Economic progress cannot be separated from cultural values in understanding the history of any society. This message was frequently emphasized by the great development economist Peter Bauer who studied economic progress in Africa extensively. Unlike many economists, Bauer noticed that economic progress called for tradeoffs with other values that African societies held dear. For example, he argued that if African societies placed no value on private property rights and wished instead to hold all property in common, that was their choice, and they should be free to make it. Economic progress in Africa was championed by Western governments and global institutions such as the World Bank, who attached no significance to African culture and had no concerns about destroying African village life.