African Drama: Myrdal and Progressive Institutional Change in South Africa
Author(s)
Ho, P. Sai-Wing; Schneider, Geoffrey E.
Abstract
This paper applies Gunnar Myrdal’s analytical concepts of backwash and spread effects to interpret these trends in South Africa. These effects are regarded as intimately interconnected in a process of circular and cumulative causation. Depending on their relative strength, the country may progress on a path of development, or it could be caught in a state of stagnancy or in a downward spiral. After outlining the operation of these effects, we develop some policy recommendations consistent with Myrdal’s analysis, while attempting to preserve the pragmatism and subtlety characteristic of his work.
