Introduction to Development
IB GLOBAL POLITICS
Key Concepts
Development
Globalisation
Sustainability
Inequality
What is development?
u Arrange countries on clipboard from highest to lowest “development”.
u No time to looks things up…quick exercise based on your impressions.
u What criteria did you use to arrange the countries?
u How did you interpret the term “development?
u If you used a different definition of development, how might your arrangement of
the countries be different?
Economic Development
u Most common definition.
u An economy is simply a human system in which goods and services are produced,
distributed, and consumed.
u One may think economic development is about money, but in reality, it is about
value and productivity.
Common Economic Indicators
GDP – Gross
Unemployment Stock market Retail sales
Domestic Product -
rate which indexes, which indicates how
total value of
measures the % of indicate the value much people are
goods and services
the population that of company stocks buying finished
produced within a
is not working at a (e.g. Dow Jones, goods and services
country in one
job. Lower Nasdaq). Growth in in the
year. Does not
unemployment stock prices economy. The
measure money,
rates are better indicate growing more retail sales
but rather the
since it means investor that occur, the
dollar value of all
more people being confidence in the “healthier” the
produced goods
productive. economy. economy.
and services.
Are economic indicators enough to determine if a country has achieved a high level of
achievement? Why or why not?
Human
Development
How many of the above needs can economic development “buy”?
UN Human Development Index
u Annual index since 1990.
u From the ideas of Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen (economists/philosophers).
u Expanding people’s choices that enables them to:
u Lead longer, healthier lives
u Gain knowledge
u Comfortable standard of living.
u Encompasses other factors such as gainful employment, breathing fresh air, having
political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and personal self-respect.
HDI – Focus on Human Beings
u Economic growth does not necessarily mean an improvement in people’s standard
of living.
u Income disparities, weak governance, corruption, concentration of power in the
hands of a few would not allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of higher GNP.
u Growth has to be evenly distributed, needs to improve human lives, and should be
sustainable in the long run.
u Therefore, human development cannot be achieved in a vacuum – requires
changes in the economic, social, and political systems of a country.
Long and healthy life
Directly enhancing
Knowledge
human capabilities
Decent standard of living
Dimensions of human
development
Participation in political and community life
Creating conditions for Environmental sustainability
human development Human security and rights
Gender equality
Check the GDP and the HDI of some of the countries you’ve arranged by level of development.
Is there a correlation in the rankings? Are there any surprises?
Social and economic development
while ensuring environmental
protection for future generations.
Sustainable
Recognition that resources are finite
Development and must be used with caution and
care.
Sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
-Our Common Future by the World Commission on Environment and Development 1990
Interlinked Areas of Sustainable Development
Economic Environmental
Social Development
Development Protection
• Needs like medical • Higher standard of • There are limited
care, food, housing, living requires the resources and a need
sanitation must be met generation of wealth for clean water, air,
equally for all. through economic land, and adequate
• Pursuit of higher activity. food.
standard of living • Sustainable • Need to protect
should not economies have to be environment for the
exploit/harm others. competitive in the future – curb global
• Social development world market. warming and
promotes equality, deforestation.
education, and
participation in local
communities.
“For most of the last century, economic growth was fuelled by what
seemed to be a certain truth: the abundance of natural resources. We
mined our way to growth. We burned our way to prosperity. We
UN Secretary General believed in consumption without consequences. Those days are gone.
Ban Ki-Moon Over time, that model is…a global suicide pact. So what do we do in
Davos, 2011 this current challenging situation? How do we create growth in a
resource constrained environment? How do we lift people out of
poverty while protecting the planet and ecosystems that support
economic growth? How do we regain the balance?
It is easy to mouth the words “sustainable development”, but to make it
In small groups, suggest five ways happen we have to be prepared to make major changes — in our
in which development can go lifestyles, our economic models, our social organization, and our
hand-in-hand with sustainable political life.
development. Post ideas on
We are running out of time. Time to tackle climate change. Time to
shared Google doc. ensure sustainable, climate-resilient green growth.
Time to generate a clean energy revolution. The sustainable
development agenda is the growth agenda for the 21st century.”
UN Sustainable
Developments Goals (SDGs)
u [Link]
atch?v=89tInECFdQ4&t=167s
u The UN Sustainable
Development Goals
(UNSDG) were adopted
by the UN General
Assembly in 2015. They
outline 17 goals for
sustainable development
and member states of the
UN were asked to commit
themselves to achieving
them.
u Using the SDG website
and the tracker, explore
one of the goals (Google
classroom)
Keep in mind…Sample IB Questions
1. “Definitions of development that stress meeting basic needs should be
replaced with definitions that focus on well-being.” Discuss this statement.
2. Discuss the view that development damages well-being.
3. Evaluate the claim that the challenges of sustainability mean that
development may no longer be possible.