Panel 71: Analyzing Fundamental Driving Forces behind Growth and Stagnation in Local Systems of Production

The aim of the panel is to advance and promote economic historian research on the African continent. Within the field of economic history one of the overriding debates during the last decade has been whether long term economic change is primarily driven by institutional change (see e.g. Acemoglu et al. 2001, La Porta et al. 2008; North 1991, 2005) or changes in factor endowments (see e.g. Allen 2009; Austin 2008). While this panel takes its point of departure in this debate it also expands it by encouraging discussions on the role of technology and how technological change interacts with institutional change and changes in factor endowments. We consequently invite papers the aim to trace and analyze the role of institutions, factor endowments and technology in processes of growth and/or stagnation in local systems of production in African economies in a longer term perspective.

It is argued that the research into long term economic change, including economic transformation, should not be limited by political change. For half a century development economists have focused on the post independence period and historians and economic historians have dominated research on the pre-colonial and colonial periods. It is, however, time to bridge this divide and change this popular persiodisation when analyzing systems of production. Therefore, papers transcending this common divide between the colonial and the post-colonial eras and between what is considered “development issues” and “history” and especially welcome. The geographic focus is broad including the entire sub-Sahara African region.