Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/31836 
Year of Publication: 
2005
Series/Report no.: 
Papers on Economics and Evolution No. 0518
Publisher: 
Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena
Abstract: 
Recently, it has been suggested that the process of economic development should ideally be viewed as a socioeconomic transformation. Such a view requires a comprehensive understanding of how agents learn and change their behaviour. However, these aspects have only been inadequately addressed in development theory. This paper argues that social-cognitive vicarious learning theories can become a useful methodological tool by incorporating a triadic interaction between personal factors (beliefs, values), behaviour and environment. Our analysis is based on a survey of the Indian trans-Himalayan regions. The development trajectory of these regions suggests that a proper understanding of the vicarious learning mechanism provides crucial insight into the speed of socioeconomic transformations. It also helps to identify appropriate change agents within a society and, in turn, underscores the need for a comprehensive, yet flexible, development policy framework.
Subjects: 
development
socio-economic transformation
vicarious learning
evolution
traditional societies
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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