ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book demonstrates the value that interpretive economics holds for development studies and practitioners. It discusses theoretical advances, identifies fruitful directions for development policy, and renders visible some of the cultural work that should be supported rather than ignored and disparaged. The book provides a list of recommendations and suggestions for development professionals, who wish to incorporate culture into their analyses and cultural work into their menu of practice. The utilitarian predilections, combined with the instrumentalism of the social science disciplines that dominate the study of economies, mean that even converts to interpretative economics have to be diligent about reminding themselves about the significance of culture. Few Brazilians or Vietnamese would likely declare how they hold certain assumptions about modernity, tradition, and their proper relationship.
