Health State of Human Capital in the Economic Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18662/po/102Keywords:
economic theory, health, human capital, economic growth,Abstract
The importance of human capital for economic well-being is historic. Theories show that people's development is the basis for the sustainable growth of the economy. The state of health of the population has always influenced the economic state and was also influenced by the economy; thus, in the context of a precarious economy, lack of food and low levels of living lead to various diseases, as in France, eighteenth century to the revolution of 1789, there have been 30 years of famine and disease caused by lack of food, which has stagnated economic evolution. Thus, the topic of actuality, regarding the field of economic growth and the increasing integration of human health in this process, are the premises of a complex analysis of an interdisciplinary approach. The importance of the topic is derived from understanding the health of human capital as a resource for the development of society and not as a resource consumer while understanding the role of the individual decision in managing their health. Beyond the individual perspective on health, its subjective perception and individual decision-making for the choice of behavior that maximizes health, the state can be an important factor in ensuring the functioning of national health systems. The main objective of this paper is to identify, based on the specialized literature consulted on the impact of human capital and, in particular, its health, on economic growth, by analyzing the ways and the factors by which human capital influences economic activity.
References
Barro, R. J., & Sala-i-Martin, X. (1995). Economic growth. New York, USA: McGrawHill.
Becker, G. S. (1964). Human capital. A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (3rd ed.). Chicago, USA: The University of Chicago Press.
Benhabib, J., & Spiegel, M. M. (1994). The role of human capital in economic development: Evidence from aggregate cross-country data. Journal of Monetary Economics, 34(2), 143 – 173. doi:10.1016/0304-3932(94)90047-7
Blaug, M. (1976). The empirical status of Human Capital Theory: A slightly jaundiced survey. Journal of Economic Literature, 14(3), 827 – 855. doi:10.11126/stanford/9780804755405.003.0006
Denison, E. F. (1967). Why growth rates differ. Washington, USA: Brookings Institute.
Drucker, P. (1993). Management: Tasks, responsabilities, practices. New York, USA: Harper Business.
Ehrlich, I., & Chuma, H. (1990). A model of the demand for longevity and the value of life extension. Journal of Political Economy, 98(4), 761 –782. doi:10.1086/261705
Engelbrecht, H. J. (2003). Human capital and economic growth: cross-section evidence for OECD countries. The Economic Record, 79(SS), 40 – 51. doi:10.1111/1475-4932.00090
Fuchs, V. R. (1966). The contribution of health services to the american economy. The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 44(4), 65 – 103. doi:10.2307/3349060
Galama, T. J. (2015). A contribution to health-capital theory. Working Papers. Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group (pp. 1– 47), doi:10.7249/wr831
Grossman, M. (1972). On the concept of health capital and the demand for health. The Journal of Political Economy, 80(2), 223 – 255. doi:10.1086/259880
Hanushek, E. A., & Kimko, D. D (2000). Schooling, labor-force quality, and the growth of nations. The American Economic Review, 90(5), 1184- 1208. doi:10.1257/aer.90.5.1184
Hendricks, L. (2002). How important is human capital for development? Evidence from immigrant earnings. The American Economic Review, 92(1), 198 – 219. doi:10.1257/000282802760015676
Kuznets, S. (1955). Economic growth and income inequality. The American Economic Review, 45(1), 1 – 28.
Kuznets, S. (1966). Modern economic growth: Rate, structure and spread. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press.
Ljungberg, J., & Smits, J. P. (2005). Technology and human capital in historical perspective. New York, USA: Palgrave Macmillian.
Lucas, Jr., R. E. (1988). On the mechanics of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics, 22(1), 3 – 42. doi:10.1016/0304-3932(88)90168-7
Lucas, Jr., R. E. (1990). Why doesn’t capital flow from rich to poor countries?. The American Economic Review, 80(2), 92 – 96. doi:10.4324/9781912281152
Marshall, A. (2013). Principles of economics (8th ed.). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Marx, K. (1953). Capital: The critique of the political economy (3rd ed.). Bucharest, Romania: Editura de Stat pentru Literatură Politică.
Mill, S. J. (2000). The political philosophy of John Stuart Mill. Iaşi, Romania: Polirom.
Mushkin, S. J. (1962). Health as an investment. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5), 129 – 157. doi:10.1086/258730
Schultz, T. W. (1961). Investment in human capital. The American Economic Review, 51(1), 1-17.
Schultz, T. W. (1960). Capital formation by education. Journal of Political Economy, 68(6), 571 – 583. doi:10.1086/258393
Schumpeter, J. A. (2003). Capitalism, socialism and democracy. London, UK: Routlege.
Sianesi, B., & Van Reenen, J. (2003). The returns to education: A review of the macroeconomic literature. London, UK: Centre for the Economics of Education, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Smith, A. (2011). The wealth of nations. Bucharest, Romania: Public.
Wagstaff, A. (1986). The demand for health: Some new empirical evidence. Journal of Health Economics, 5(3), 195 – 233. doi:10.1016/0167-6296(86)90015-9
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant this journal right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work, with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as an earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Postmodern Openings Journal has an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND