DVM 2106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Human Development Index, Communitarianism, Capability Approach
21 Jun 2018
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LECTURE 2: Meaning, Measurement and Morality in International Development
Characteristics of the developing world
- Different landscapes – scattered farmlands, densely populated cities, etc.
- Different languages: local, regional and national
- Different religions
- Different activities/opportunities and wealth
- Different political and social groupings
Labelling in international development
- Purpose of labelling (underdeveloped, backward)
Legitimize existing practices
Shape public policy making
Development is measured against a universal standard and those who do not meet the
standard are classified as underdeveloped
Types of labelling:
- First world: developed, industrialized and capitalist countries (North America, Western Europe,
Japan, Australia) – countries that aligned with US block after WW2
New Asian nations: South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore
Newly industrialized include China, India, Mexico, Brazil
- Second world: Former communist-socialist industrial states (Soviet Union, Eastern Europe,
Vietnam, China)
- Third world: Underdeveloped/developing world in Africa, Asia and Latin America
- Fourth world: Indigenous peoples who make up 300-600 million of the world’s population
Criteria for division
- Underdevelopment: inadequate food, disease, primitive economic life, poverty
- Development: scientific advancement and industrial progress
- Process: imperialism/colonialism (European colonies in Africa and Asia… backward/uneven
development
World Bank classification
- Low-income countries
- Lower-middle income countries
find more resources at oneclass.com
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- Upper-middle income countries (first three are developing)
- High-income countries
- OECD high-income
New labelling in international development
- Global North: countries with high HDI (NA, Western Europe, Japan)
- Global South: Low HDI (Latin America, South Asia, Middle East, Africa)
- One/third: social minorities
- Two/third: social majorities
- This labelling in development provides a neutral way of referring countries as it emphasizes geo-
political characteristics over others
Growth as development
- Growth = development (1950-60)
- GDP per capita: measure of the average wealth in a country
- Increase in GDP due to increased productivity in agriculture, increased natural resource
extraction and increased industrialization
- Assumption of trickle-down
- Development as westernization
- Growth doesn’t tell everything about poverty; nor does it reduce it
Inequality
- Distribution of income
- Share of wealth by rich and poor… example wealthiest 20% and poorest 40%
- Gini coefficient (0 – 1)
- Income inequality: direct link between GDP per capita and number of people living in poverty
Challenges of income inequality
- Inequality often manifested in access to basic services such as healthcare
- Negative impact on the already disadvantaged ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups
- Negative impact on social capital (which is the extent to which individuals are willing to
cooperate in the pursuit of shared goals thought to be essential to the development of a civic
and democratic culture)
- Privileged minority lead luxurious lives while vast majority live in poverty
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Lecture 2: meaning, measurement and morality in international development. Different landscapes scattered farmlands, densely populated cities, etc. Development is measured against a universal standard and those who do not meet the standard are classified as underdeveloped. First world: developed, industrialized and capitalist countries (north america, western europe, Japan, australia) countries that aligned with us block after ww2. New asian nations: south korea, taiwan and singapore. Newly industrialized include china, india, mexico, brazil. Second world: former communist-socialist industrial states (soviet union, eastern europe, Third world: underdeveloped/developing world in africa, asia and latin america. Fourth world: indigenous peoples who make up 300-600 million of the world"s population. Underdevelopment: inadequate food, disease, primitive economic life, poverty. Process: imperialism/colonialism (european colonies in africa and asia backward/uneven development. Global north: countries with high hdi (na, western europe, japan) Global south: low hdi (latin america, south asia, middle east, africa)
