title: Sociological explanations of economic growth.
abstract: Even if questions of how resources are distributed within and between societies are the main concern, it is necessary to continue to grapple with the issue of the causes of economic growth since economic growth and level of development continue to be among the most important causes of inequality, poverty, unemployment, and the quality of life.  This paper's dependent variable is the economic growth rate of 55 less developed countries (LDCs) over 2 time periods.  1970-78 and 1965-84.  The causal model consists of control variables--level of development and domestic investment in 1965--and a variety of independent variables drawn from major sociological theories of economic growth published during the last 3 decades.  Multiple regression analysis shows that, net of the effects of the 2 control variables, the variables which have the strongest effect on economic growth are:  1) direct foreign investment, which has a negative effect, 2) the proportion of the population in military service, and 3) the primary school enrollment ratio, both of which have positive effects on economic growth.  On the other hand, variables drawn from some theories receive no empirical support.  The mass media of communications, ethnolinguistic heterogeneity, democracy and human rights, income inequality, and state-centric theory's key variable, state strength, all fail to show any significant impact on economic growth rates when the control variables and the significant independent variables are held constant.  The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marsh
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D001208:Asia; D001211:Asia, Western; D002031:Bulgaria; D003142:Communication; D003469:Culture; D003535:Cyprus; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D006076:Government; D006806:Human Rights; D007843:Latin America; D008402:Mass Media; D008889:Military Personnel; D011057:Politics; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011203:Poverty; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012106:Research; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students
keywords: Africa; Asia; Bulgaria; Capital; Communication; Cultural Background; Cyprus; Data Analysis; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Eastern Europe; Economic Conditions; Economic Development; Economic Factors; Educational Status; Ethnic Groups; Europe; Government; Human Rights; Inequalities; Latin America; Macroeconomic Factors; Mass Media; Mediterranean Countries; Military Personnel; Period Analysis; Political Factors; Population; Population Characteristics; Poverty; Research Methodology; School Enrollment; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Southern Europe; Statistical Regression; Western Asia