Open AccessTheodore W. Schultz. The Economics of Being Poor. Oxford: Blackwell. 1993. ix+340 pp.+ Index. Hardbound. £ 40.00.
Author(s) -
Mir Annice Mahmood
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
pakistan development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.154
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 0030-9729
DOI - 10.30541/v34i1pp.84-85
Subject(s) - human capital , index (typography) , emancipation , capital (architecture) , economics , sociology , political science , history , economic growth , law , computer science , politics , archaeology , world wide web
Improving the material conditions of the poor has been themain focus of economic policy formulation for the past fifty years orso. Thus, in this connection, a vast body of literature has beenpublished which deals with such issues as identifying the poor andsuggesting remedies to alleviate their lot. The book by Theodore W.Schultz deals specifically with the economics of the poor. The book isprimarily a collection of articles the author wrote over a fortyyearperiod (1950-1990), and these have been published previously in a numberof leading economic journals. The articles have been grouped under threeheadings: "Most People Are Poor"; "Investing in Skills and Knowledge";and "Effects of Human Capital". The articles basically deal with theconcept of human capital. There is a logical sequence to the articlesthat make up this book; the poor are identified and steps are thensuggested to improve their standing. Issues such as women's economicemancipation and the demand for children are highlighted in thecollection of articles dealing with these two subjects. By investing inthemselves through education, the poor raise their level of skills, andthus their level of wages/salaries, allowing them to enjoy higherstandards of living.