Islam and underdevelopment: An old puzzle revisited

Article Abstract:

Many factors have been put forward to explain the underdeveloped nature of many predominantly Muslim countries, but the role of public discourse has been largely neglected. Countries with a mainly Muslim population account for a disproportionately large number of the world's poorest nations. The factors which might explain this include communalism, political structure and the role of Islam itself as a permanent barrier to development. However public discourse in Muslim countries also plays a major role, by keeping individuals from noticing or questioning social inefficiencies.

Islamic countries

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Conversion to Islam and rational choice institutional analysis

Article Abstract:

Jean Ensminger's article 'Transaction Costs and Islam: Conversion in Africa' explains African societies' conversion to Islam partly by its economic benefits, but sometimes conversion might be explained by a rational choice institutionalist framework. For example factors such as opportunism and coercion might be significant in response to conquest or proselytization. Ensminger points to the fact that converting to Islam appears to have helped cut some of the transaction costs of long-distance trade. However, in some contexts Islam might have increased some transaction costs.

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Economic explanations and the functionalist trap

Article Abstract:

Article examines the relation between functionalist and economic explanations with reference to Jean Ensminger's article 'Transaction Costs and Islam: Conversion in Africa'. Ensminger's article is sometimes ambiguous because she fails to clarify the nature of the relationship between an 'actor-oriented perspective' and the 'society-wide economic benefits' which converting to Islam brought. An economic, actor-oriented analysis of conversion to Islam can be explained by factors including the invisible-hand explanation, collective action and differential attraction.

Functionalism (Social sciences)

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