A2 Geography: Development

A2 Geography: Development

1. Development Indicators

   • Economic
     • GDP
       • Per capita
       • from agriculture
       • from industry
       • from services
     • GNI
       • Per capita
   • Demographic
     • total population
     • population density
     • dependency ratio
     • birth rate
     • death rate
     • urban population
     • life expectancy
   • Political
     • turnout rates in elections
     • electorate numbers
   • Social
     • HDI
     • GDI (gender)
     • food intake (cal per day per capita)
     • doctors per 100,000
     • adults living with HIV/AIDS
     • adult literacy rate
     • motor vehicles per 1,000
     • internet usage per 1,000
     • enrolment rates
   • Cultural
     • migration flows
       • net immigration
       • net emigration
     • census
       • religion
       • family size
     • urban population

2. Changes associated with development

   • Economic
     • shift in employment
       • from agriculture to manufacturing and services
     • increase in productivity
     • international trade expands
     • income inequality often widens
     • manufacturing more technologically focused
       • higher value added
   • Demographic
     • mortality rates fall
       • improved living standard
       • medical technology more available
     • fertility declines
       • availability of artificial contraception
       • lower infant mortality rates
     • increased life expectancy
     • changes summarised in DTM
   • Social
     • secondary education widely available
       • especially to girls
     • changing values and lifestyles
       • decreased tribal focus
       • become more 'western'
         • due to marketing of western consumer products
     • narrowing gender inequality
     • growing urban population
   • Political
     • education more universal
     • pressure for improved governance
       • move towards democracy
       • free elections
       • increased exposure to modern media
         • internet
         • television

3. Modernisation

   • becoming more modern as a country develops
     • being like the 'west'
   • Economic terms
     • commercial rather than subsistence
     • industrialisation
     • urbanisation
     • increased use of technology and scientific principles
     • economic changes reflected within social and cultural spheres
   • Social terms
     • importance of class groups
     • lower importance of tribal affiliations
   • Political terms
     • democratically elected governments
     • less tribal/religious forms of organisation
   • many theorists attempted to model this form of development
     • best known is Walt Rostow
       • The Stages of Economic Growth (1960)

4. Measurement of development

   • GNP
     • Gross National Product
     • measures value of all goods/services claimed by residents
       • regardless of location of production
   • GDP
     • Gross Domestic Product
     • measures value of all goods/services produced
       • does not matter if company/individual profiting is national or foreign
     • look at GDP of countries lower down development continuum
       • shows investment being put into country
       • shows true economic growth
     • GNP per capita
       • advantages as measure of development
         • quantitative data
           • easy to compare and contrast
         • easily complete statistical analysis
         • easily present data
           • graphical format
           • cartographic format
         • key measure of economic development
           • assume 'trickle effect'
       • disadvantages as measure of development
         • informal economies not taken into account
           • disadvantageous to LDCs due to nomadic and subsistence farming
         • inflation increases GDP
           • even if output has not
         • mean/average figure
           • skewed by rich
             • masks inequalities
         • does not allow qualitative perspective
         • variations in currency not taken into account
           • cost of living varies between countries
         • LDCs investment or economic growth facilitated by TNCs/external investment not included
           • difficult to compare economic growth
   • HDI
     • Human Development Index
     • 3 variables
       • Income (GDP per capita)
       • Knowledge
         • adult literacy rate
         • percentage of children attending school
       • longevity (life expectancy at birth)
     • calculating HDI
       • highest and lowest value of each variable for all countries found
       • country give result between 0 and 1
         • 1 highest and 0 lowest
       • scores for each 3 variables averaged out to give total HDI
     • advantages
       • easy to understand
       • provides basis for ranking countries
       • enables comparisons of performance over time
       • gives general indication of development
       • enables analysis within indicator
     • disadvantages
       • generalised measure
       • use averages and aggregate data
       • obscure nature and causes of development
       • conceals geographical and social variations and inequalities
       • accuracy of official data not always assured