Measuring Inequality Flashcards
Why are quality of life or standard of living not comparable?
They are not easy to measure
What can you measure instead of QOL?
Standardised and comparable measures of economic activity
What is GDP per capita?
Measures the total value of goods and services produced in a country over one year per person
what is the problem with single or composite indicators?
they can hide variations within a given population
what is an example of how single/ composite indicators can hide variations?
total economic output of a country may be rising (increased GDP per capita)
however, if rewards of growth are distributed unequally then the indicators will underestimate both the wealth of the wealthiest and the poverty of the poorest.
what else has to be considered for quality of life besides economic activity?
social and environmental factors must be considered
what is an example of a way in which quality of life in measured?
The UN’s Human Development Index
What does the UN’s Human development index measure?
average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development
long and healthy life
knowledge
decent standard of living
what type of indicator is the human development index?
a composite indicator
why is the human development index a composite indicator?
it measures more than one characteristic of country’s standard of living
what is the data range for the human development index?
numerical average between 0 and 1
what are some examples of countries on the Human development index?
Norway- 0.944
Niger- 0.337
was in 2015 so might be slightly dated
What is HDI?
Human development index
what other factors of QOL are there that aren’t easily measured?
Freedom of speech
impact of conflict or corruption
equality of opportunity (gender or racial discrimination)
individual perception (aspirations, future hopes)
Quality of environment
social, economic and environmental sustainability
religion and respect for tradition
why do traditional economic and social indicators of development omit factors such as freedom of speech?
that are hard to measure/ quantify
what did the UN place in the July 2011 development agenda?
happiness
what is the happiness index?
measures sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment and the establishment of good governance.
what country is ranked number one on the happiness scale?
Finland
what is the gender inequality index? (GII)
measures gender disparity: it is a composite measure which captures the loss of achievement within a country due to gender inequality.
What are the three dimensions of the Gender inequality index?
reproductive health
empowerment
labour market participation
what is reproductive health?
measures maternal morality and adolescent fertility rates
What do the UN consider to be a sign of women’s status in society?
Women’s’ health during pregnancy and childbearing
What are high rates of adolescent pregnancy considered to reflect?
low educational opportunities and poor life choices
what is empowerment?
measures female membership of parliament and participation in higher education
what is labour market participation?
accounts for paid work, unpaid work, and actively looking for work and is considered to measure economic aspects of gender inequality
what where the highest and lowest on the gender inequality index?
in 2014 Slovenia ranked highest (lowest in inequality)
Niger and Yemen had the greatest levels of inequality