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This book examines the main reasons and challenges for the success of the human development approach both in theory and practice as an alternative to the economic growth model. Unlike the preceding research which has typically been either theoretical/prescriptive or empirical/descriptive, it follows a pragmatic historical and institutional methodology, since human development cannot be understood without considering the complexities added centrally by the formation process in the UNDP. Referring to the capability approach, it also addresses how to best reflect happiness within this paradigm.
List of contents
1. History of Development: Towards Human Development .- 2. Institutionalisation of Development Concepts .- 3. Measurement of Development: Predecessors of the Human Development Index .- 4. The Human Development Index and Its Evolution .- 5. Happiness in Human Development.
About the author
Tadashi Hirai is Project Researcher in the University of Tokyo, Japan, and a supervisor specializing in the human development approach and the human development index at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Summary
This book examines the main reasons and challenges for the success of the human development approach both in theory and practice as an alternative to the economic growth model. Unlike the preceding research which has typically been either theoretical/prescriptive or empirical/descriptive, it follows a pragmatic historical and institutional methodology, since human development cannot be understood without considering the complexities added centrally by the formation process in the UNDP. Referring to the capability approach, it also addresses how to best reflect happiness within this paradigm.
Additional text
“This concise and well-written book by Tadashi Hirai adds to the growing body of literature on Human Development (HD) by offering an in-depth historical perspective on the emergence of the approach and an analysis of its institutional context. … Hirai’s book is thoughtfully researched, clearly written and economical with words. The monograph is highly suitable for gaining an overview of the historic and institutional context of human development and its measurement.” (Madleina Daehnhardt, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Vol. 20 (1), 2019)
Report
"This concise and well-written book by Tadashi Hirai adds to the growing body of literature on Human Development (HD) by offering an in-depth historical perspective on the emergence of the approach and an analysis of its institutional context. ... Hirai's book is thoughtfully researched, clearly written and economical with words. The monograph is highly suitable for gaining an overview of the historic and institutional context of human development and its measurement." (Madleina Daehnhardt, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Vol. 20 (1), 2019)
