Jakubowska - Key Idea 5

Question 1

Background to Eritrea

Answer 1

• A low income country (219th in the world by GDP per capita ($1,300))
• PPD nation with 80% employed in agriculture
• Agriculture only makes up 12.5% of GDP.
• Unemployment at 10%
• Significant trade deficit ($500 million)
• 50% below poverty line
• 42% have access to no form of improved water supply

Question 2

What is technology and how is it important to development?

Answer 2

Technology is important for globalised economies. Countries/ communities which have no access to technologies are not connected. Creates a 4th world (the countries most excluded (Castells)) UN claimed internet access is a basic human right.

Question 3

Why is Eritrea ‘the least connected country on earth’?

Answer 3

• Less than 1% have access to the internet
• Government put incredibly high prices on broadband/landline connections
• One of only 2 coastal African nations with no fibre connection
• TNC’s wont invest due to lack of technology despite Eritreas coastal location.

Question 4

What are leapfrogging technologies?

Answer 4

A technology you can jump to without having had the technologies before. E.g skipping landlines and going straight to mobiles (Thus bypassing a stage)
Saves huge amounts of R&D spending. Farmers in India can use mobiles to check crop prices/weather etc.

Question 5

What are the drawbacks of technology?

Answer 5

1) Cultural homogenisation (Escobar) makes us all the same

2) Technofix. People assume technology will solve a problem thus ignoring the problem.

Question 6

Why do drug patents cause an outflow of wealth?

Answer 6

• They prevent mass production of a product which means less benefits of it.
• Can stall development as nobody can afford to buy the drug which leads to wasted economic productivity.