Studying the developmental state: theory and method in research on industrial policy and state-led development in Africa

Jesse Salah Ovadia, Christina Wolf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper examines theoretical and methodological issues in the study of African developmental states. We argue that applying this concept beyond East Asia must take into account changes in the global economic context–in particular systemic tendencies towards deficient consumer demand–to uncover the conditions under which demand for commodity production remains or becomes expansionary. We further argue for a mixed methods case study approach to structural transformation, blending quantitative and qualitative evidence at multiple levels of analysis. The examples of concrete manufacturing and oil and gas in Nigeria and Tanzania illustrate our approach to researching state-led development in Africa.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1056-1076
Number of pages21
JournalThird World Quarterly
Volume39
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jun 2018

Keywords

  • Developmental state
  • industrial policy
  • Nigeria
  • structural transformation
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Tanzania

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