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Labour Contracts in Rural India: Theories and Evidence

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The Balance between Industry and Agriculture in Economic Development

Part of the book series: International Economic Association Series ((IEA))

Abstract

The last few decades have seen a proliferation of theories aiming at a better understanding of rural labour markets in developing countries: from early ‘subsistence theories’ where the determination of wages was regarded as largely ‘exogenous’ to labour market conditions, through the revival of the competitive paradigm, to the more recent and sophisticated models focusing on incomplete information, uncertainty or bargaining situations. Over the same period a large number of microstudies undertaken in Indian villages by social scientists of all disciplines have provided valuable empirical evidence on how rural labour markets actually function in that country. Unfortunately, much of this material has remained insufficiently known to theorists, and its potential in helping to form a judgement about the usefulness of alternative theories is still largely unexploited.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

    Jean P. Drèze

  2. Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi, UK

    Anindita Mukherjee

Authors
  1. Jean P. Drèze
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  2. Anindita Mukherjee
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Sukhamoy Chakravarty

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© 1989 International Economic Association

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Drèze, J.P., Mukherjee, A. (1989). Labour Contracts in Rural India: Theories and Evidence. In: Chakravarty, S. (eds) The Balance between Industry and Agriculture in Economic Development. International Economic Association Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-10274-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-10274-7_10

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-10276-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-10274-7

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