Global development topic 1

Question 1

What does economic growth lead to?

Answer 1

A rise in living standards and less poverty.

Question 2

What is a criticism of economic growth leading to a rise in living standards and less poverty?

Answer 2

Not everyone will benefit equally and some people may lose out.

Question 3

What does social development cover?

Answer 3

1. Health
2. Education
3. Democracy.
4. Human rights
5. Gender equality.
6. Happiness and wellbeing.

Question 4

What is the GNI

Answer 4

The total value of good and services produced by a country in a year.

Question 5

Why do sociologists use GNI with caution?

Answer 5

1. Economic growth does not cover all aspects of economic development. This does not mean that things like education and health are improving.
2. It is an average of the whole population so it conceals things such as inequalities. A high GNI does not mean a high standard of living for everyone in the population.
3. It only accounts for what has happened in the ‘official economy’. Therefore it leaves out things such as growing food for one’s own consumption. These are often carried out by women so therefore the GNI can be seen as gender bias.
4. Continuous economic growth is unlikely to mean sustainable development. It can often be accompanied by things such as a rising crime rates and the loss of community as well as environmental degradation.
5. It is difficult to calculate it accurately. I.e in 2006 Ghana’s was recalculated and was 60% higher than previously thought.

Question 6

What are some commonly used measures when looking at sustainable development?

Answer 6

1. Education: % of children attending school & the proportion of people who can read and write.
2. Health: Child + infant mortality rates. Mortality rates in general and the ratio of doctors and hospitals in comparison to the population.
3. Democracy: Whether or not there are free and fair elections.
4. Gender equality: Difference between males and females in education, health, politics and other measures.

Question 7

Who produced the Human development index?

Answer 7

The united nations.

Question 8

How is the human development index measured?

Answer 8

1. Material standard of living (GNI per capita)
2. Education
3. Health

Question 9

What three indices does the human development report include?

Answer 9

1. The multidimensional poverty index: It looks at poverty through measures of health, education and living standards.
2. The gender inequality index: This measures the disadvantages that women face.
3. The inequality-adjusted human development index: If a countries people are all equal the IHDI is the same as its HDI.

Question 10

When were the MDGs meant to be achieved by?

Answer 10

2015

Question 11

What was set up in 2015 in order to replace the MDGs?

Answer 11

Sustainable development goals.

Question 12

How many sustainable development goals were there?

Answer 12

17.

Question 13

Are the South the rich or the poor countries?

Answer 13

Poor.

Question 14

What fraction of the world’s population does Collier’s ‘Bottom billion’ account for?

Answer 14

1/6 th

Question 15

What was colliers view on the Millennium development goals?

Answer 15

They were misguided as the needed to be focuses on the bottom billion only.

Question 16

What was the Marshall plan?

Answer 16

This rebuilt shattered economies of Western European countries such as France and England after the 2nd world war.

It is believed that as this worked for the first world countries it is likely to work for the third world ones too.

Question 17

What key sociologist can the Modernisation theory be linked to?

Answer 17

Rostow’s model of the five stages of development.

Question 18

What are the criticisms of the Modernisation theory?

Answer 18

1. It can be seen as an ethnocentric approach.
2. It argues that the only was that development will take place is to follow in the footsteps of the North.
3. It is based on whether the economy is a mass consumer.

Question 19

What do Modernisation theorists believe impedes development?

Answer 19

1. Traditional values.
2. Lack of Western values i.e deferred gratification.
3. A high birth-rate.
4. A shortage of people with entrepreneurial skills, and the desire to compete and succeed within business.
5. A lack of the necessary institutions and organisations for economic growth.
6. A lack of technology.

Question 20

What are some methods of helping countries transition their values from traditional to modern?

Answer 20

1. Cities could act as centers of western values.
2. Education
3. Mass media.

Question 21

What do dependency theorists believe thwarts development?

Answer 21

Obstacles being imposed from the outside rather than from within:

1. Colonialism: It never ended but instead it brought about neo-colonialism. This is where the conditions were the same but it was less direct and obvious.
2. The world capitalist system which they need to break away from.

Question 22

What does the Dependency theorist Chang say?

Answer 22

The developed countries have made the poorer countries poor. It is also within their interests to keep them poor- Chang.

Question 23

What do Dependency theorist say about history in relation to the underdeveloped countries?

