Defining Development
- Development is defined as:
The progress of a country as it becomes more economically and technologically advanced
- It refers to positive changes in people’s quality of life, such as happiness, educational opportunities, increased incomes, human rights, access to clean water and healthier living conditions
- These different components are not independent of each other but linked. For example, health and the environment are dependent on income, which in turn may impact happiness
- Physical: water supply, housing, power and heat, climate, diet and nutrition, etc
- Social: family and friends, education, health, etc.
- Psychological: happiness, security, freedom, etc.
- Economic: income, job security, standard of living, mobility, etc
- Development does not happen in a smooth, continuous process.
- It can be slowed, halted and even reversed through:
- War/conflict
- Disease
- Disasters
- Economic recession
Strands of Development
- Progress is not just about a country's wealth but also other areas
- These are called strands of development and include:
- Economic: increasing levels of pay, the standard of living and productivity
- Demographic: life expectancy, birth control, the right to migrate
- Social: equal opportunities, access to services such as education and healthcare
- Cultural: education, diversity, traditions and heritage
- Political: free speech, democracy, human rights and the right to vote
- Environmental: pollution controls, conservation
Economic Development
- Economic development is often the key to development in all the other areas
- This is dependent on three things:
- Resources: every country has both natural resources (minerals, soils, climate, etc.) and human resources (workers, capital, technology, etc.)
- Internal boosters: these are things which help to utilise the resources for example, government intervention, businesses
- External boosters: are from outside the country and include Transnational Corporations (TNCs), globalisation and international agencies
- Development can occur through:
- Investment in agriculture (tractors, fertilisers, etc.) improves food supplies, which in turn, improves the health of people
- Improvements in supplies of power to rural areas
- Improvements in access to education for females and overall literacy rates
Development varies
- Levels of development vary on a local, national and international scale
- There are differences between areas of the same city, the same country and between countries
- Germany is more developed than Mexico, but Egypt is less developed than Mexico
Categorising development
- At an international level, the development of a country can be categorised into one of three groups:
- Developing country: a country with low human development (LHD), a poor country. Most people have a poor quality of life with inadequate services and few opportunities
- Emerging country: a country with high and medium human development (HMHD), a recently emerging country. Countries are experiencing rapid economic growth and development based on industrial development. Incomes are rising and most people enjoy a reasonable standard of living
- Developed country: a country with very high human development (VHHD). Countries that have modern industries and people enjoy a good standard of living with relatively high levels of income
- The differences between levels of development is known as the development gap