2. On appropriate technology
Dasgupta, P.
Appropriate technologies for Third World development Proceedings of a Conference held by the International Economic Association at Teheran, Iran: 12-25
1979
Document Number: 501047
Section I of the paper presents the General Problem. It is suggested that the literature of the past two decades indicates that even the simplest of theoretical constructions are much too opaque to make it possible to assess what technology is appropriate for a specific set of circumstances. What constitutes an appropriate technology depends in a complex way on social goals and institutional constraints. Ultimately there is no substitute for a thorough social cost-benefit analysis of investment projects in selecting from a blue print of techniques of production. The following section surveys the literature bearing on the labour market and the shadow wage rate and its implications on the question of appropriate technology. Section III discusses the issue of foreign exchange constraints and its implications on social benefit-cost analysis, while Section IV looks at social weights.