Answer 23

It is essential to look at history when understanding the situation that they are in today. I.e:

1. Mercantile capitalism: Merchants in Europe would travel the world in search of things like cloth, spice and jewels. This period also saw the beginning of the slave trade, and the triangular trade. A minority of Spanish explorers would loot treasures from others.
2. Colonialism: Colonial powers took their toll over different parts of the world rather than simply trading with them. They were exploited for things such as cheap food and labour. Industries such as the cotton one in India was destroyed. Borders were imposed which bore no consideration to where people lived. Cash crops were also introduced.
3. Neo-colonialism; People in the colonies had been influenced by the ideas of equality and freedom. In some cases lots of wars were fought. However, according to Dependency theorists they gave up their political control but not their economic control. They also had to overcome things such as colonial ideology.

Question 24

What type of relationship are Developing countries locked into?

Answer 24

One sided relationships.

Question 25

State the ways in which neo-colonialism works today? (5)

Answer 25

1. Tied aid.
2. Political alliances through which developed countries dominate the developing ones.
3. TNCs
4. terms of trade.
5. Global finance debt.

Question 26

How to Dependency theorists argue that developing countries can develop?

Answer 26

By taking action itself rather than relying on the outside world for help.

1. Development needing to be led by the state itself
2. Isolation: This can be disastrous for example China’s great leap forward.
3. Breaking away at a time when colonial powers are weak. I.e during a war or recession.
4. ‘Associated development’ or ‘dependant development’ . Some Dependency theorists suggested that limited development is possible when remaining locked in the capitalist system.

Question 27

What is the Traditional Marxist approach for development?

Answer 27

They see capitalism as the best way forward to develop. However, this involved inequalities. The wealth can then be evenly distributed later on.

Question 28

What were the reasons for Theory Impasse?

Answer 28

1. The failure of development: In the 1980s there is now what is known as the ‘Lost decade’. Modernisation theorists also could not understand the lack of ability to ‘take off’.
2. Postmodernism: Science began to undermine metanarratives. It was also solely based upon western values.
3. Social scientists began to discuss globalisation: It was not all accepted as a real phenomenon.
4. Environmentalism: There was a growing concern that globalisation meant industrialisation which therefore meant environmental degradation & it would not be sustainable.

Question 29

What was people centered development a reaction against?

Answer 29

The ways that development has been targeted until then. It usually involved large scale projects that did not seem to be lifting people out of poverty.

Question 30

What do people centered development theorists believe that development should be based upon?

Answer 30

1. Sustainability: Locally sourced and renewable resources + local knowledge and skills.
2. Participation: Communities being able to set their own goals and take decisions about their own lives.
3. Justice: Including for example democratic decision making & the involvement of all groups i.e women who had previously been excluded.
4. Meeting people’s basic needs.

Question 31

Who are people-centered development projects usually run by?

Answer 31

Non-governmental organisations. They tend to be more small scale as they focus on local communities.

Question 32

What does Neo-liberalism advocate?

Answer 32

A lesser role for government & less government spending.

Question 33

What do environmentalists argue about development?

Answer 33

That it needs to be sustainable. We also now need a ‘degrowth’ - A reduction in production and consumption which they say would be compatible with increased happiness and wellbeing.

Question 34

What do Post-development theorists argue?

Answer 34

Escobar- Accepts that changes are needed but that people need to be fully involved in these changes.

Is the term development useful at all because it is based on western superiority.

Question 35

What do Neoliberal theories argue about development?

Answer 35

They see the reasons for a lack of development as being internal, but it focuses on economic policies and institutions which are seen as holding back development due to the free market.

They need capitalism in order to generate development. This is because it will generate wealth that will eventually tickle down to the rest of that country.

Question 36

State seven of the neo-liberal policies:

Answer 36

1. Privatisation: Selling to companies and investors that had been owned and run by the state i.e telecommunications.
2. Cutting subsidies: the gov kept the price of essentials such as food down.
3. Getting rid of parastatal institutions/ marketing boards.
4. Cutting state spending, especially on welfare so that the state would be less important in the economy.
5. Cutting taxes: Leaving people free to spend their money rather than the government taking a large share of it, and then spending it.
6. Free trade: Removing tariffs and restrictions on both imports and exports.
7. Integration into the global economy.

Question 37

Can neo liberal policies be introduced as part of SAPs?

Answer 37

Yes.

Question 38

Who are SAPs created by?

Answer 38

IMF

Question 39

What is the Washington consensus?

Answer 39

It is a set of Neo-liberal policies that were argued to be essential in order to reform economies and prompting development.