Abstract
I am going to talk about two competing views of the consequences of economic growth for human wellbeing. I shall consider the thesis of the late Professor Fred Hirsch, that there are ‘social limits’ to growth; that past some particular level of economic development, economic growth does not add to, and may even diminish, human welfare.1 And I shall introduce a somewhat contradictory argument, that through a particular sort of technical change, through a change in the way commodities are consumed, human welfare — or at least the welfare of some humans — can indeed be improved.2
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
F. Hirsch, Social Limits to Growth ( London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977 ).
This argument is covered in more detail in J. I. Gershuny and I. D. Miles, The New Service Economy ( London: Frances Pinter, 1983 );
J. I. Gershuny, Social Innovation and the Division of Labour (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983 ).
Taken from J. P. Robinson and P. E. Converse, ‘Social Change Reflected in the Use of Time’, in A. Campbell and P. E. Converse (eds), The Human Meaning of Social Change ( New York: Russell Sage, 1972 ).
J. P. Robinson, P. E. Converse, A. Szalai, ‘Every Day Life in Twelve Countries’, in A. Szalai (ed.), The Use of Time ( The Hague, Mouton, 1972 ).
J. P. Robinson, Changes in American Use of Time: 1965–1975 ( Communications Research Centre, Cleveland State University, 1977 );
W. P. Knulst, Een Week Tijd ( Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau, Gravenhage, Netherlands, 1977 ).
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1984 The British Association for the Advancement of Science
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gershuny, J. (1984). Growth, Social Innovation and Time Use. In: Boulding, K.E. (eds) The Economics of Human Betterment. British Association for the Advancement of Science. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17538-3_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17538-3_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-36376-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-17538-3
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social & Cultural Studies CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)