ABSTRACT
If development is regarded as an open, spontaneous, indeterminate and unpredictable process, the only societies with a chance of holding their own in this process are those which cope with constant change by being open rather than shutting themselves off and inventing all manner of taboos. A system in which there is no place for the unpredictable will be brought down by the changes around it. Market economies are open systems; they represent a framework that permits societies to react “productively” to problems, desires and challenges. However, the degree of openness that market economies actually demonstrate not only differs from one country to another but also varies appreciably over time.
