Social Factors Flashcards
Values, cultures and traditions
The term culture includes a society’s or community’s value systems and beliefs. Since culture and traditions help shape and condition the values of ethics of society, they also have an impact on the social and economic aspects of their lives.
How can values, cultures and traditions promote development?
A culture clear of corrupt practices and with an ethos conducive to innovation, entrepreneurship, gender equality and racial harmony augments the attractiveness of a country as a destination for investments (FDI) as well as a favorable location for setting up operations for companies/institutions/organizations.
Culture could also be used to attract tourism – a major revenue earner for many states.
How can values, cultures and traditions promote development?
Trade union culture, strikes, loss of labor hours and a lack of discipline are all cultural attributes that deter both interest and investments in society (capital flight).
Some suggest that religion is a limiting factor on development while others believe it improves productivity.
Gender
Gender roles are integral to culture. Some societies adhere to strict gender roles while others are more egalitarian.
How can gender roles promote development?
A society in which women have rights and access to opportunities provides an environment for the expansion of capabilities (i.e ability to read/write, have a long and healthy life, earn a respectable living and take part in decision-making)
Empowering women will generate additional income and productivity, and create employment
The most productive, and also most developed, states are the ones that mobilize the productive capacity of its entire population, regardless of gender.
The contribution of the many roles that women can play in development cannot be disputed
How can gender roles inhibit development?
In some cultures, women are relegated to domestic tasks and child care. This effectively removes women from the work force and limits the overall productivity of society.
Women are unable to realize their potential (impedes human development)
Discriminated against in terms of education, property, employment opportunities, economic freedom and empowerment
Contradicts feminist critical theory
Migration
Crossing the boundary of a political or administrative unit for a certain minimum period of time. This includes movements of refugees and uprooted displaced people as well as migrants. One of the main variables encompassing globalization
How can migration promote development?
Migration can bolster economic growth and the development of a recipient country simply due to the fact that it involves the transfer of skilled workforce as well as labor force, both of which are required to increase productivity and GDP.
Migrants often send remittances back to their home country, providing their family with necessary resources and paving the way for them to come out of poverty.
Migration adds to the GDP and foreign exchange of both the recipient and home country
How can migration inhibit development
Loss of human resource – both skilled and unskilled labor. Brain drain takes away the valuable human resource and country can exploit to its advantage. The presence of large number of immigrants sometimes leads to social unrest in the host country
Low levels of development in the host country, as immigrants leave in an attempt to realize their potential as the prerequisites to live a desirable life are not present in the host country.
