topic 5

• The UN sustainable goals

  • Agreed in 2016 – still subject to refinement & improvement as methods & data availability improves
• The human development Index (HDI)

  Composite measure of development. Includes three basic components of human development: Life expectancy, Education index, Standard of living
• The human development Index (HDI) is more reliable than single indicators such as gross national income (GNI) per head
• The human development Index (HDI) range

  Varies between 1.0 – 0 → 1 being maximum → Norway highest (0.944)
• The human poverty index (HPI)

  Measures deprivation in same dimensions of basic human development as the HDI. Divided into HPI-1 for LICs and HPI-2 for OECD countries
• HPI-1 measures poverty in LIC's by focusing on deprivation in 3 dimensions

  • Longevity (probability of surviving to age 40)
  • Knowledge (adult literacy)
  • Living standards, public & private (% of people w/ access water, health service, underweight)
• HPI-2 measures human deprivation in OECD countries by focusing on the same 3 dimensions as HPI-1 plus


  • Social exclusion- measured by long-term unemployment rate (12 months or more)
• Gender-related development index (GDI)


  Measures achievements in the same dimensions and using the same indicators as the HDI, but examines inequalities between women and men
• The gender empowerment measure (GEM)

  Reveals weather women can take an active part in the economic and political life. Focuses on participation, measuring gender inequality in economic and political participation and decision-making
• The gender inequality index (GII)


  Measure gender inequality in 3 aspects of human development: Reproductive health, Gender empowerment, Economic status
• According to the UNDP: 70% of world's hunger are women, 30 M girls out of school, 2010-11 8% peace agreements signed contained women's peace and security provision, On average, women earn 24% less than males
• Minority groups


  Culturally, ethically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is subordinate to a more dominant group
• Indigenous groups


  Inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment
• Challenges for indigenous groups

  • 370M indigenous in the world – 5% of the world's population but also 15% of the world's poor
  • Generally marginalised and isolated – worse health – less opportunity to participate in economy & politics
  • Most live in rural areas – depend upon agriculture – livelihood
  • Colonialism – trying to change their functioning to adapt them to the modern world
  • Racism – are seen as inferior – discriminated
• NGO's supporting indigenous groups

  • International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) – aims to eradicate rural poverty by financing project to aid agricultural development in developing countries
  • Panama: define territorial boundaries and restore land rights to the community – improve financial support
  • Nepal: reduce the high level of discrimination faced against women and ethnic minorities
• Microfinance


  Aim to reduce poverty, address social issues including gender discrimination, and enable market access for the poor
• Criticisms of microfinance


  • Interest rates are higher than commercial banks
  • Some people will use loans to pay for food & healthcare rather than starting businesses
  • Not all poor people are entrepreneurs and so the loans may be wasted
  • Loans may be used to pay off other loans
• Fair trade


  Trade that attempts to be socially, economically, and environmentally responsible – trade in which companies take responsibility for the wider impact of their business
• Corporate social responsibility


  Attempt of companies to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of their activities, and take action to reduce these impacts if necessary
• Cultural traits


  Sense of own identity, and how we identify with others – is a process constantly shifting
• Cultural diffusion


  Spread of cultural traits, occur in many ways & it can be forced upon people (imperialism)
• Globalisation is key process driving culture towards a global model
• Ways cultural diffusion can occur

  • 2 cultures intermingle – members of different cultures interact with each other through trade, intermarriage or warfare – sharing interest in particular sport
  • Cultural diffusion can be imposed (imperialism)
  • Now a days: cultural ideas spread through technology
• Global culture


  Includes: sport, religion, music, TV, language & tourism. Can be the product of exporting superior cultural traits and products from advanced countries or mixing/hybridization of cultures through greater interconnection
• Cultural imperialism


  Resulted from economic forces, as when the dominant culture captures markets for its commodities and thereby gains influence
• Facts about language


  • 6,000 languages in the world → drop to 3,000 by 2100
  • 60% of these languages have fewer than 10,000 speakers – ¼ have fewer than 1,000
  • English world language – 1B people
  • 2/3 of scientist write in Eng // 80% info stored in electronic retrieval // 120 countries receive radio program
• Tourism


  World's largest industry
• Global brands


  TNC's rise in the global consumer culture – world brands
• The media


  Global media – national media systems. 20-30 TNC's dominate the global entertainment & media industry
• Democracy


  Liberal democracy spread – now practised in the vast majority of nation states across the planet. Most desirable form of governance
• Criticisms of cultural imperialism

  • Universalized hybrid culture -> homogeneous culture
  • Ascribes to globalisation too much determining power
  • British drink tea because of its Indian colonies which grew the plants
• Factors leading to the evolution of uniform urban landscapes

  • Improvements in communications technology – people in other cities aware of opportunities & trends
  • Increase international migration & spread of ideas and cultures
  • Time-space convergence, which allows faster interactions between places
  • Desire of global brands (TNC's) – McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Starbucks
  • Improvement in standard of living and aspirations to be part of global network of urban centres
  • Globalisation of economic activity, culture, and political activity
• Diasporas


  Any scattering of a population formerly concentrated in one place
• Benefits of local commercial production

  • Increase market access
  • Possibly more farm-gate sales
  • Fresh food
  • Reduce air miles
  • Smaller carbon footprint
  • Specialisation
• Costs of local commercial production

  • Increasing oil cots – input cost higher
  • Increase air mile
  • Greater emphasis on quality – production less profitable
• Benefits of globalised production

  • Ability to produce food cheaply & to uniform standards
  • Cheap food available
  • All types of products available all year round
  • Competition to keep costs down
• Costs of globalised production

  • Higher cost of inputs, especially fertilizers and oil
  • Higher cost off local farms
  • Increase cost likely to be passed on to consumer
  • Cost of subsidies to maintain farming
  • Undercuts local farmer who may quit farming
• Global civil society


  Groups that progressive values – large organizations (Oxfam)
• Statistics on the rise of NGOs

  • NGO's in 22 nations – 10M volunteers & 1.1$trillion in revenue
  • 2M NGO's in the USA
  • Kenya – 250 NGO's appear yearly
• Reasons to oppose immigration

  • Competition for jobs
  • Cost of housing, education & health care
  • Environmental issues may also be concern, as a result of rapid population growth
  • Isolation of migrant groups – refusing to integrate into mainstream society
  • Increased crime rates & spread of infectious diseases