Assessing Structural Change in the Demand for Food Commodities

Perhaps out of a concern for efficiency, or for other reasons, we develop or adopt rules—the simpler are called “rules of thumb”—to direct and govern much of our behavior. The bases for these rules are many and varied, assumption, conventional wisdom, experience, theory, to mention a few.

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Discussion: Assessing Structural Change in the Demand for Food Commodities

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200015910 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 39-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michael K. Wohlgenant

Keyword(s):

Structural Change ◽

Food Commodities

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Varieties of Common Sense

African Economic Development ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198832331.003.0003 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 46-72

Author(s):

Christopher Cramer ◽

John Sender ◽

Arkebe Oqubay

Keyword(s):

Structural Change ◽

Comparative Advantage ◽

Common Sense ◽

Development Economics ◽

Terms Of Trade ◽

Conventional Wisdom ◽

Inclusive Development ◽

Neoclassical Economics ◽

Competitive Markets ◽

Trade Theory

Policy officials are often influenced by two broad varieties of conventional wisdom: the set of ideas broadly associated with neoclassical economics; and those ideas flowing from third worldist, anti-imperialist, and structuralist development economics. We show how these apparently opposing perspectives often have a surprising amount in common. Reflexes of ‘impossibilism’ and ‘naive optimism’ are often shared across an ideological divide. Thus, pessimism in orthodox trade theory suggests no African economy can hope to accelerate structural change by defying the signals of comparative advantage; and pessimism in structuralist trade arguments claims limited gains from exporting, especially from exporting primary commodities while the terms of trade are declining. Both forms of pessimism can easily switch to naive optimism when they imagine the ease of rapid and ‘inclusive’ development. But the switch requires that unrealistic conditions are put in place: perfectly competitive markets or idealized South–South cooperation.

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Firearms and the Decline of Violence in Europe: 1200-2010

Review of European Studies ◽

10.5539/res.v9n2p53 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Carlisle E. Moody

Keyword(s):

Structural Change ◽

Alternative Hypothesis ◽

Conventional Wisdom ◽

Change Models ◽

Alternatives To Violence ◽

Personal Violence

Personal violence, has declined substantially in Europe from 1200-2010. The conventional wisdom is that the state’s monopoly on violence is the cause of this happy result. I find some evidence that does not support this hypothesis. I suggest an alternative hypothesis that could explain at least some of the reduction in violence, namely that the invention and proliferation of compact, concealable, ready-to-use firearms caused potential assailants to recalculate the probability of a successful assault and seek alternatives to violence. I use structural change models to test this hypothesis and find breakpoints consistent with the invention of certain firearms.

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Electron Microscopy of Shock Loaded Polycrystalline Beryllium

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100052547 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 506-507 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. M. Galbraith ◽

L. E. Murr ◽

A. L. Stevens

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Wave Propagation ◽

Structural Change ◽

Single Crystal ◽

Diffraction Pattern ◽

Shock Loading ◽

Slip Systems ◽

Compression Tests ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray

Uniaxial compression tests and hydrostatic tests at pressures up to 27 kbars have been performed to determine operating slip systems in single crystal and polycrystal1ine beryllium. A recent study has been made of wave propagation in single crystal beryllium by shock loading to selectively activate various slip systems, and this has been followed by a study of wave propagation and spallation in textured, polycrystal1ine beryllium. An alteration in the X-ray diffraction pattern has been noted after shock loading, but this alteration has not yet been correlated with any structural change occurring during shock loading of polycrystal1ine beryllium.This study is being conducted in an effort to characterize the effects of shock loading on textured, polycrystal1ine beryllium. Samples were fabricated from a billet of Kawecki-Berylco hot pressed HP-10 beryllium.

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