global inequality and development theory

Question 1

causes of global inequalities

Answer 1

physical/environmental
social
historical
political
economic

Question 2

social/ political causes of global inequalities

Answer 2

• countries that prioritise investment in education and healthcare tend to develop quicker
• pandemics/epidemics- less trade, work, school etc, this can slow down development
• crime rates, high levels of crime can slow development

Question 3

physical/environmental causes of global inequalities (1)

Answer 3

• low lying coastal areas that experience hurricanes or areas that experience frequent/ intense tectonic hazards might struggle to develop due to the cost of having to rebuild and recover

Question 4

physical/environmental causes of global inequality (2)

Answer 4

. access to resources- e.g minerals for mining or oil
. fertile soil- more crop growth for exportation of food

Question 5

physical/environmental causes of global inequality (3)

Answer 5

. landlocked countries- exporting goods by land is much more expensive than exporting by sea and can slow development (e.g Bolivia has a much lower GDP than surrounding countries)
. Topography/ biome- (e.g Boliva, landlocked and surrounded by rainforest and the Andes mountians) this can hinder trade and slow development

Question 6

historical causes of Global inequality (1)

Answer 6

colonisation- there was lots of colonisation by countries such as the UK, France and Spain in the 18th and 19th centuries. These countries exploited their colonies for economic growth which led to faster development in colonising countries and slower development in colonised countries. (not all colonised countries- e.g Singapore, developed slowly- this suggests a range of factors leading to development)

Question 7

how did colonisation affect global inequality?

Answer 7

it leas to unequal trade relationships and neo- colonialism, with the effects of colonisation still impacting many developing coutries even after independence

Question 8

political/ Economic causes for global inequality?

Answer 8

. corruption slows/reverts development
. unstable government can lead to unequal opportunities- setbacks in human rights, for example can slow development
. open/closed economies- countries open to trade might develop faster than closed economies- such as North Korea

Question 9

what is a population pyramid?

Answer 9

a population pyramid shows a country’s population structure. The population is divided into year age groups, it divides males and females and the percentage of each age/sex group is given

Question 10

what are the 2 main sections of a population pyramid?

Answer 10

1. economically active
2. dependent population

Question 11

what does a narrow shape at the top of a population pyramid show?

Answer 11

a low proportion of people living into old age and a high death rate

Question 12

what does a wide base of a population pyramid show?

Answer 12

high birth rate

Question 13

what do indents in a population pyramid show?

Answer 13

higher death rates than normal, from famine, war and disease or through emigration

Question 14

what do bulges in a population pyramid show?

Answer 14

a period of immigration or a baby boom years before

Question 15

what does Rostow’s theory show?

Answer 15

how countries develop through time

Question 16

who was Walt Rostow?

Answer 16

an American economist who worked in the US government after the end of the second world war. He was anti- communist and believed that poverty was the reason why China and other countries had overthrown their governments and become communist.

Question 17

when did Rostow publish his theory and what was it about?

Answer 17

in 1960, he published his theory (Rostow’s model) based on the experience of Europe, North American and Australasia. He believed that countries should pass through 5 stages of development

Question 18

what is the first stage of Rostow’s model?

Answer 18

the traditional society

Question 19

what is the second stage of Rostow’s model

Answer 19

pre-conditions for take off

Question 20

what is the 3rd stage of Rostow’s model

Answer 20

take off

Question 21

what is the 4th stage of Rostow’s model

Answer 21

the drive to maturity

Question 22

what is the 5th stage of Rostow’s model

Answer 22

high mass consumption

Question 23

what is traditional society in Rostow’s model/

Answer 23

most people work in agriculture but produce little surplus (extra food which they could sell). This is a subsistence economy

Question 24

what is pre- conditions for take off in Rostow’s model?

Answer 24

there is a shift from farming to manufacturing, trade increases profits which are invested into new industries and infrastructure. Agriculture produces cash crops for sale

Question 25

what is take off in Rostow's model

Answer 25

growth is rapid, investment and technology create new manufacturing industries. take off requires investment from profits earned from overseas trade

Question 26

what is the drive to maturity in Rostow's model?

Answer 26

a period of growth, technology is used throughout the economy and industries produce consumer goods

Question 27

what is the age of mass consumption in Rostow's model?

Answer 27

a period of comfort, consumers enjoy a wide range of goods. Societies chose hwo to spend wealth, either on military strength, on education and welfare, or on luxuries for the wealthy

Question 28

criticisms of the Rostow model

Answer 28

is is only based on European countries and overlooks other ways in which a country could develop. It also assumes that all countries start with the same resources and other geographical factors (population, climate etc) it also doesn't recognise the impact of colonialism

Question 29

Who was Andre Frank

Answer 29

An economist who, in 1967 developed Frank's dependency theory

Question 30

what is Frank's dependency theory

Answer 30

Frank believed that development was about two types of global region- core and periphery. The core represents the developed, powerful nations of the world (e.g North America, Europe). The periphery consists of other areas, which produce raw materials to sell to the core, the periphery therefore depends on the core for its market

Question 31

explain Frank's dependency theory

Answer 31

In Frank's theory, low value raw materials are traded between the periphery and the core, the core processes these into higher value products and becomes wealthy.

Question 32

why did Frank disagree with Rostow?

Answer 32

Frank disagreed with Rostow because he believed that historical trade was what had made countries poor in the first place. He believed that poorer countries are not similar versions of wealthier countries, but are members of a global economy whose rules are decided by the wealthy

Question 33

what is Neo-colonialism

Answer 33

western nations continuing to control their ex- colonies in the developing world

Question 34

examples of Neo-colonialism

Answer 34

. a debt-aid relationship, developing countries owe money for past loans to developed countries, some places become dependent on foreign aid . poor terms of trade: developing countries export low value commodities (tea, copper, cocoa), but have to import expensive manufactured goods from developed countries . the loss of their brightest and most productive people, who tend to migrate to developed countries if they can

Question 35

criticisms of Frank's theory

Answer 35

- it can be seen to promote core countries and see periphery countries as static and hopeless - it focuses mainly on economic development- not social or political - it is a little too simplistic, evidence shows that development is not stagnant, but rather a process. We have seen countries like India develop rapidly