Understanding Global & Local Inequalities: A Guide to Development
Understanding Global & Local Inequalities
Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
More Economically Developed Countries (MEDC):
- High life expectancy.
- Export manufactured goods.
- Compulsory secondary education.
- Low birth rate.
- High status for women.
- High employment rate in tertiary sector.
- High number of elderly people.
Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDC):
- Poor healthcare.
- Export of mainly primary products.
- High infant mortality rate.
- Low life expectancy.
- Low literacy rates.
- High employment rate in the primary sector.
- High proportion of young people.
- Limited access to clean water.
The Challenge: Taking Action Against Inequality
Students will participate in a campaign with the Alboan NGO to help people in Congo affected by the Coltan conflict mineral used in mobile phones. The campaign aims to collect and recycle mobiles to raise funds and support these communities.
Glocalities: Global and Local Inequalities
Learn about global and local inequalities in our globalized world, understand their causes and consequences, and discover how to make a positive impact.
Globalization: Key Concepts
- Interdependence
- Technological advances
- Medical advances
- Cultural diversity
- Interculturalism
- Illness
- Communication networks
- Political globalization
- Open markets
- Information exchange
Free Trade vs. Fair Trade
Free Trade: International buying and selling of goods without restrictions or special taxes.
Fair Trade: Ensures fair prices for farmers in LEDCs, promotes sustainable practices, and improves working conditions and community development.
Benefits of Fair Trade:
- Minimum environmental damage
- Minimum health and safety standards
- Improved quality of life for workers and their children
- Equal rights for women and no child labor
- Direct support for growers
Development Indicators: Measuring Progress
Economic Development Factors:
- Membership of the UN
- Unemployment
- Number of multinational headquarters
- GNI (Gross National Income)
- Car ownership
- Percentage working in agriculture
Human Development Factors:
- Clean water
- Ratio of doctors to inhabitants
- Good communications
- Freedom
- Life expectancy
- Rights for women
- Literacy
- Democracy level
- Equality
- Human rights
- Population
- Shelter
- Infant mortality
- Education
What is Development?
Economic Development: Measures a country’s wealth and how it’s generated.
Human Development: Measures people’s access to wealth, jobs, knowledge, nutrition, health, leisure, safety, and political and cultural freedom.
Geographers use various development indicators to measure economic and human development.
Key Definitions
- Gross National Income (GNI): Total income of a country, including goods, services, and foreign income.
- GNI per capita: GNI divided by the population.
- Literacy rate: Percentage of the population aged 15 and older who can read and write.
- Life expectancy: Expected lifespan of a newborn infant.
- Infant mortality rate: Number of infant deaths per 1000 live births.
- Human Development Index (HDI): Measures average achievement in health, knowledge, and standard of living.
United Nations Millennium Goals: Addressing Global Poverty
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international goals established in 2000 to reduce global poverty and inequality.
The Goals:
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
- Achieve universal primary education.
- Promote gender equality and empower women.
- Reduce child mortality.
- Improve maternal health.
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
- Ensure environmental sustainability.
- Develop a global partnership for development.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Fighting for Change
NGOs are non-profit citizen groups that work on local, national, and international levels to address various issues, including inequality.
Conclusion: Understanding the Complexities of Inequality
The campaign highlights the negative consequences of globalization, where multinational corporations from MEDCs may exploit LEDC populations for profit. The main indexes for measuring economic development are GDP and GNI, while the HDI provides a more comprehensive measure of human development.