Sources for Data
References
5 Coming Full Circle: Brazilian/Swedish Labour Productivity Ratios in Manufacturing, 1912–2014
1 Introduction
2 Data and Method
2.1 Swedish Industrial Statistics
2.2 Brazilian Industrial Census
2.3 Methodology of Productivity Benchmark
3 Results of Productivity Benchmarks
4 Establishing the Long-Term Record
4.1 Time Series for Sweden
4.2 Time Series for Brazil
4.3 Comparative Levels of Labour Productivity
5 The Comparative Record in Historical Context
5.1 Industrialization Pre-World War II
5.2 Brazilian Zeal and Swedish Maturity: ca 1950–1980
5.3 Swedish Boom and Brazilian Bust: 1980–
6 Conclusion
References
6 The Role of Education in Modernization Drives in Brazil and in Sweden
1 Introduction
2 Brazil, 1870–1930
2.1 Background
2.2 Education Reforms
2.3 Education, Globalization and Modernization
3 Sweden, 1870–1910
3.1 Background
3.2 Education Reforms in the Nineteenth Century
3.3 Education, Globalization and Modernization
4 Comparative Analysis 1870–1930
5 Brazil 1945–1973
5.1 Structural and Political Change
5.2 Increasing Demand for Education
5.3 Conflicts and Changes in the Education System
5.4 Education and Modernization
6 Sweden 1945–1973
6.1 Structural Changes in Society and Economy
6.2 Increasing Demand for Education
6.3 Transformation of the Education System
6.4 Education and Modernization
7 Comparative Analysis 1945–1973
8 Concluding Remarks
References
7 Land-Ownership Systems and Agrarian Income Distribution in Denmark, New Zealand and Uruguay During the First Globalization Era and Beyond
1 Introduction
2 Landholding Systems and the Distribution of Ownership Rights
2.1 Denmark
2.2 New Zealand
2.3 Uruguay
3 Distribution of Land Ownership and Tenancy Systems
4 The Evolution of Factor Prices and the Functional Distribution of Income in the Agrarian Sector
5 Concluding Remarks
Appendix: Sources for Data
Agrarian GDP
Wages
Rents
Profits
References
8 Poles Apart? Living Standards and Inequality by Labour Market Outcomes in Brazil and Sweden, ca. 1830–1920
1 Introduction
2 Overview of Labour Markets
3 Comparing Standards of Living, ca. 1830–1920
3.1 GDP Per Capita
3.2 Comparing Workers’ Standards of Living
4 Inequality by Labour Market Outcomes
4.1 Regional Wage Differentials
4.2 Differences by Occupation, Skills, and Sex
5 Concluding Discussion
References
9 Does Democratization Cause Redistribution? Evidence from Sweden and Brazil
1 Introduction
2 The Swedish Case Study
2.1 Historical Background on Democratization
2.2 Trends in Taxation, Social Spending, and Inequality
2.3 Democratization and Redistributive Reforms
3 The Brazilian Case Study
3.1 Historical Background on Democratization
3.2 Trends in Taxation, Social Spending, and Inequality
3.3 Democratization and Redistributive Reforms
4 Conclusions
References
10 Conclusions: Comparative Developments in Trade, Industrialization, and Inequality Since 1850
1 Trade
2 Industrialization
3 Inequality
References
Index
