Becoming Applied: The Transformation of Economics after 1970

Roger Backhouse and Beatrice Cherrier

Discussion Papers from Department of Economics, University of Birmingham

Abstract: This paper conjectures that economics has changed profoundly since the 1970s and that these changes involve a new understanding of the relationship between theoretical and applied work. Drawing on an analysis of John Bates Clark medal winners, it is suggested that the discipline became more applied, applied work being accorded a higher status in relation to pure theory than was previously the case. Discussing new types of applied work, the changing context of applied work, and new sites for applied work, the paper outlines a research agenda that will test the conjecture that there has been a changed understanding of the nature of applied work and hence of economics itself.

Keywords: Applied economics; theory; Clark Medal; JEL codes; core; policy; computation; data; econometrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A10 B20 B40 C00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2014-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-pke
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Working Paper: Becoming Applied: The Transformation of Economics after 1970 (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bir:birmec:14-11

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