TOWARDS A SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE
IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
(preliminary concepts and models)
by Arturo Boquiren, Assistant Professor in Economics
University of the Philippines-Baguio
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The preliminary conceptual tools and models below will be developed into full papers as soon as possible:
1. Static versus long-run efficiency
2. Product cycle theory or impermanent comparative advantage
3. Efficiency-equity tradeoff and international trade
4. Trade liberalization, nature of production, and expansion of the production frontier
5. Rediscovery and strengthening the basis for safety nets in trade liberalization
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Notes:
Today, 10 August 2006, I formally begin a life-long study, scholarship, or economic research on the collection as well as creation and development of analytic economic models or theories on international economics from a Southern perspective. The qualifier "Southern perspective" is important as the intent is to develop or collect mathematical, graphical, and other economic analytic models or theories which developing countries can use to advance fair trade given the ongoing trade liberalization under the World Trade Organization.
The collection or theory or model-building is my way of providing intellectual support to the struggle of the South or developing countries for fair trade and fair international economic order. The emphasis of the collection or model or theory building is the use of mathematical, graphical, and other analytic models as opposed to diagram models or historical narration that are used by many of today's writers of the South on international economics. The emphasis is intended to raise the level of Southern discourse into something that advances or improves economic theory as well. We all know that economics has been associated with an advocacy for privatization, deregulation, and economic liberalization, including trade liberalization. This effort to develop a Southern perspective in international economics, on the other hand, attempts to collect or build alternative economic models that the South can use to advance a trade system and world order that balances efficiency as well as equity considerations and developing country development or in summary: fair economics, fair trade.
Unfortunately, however, you have to bear with me for the slow pace that my collection and theory/model-building will take. For many times, I will have to go against mainstream economic thought and that would not be easy. Further, the wrong is sometimes not immediately obvious and the right has to be rediscovered first sometimes. Further, I am not a fulltime intellectual. I have to earn my bread. I teach, I market, cook, wash dishes, do laundry, and iron just like the rest of ordinary mortals. I am also engaged in practical development as well as theory building in other fields. The other fields include environment economics, public sector economics, payment for environmental services and efficiency (or lack of efficiency) studies of communally-owned resources or commons for short. I also have to do organizing work for advocacy. A preliminary list of models and conceptual tools I have collected or built so far are listed below. In a few days, these will be posted as I continue my work in contributing to theory-building and collection.
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