The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa

The unprecedented population growth and low economic diversification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) raise questions about possible paths for demo-economic transitions. Given the limitations of the dominant macroeconomic conception of structural change for analysing economic transformations in SSA, and...

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Main Authors: Pierre Girard, Sandrine Michel, Sara Mercandalli, Bruno Losch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association Recherche & Régulation 2022-08-01
Series:Revue de la Régulation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/21157
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author Pierre Girard
Sandrine Michel
Sara Mercandalli
Bruno Losch
author_facet Pierre Girard
Sandrine Michel
Sara Mercandalli
Bruno Losch
author_sort Pierre Girard
collection DOAJ
description The unprecedented population growth and low economic diversification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) raise questions about possible paths for demo-economic transitions. Given the limitations of the dominant macroeconomic conception of structural change for analysing economic transformations in SSA, and acknowledging the importance of rural economies in SSA, this paper argues for an alternative approach to structural change that uses the rural household as the key unit of analysis of change. Structural change is therefore impacted by the evolution of the socioeconomic reproduction patterns of rural households. To understand these households’ reproduction patterns, the paper formulates an analytical framework centred on structures, institutions and their evolution. Drawing on Régulation theory, we first adjust institutional forms to rural African contexts. We then demonstrate how the income-labour nexus, integrating the social relations linked to the organisation of the production process and the modes of reproduction, is the dominant institutional form in capturing the socioeconomic reproduction of rural households. Last, to detect these emerging institutional configurations, we analyse youth transition as the critical period of households’ socioeconomic reproduction that can reveal structural change.
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spelling doaj-art-615e6ba1c81945ac90d69c0422d9327b2025-01-30T14:26:46ZengAssociation Recherche & RégulationRevue de la Régulation1957-77962022-08-0132110.4000/regulation.21157The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan AfricaPierre GirardSandrine MichelSara MercandalliBruno LoschThe unprecedented population growth and low economic diversification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) raise questions about possible paths for demo-economic transitions. Given the limitations of the dominant macroeconomic conception of structural change for analysing economic transformations in SSA, and acknowledging the importance of rural economies in SSA, this paper argues for an alternative approach to structural change that uses the rural household as the key unit of analysis of change. Structural change is therefore impacted by the evolution of the socioeconomic reproduction patterns of rural households. To understand these households’ reproduction patterns, the paper formulates an analytical framework centred on structures, institutions and their evolution. Drawing on Régulation theory, we first adjust institutional forms to rural African contexts. We then demonstrate how the income-labour nexus, integrating the social relations linked to the organisation of the production process and the modes of reproduction, is the dominant institutional form in capturing the socioeconomic reproduction of rural households. Last, to detect these emerging institutional configurations, we analyse youth transition as the critical period of households’ socioeconomic reproduction that can reveal structural change.https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/21157institutional economicsAfricayouthrural
spellingShingle Pierre Girard
Sandrine Michel
Sara Mercandalli
Bruno Losch
The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
Revue de la Régulation
institutional economics
Africa
youth
rural
title The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
title_full The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
title_fullStr The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
title_full_unstemmed The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
title_short The income-labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub-Saharan Africa
title_sort income labour nexus as the dominant institutional form in rural sub saharan africa
topic institutional economics
Africa
youth
rural
url https://journals.openedition.org/regulation/21157
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