Unit 5.1 Flashcards
Development
Refers to an improvement in the quality and quantity of life. It includes social development, economic development, environmental sustainability, as well as other factors that may be considered important in improving people’s quality of life and standard of living, including peace and stability, gender equality, happiness, legal rights etc.
Sustainable Development
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It includes social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Human development index.
Composite measure of development taking into account three indicators
1. Health aspect is measured by life expectancy at birth.
2. The education aspect is assessed by the mean number of years of schooling for adulits over 25 and for kids entering school.
3. The standard of living dimension is assessed by the Gross National Income per capita
Advantages of HDI
Its a composite measure and thus gives a fair representation of a country’s level of development
Can be compared with other indicators for comparison with the level of development of other countries
Advantages of HDI
Its a composite measure and thus gives a fair representation of a country’s level of development
Can be compared with other indicators for comparison with the level of development of other countriesd
Disadvantages of HDI
It is difficult to calculate/measure the variables accurately since data collection is expensive and time-consuming.
All countries have a formal and an informal economy and in some countries, the informal economy is not captured in the economic records of the government. ie. in calculating the GDP. As a result, obtaining accurate data from some developing countries can be difficult.
Gender related development index
This measures achievements in the same dimensions as the HDI, however, it measures the disparities between men and women. It considers three dimensions: long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living.
Gender Inequality Index
reproductive health, measured by maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates
empowerment, measured by the proportion of parliamentary seats occupied by females and the proportion of adult females and males aged 25 years and older with at least some secondary education
economic status expressed as labour market participation and measured by the labour force participation rate of female and male populations aged 15 years and older.
Strengths of GII
GII helps to expose the differences in the distribution of achievements between women and men.
It measures the human development costs of gender inequality. Thus, the higher the GII value the greater the disparities between females and males and the greater the loss to human development.
Weaknesses of GII`
Data collection can be quite tricky in a country with a large informal sector which is dominated by uneducated women
In societies with the low status of women, it can be difficult for women to participate in some sectors of the economy such as politics and technical disciplines. Consequently, the data obtained might not give a true reflection of the level of gender equality in a country
Gender Empowerment Measure
This reveals whether women can take an active part in economic or political life.
It shows the level of inequality in opportunities for men and women in selected areas, by considering factors such as participation and gender (in)equality in decision-making (economic and political).
This is achieved by considering the number of female parliamentarians, the number of female workers
Strengths of GEM
It gives an indication of the level of involvement of women in decision making
It will indicate the level of education in a country, if women are educated, that is when they will be able to take part in decision-making.
Weaknesses of GEM
it is a single measure of development other indicators are important such as environmental sustainability.
