An endogenous approach to regional economic development: The emergence of Wales

The article looks at how developments in economic theory have influenced the regional development strategy agenda in Wales. It concentrates in particular on the importance of endogenous aspects of policy in a post‐Fordist context. Such issues as the relevance of networking, learning, foreign direct investment and technology transfer are looked at and applied in the Welsh context. The role of the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) as the principal economic agent is given particular attention. The general conclusion is that the WDA has been working on the right lines in attempting to develop an endogenous offensive approach alongside its obvious past success at attracting inward investment. There is, however, a danger of national trends and political forces favouring the latter over the former.     

Book reviews

M. P. Skirdo: The People, The Army, The Commander: A Soviet View. United States Air Force, Washington, 1978, pp.166. No price given.

Harold Crouch, The Army and Politics in Indonesia. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 1978.

Brian May, The Indonesian Tragedy. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, Henley and Boston, 1975.

Helge Hveem, The Political Economy of Third World Producer Associations. Monographs from the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, 1977.

E. L. Wheelwright and Ken Buckley, eds., Essays in the Political Economy of Australian Capitalism. Sydney: Australia and New Zealand Book Company Pty Ltd, 1978. Volume 2: pp.206. Volume 3: pp.210. $6.95 each.

Jim Hyde, Australia: The Asia Connection. Kibble Books, Melbourne, 1978, pp.140. $4.50.

David Pettit and Anne Hall, eds., Selected Readings in Australian Foreign Policy. Third edition. Sorrett, Melbourne, 1978.

B. Chakravorty, Australia's Military Alliances. Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 1977, pp.292.

Malcolm Booker, Last Quarter: The Next Twenty‐five Years in Asia and the Pacific. Melbourne University Press, 1978, pp.228. $14.80.

Martin Wight, Power Politics. Ed. Hedley Bull and Carsten Holbraad. Leicester University Press for Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1978.     

The Role of Networking in the New Political Economy of Regional Development

During the last 25 years there have been some fundamental changes to the international political economy. The decline of Fordism, globalization and technical innovations have altered the ways in which firms operate and interact with each other and other economic agents. Corporate strategy and organization and public policy have all been affected. Of particular relevance has been the development of a new form of governance viz. networking. Although often seen as a new phenomenon, it has in fact a long history going all the way back to Marshall. What is new however, are attempts by development agencies to capture the advantages presented by these externalities as a deliberate objective of regional development policy. This paper examines the case of Wales in some detail and concludes that although such a policy does work with the grain of modern political economy, it is only really scratching the surface of the problem and in fact contains an inherent contradiction in terms of market behaviour.     

Displayed or Concealed? Cross Cultural Evidence for Symbolic and Ritual Activity Depositing Iron Age Animal Bones

Although Iron Age rituals involving the depositing of animal bones in pits have been discussed intensively in the literature, possible cross-cultural and ethnographic parallels for the symbolism of such activity have been neglected. This paper begins to remedy this deficiency. Archaeological and ethnographic examples occur world-wide, especially relating to the symbolism and treatment of animal heads and crania. They support previous arguments that at least some Iron Age bone deposits involved the renewal and protection of fertility, for example those associated with grain storage pits and other archaeological features, perhaps also foundation deposits, especially at later periods.