Noneconomic Obstacles to Growth and Development

Abstract

Two decades ago, economist Everett Hagen undertook a detailed study to answer the question, “Why have the people of some societies entered upon technological progress sooner or more effectively than others?” Hagen believed that “the differences were due only in very minor degree to economic obstacles, lack of information, or lack of training.” This led him to seek explanations in the fields of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. In the book based on this research, On the Theory of Social Change (1962), Hagen assigned a central role to personality formation in the processes of economic growth and development.