Exceprts:
Quote:
The reasons given for the vast divide in standard of living between different parts of the world are many, with some economic historians claiming the roots lie in the colonial period. This column goes back even further to the cradle of humankind in East Africa, suggesting that the genetic diversity of the tribes that dispersed to different parts of the globe determined their success many thousands of years later.
Existing theories of comparative development seek to explain the vast inequality in living standards around the world. The importance of geographical, cultural and institutional factors, human capital formation, ethnic, linguistic, and religious fractionalisation, colonialism and globalisation have all been at the centre of a debate regarding the origins of the differential timing of transitions from stagnation to growth and the remarkable transformation of the world income distribution in the last two centuries.
While theoretical and empirical research has typically focused on the effects of such factors in giving rise to and sustaining the Great Divergence in income per capita in the pre-industrial era (see for example Diamond 1997), attention has recently been drawn towards some deep-rooted factors that have been argued to affect the course of comparative economic development.
- Second, there exists an optimal level of diversity for economic development.
This reflects the interplay between the conflicting effects of diversity on the development process. The adverse effect pertains to the detrimental impact of diversity on the efficiency of the aggregate production process of an economy. Heterogeneity increases the likelihood of mis-coordination and distrust, reducing cooperation and disrupting the socioeconomic order. Greater population diversity is therefore associated with the social cost of a lower total factor productivity, which inhibits the ability of society to operate efficiently with respect to its production possibility frontier.
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GENETIC DIVERSITY: Why Africa is under developed relative to Europe and Asia
Quick Synopsis: by Ola Kassim
Genetic Diversity Hypothesis for Human development
According to the proponents of this hypothesis,
Genetic diversity amongst human beings is inversely proportional to the migratory distances
of settlement areas of human racial groups from the original cradle of humanity in East Africa.
The longer the migratory distance, the lower the genetic diversity. (European, Asians)
The shorter the migratory distance the higher is the degree of genetic diversity. (Africans)
Thus Europeans and Asians who migrated several hundred thousands of years ago from
East Africa over longer distances have lower genetic diversity than Africans who migrated over shorter distances.
Increased Genetic Diversity leads to numerous ethnic groups and subgroups and languages which
in turn leads to distrust and difficulties in organizational development.
The lower degree of genetic diversity amongst Europeans and Asians (due to smaller gene pools in the migrating
populations) led to more cohesion and resulting trusting relationships which in turn encouraged societal
development through team efforts.
This is probably the reason why the African is for ever looking to bond with his own ethnic
and even smaller sub ethnic groups with whom he or she would only feel comfortable. This also probably
explains the selfish and relatively lower community and institution building efforts of the African relative
to the other races. The African looks inwards to satisfy his own immediate cravings and next to that those
of his family and neighbors. The African suffers from narrower and shorter horizons both in the distant
past and in contemporary times.
As the authors suggest, Genetic diversity has a hump effect on human development.
Too much genetic diversity is a deterrent to human development (too many ethnic groups languages etc.)
while too little genetic diversity also has major adverse effect on human development. The relative lack of genetic
diversity (too much genetic homogeneity), is cited by the proponents of this theory for this theory
for the under development of Aboriginal groups in North America.
Apart from the lower levels of genetic diversity amongst the ancient ancestors of Europeans and Asians,
is it also tenable to consider that only the most visionary of the early humans would fathom the idea
not to mention embark on multi generational migrations lasting over 300 to 500,000 years
across land and sea from East Africa to their places of final settlements in Asia and Europe?.
Could it be that the least visionary of human ancestors were the ones who stayed behind in Africa, either remaining
in East Africa or traveling shorter distances across the African continent to populate North, South and west Africa?
Could this explain the laid back approach of the African regarding human reactions to adverse natural and man-made events?
As humanity again contemplates leaving planet earth to settle on other planets---one only needs to observe which
subsets of humanity are once again leading the drive to adventure, to innovation etc.---probably replicating the way it has always been
since human beings first stepped on the plains of East Africa!
The hypothesis remains what it is--neither fact or false at this time.
Nonetheless it is interesting and intriguing enough and worth pursuing further!
Bye,
Ola
Please visit this link:
http://voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/6820
to read more
The "Out of Africa" hypothesis, human genetic diversity, and comparative economic development
The reasons given for the vast divide in standard of living between different parts of the world are many, with some economic historians claiming the roots lie in the colonial period. This column goes back even further to the cradle of humankind in East Africa, suggesting that the genetic diversity of the tribes that dispersed to different parts of the globe determined their success many thousands of years later.
Existing theories of comparative development seek to explain the vast inequality in living standards around the world. The importance of geographical, cultural and institutional factors, human capital formation, ethnic, linguistic, and religious fractionalisation, colonialism and globalisation have all been at the centre of a debate regarding the origins of the differential timing of transitions from stagnation to growth and the remarkable transformation of the world income distribution in the last two centuries.
While theoretical and empirical research has typically focused on the effects of such factors in giving rise to and sustaining the Great Divergence in income per capita in the pre-industrial era (see for example Diamond 1997), attention has recently been drawn towards some deep-rooted factors that have been argued to affect the course of comparative economic development.
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