...Examine the problems of defining and measuring development Sociologists have been divided on the issue of defining and measuring development. Development can be measured in many ways. For example, the Gross Domestic Product, the Human Development Index, the Quality of Life Index, the Gross National Happiness Index and the Millennium Development Goals. Development is also defined in many ways, for example the three world theory, the northern and southern hemisphere and the economically developed countries. Gross Domestic Product (GPD) is a way of measuring development which focuses on economic growth. GDP is the total value of all goods and services the country produces. A high GDP indicates a productive economy, where wealth will filter down to improve standard of life for society. However, critics note that this does not account for the distribution of wealth within a country so wealth could be concentrated in the elite groups oppose to being equally issued. Furthermore, the approach is based on Western capitalist ideologies that see wealth as synonymous with the well-being, ignoring the potential negative effects of rapid and unrestricted accumulation of profit. The data can be unreliable which would make it incomparable between countries. Another way in which to measure development is Human Development Index (HDI). This is a combination of scores of education, wealth and life expectancy between 0 (least developed) and 1 (most developed). The HDI is not completely comprehensive...
Words: 923 - Pages: 4
...This relationship also solidifies the developing countries dependency on the developed country allowing the donor constant control over the peripheral developing countries economic growth (‘tied’ aid). Therefore there are no moral obligations involved and this aid may result in further delaying the modernization of the developing countries. Society being comprised of inter-related parts that work to benefit each other, Modernization Theory, thus when one part malfunctions or fails to uphold its duty, society may become chaotic. This can be seen in the Cuba peak oil crisis, which was as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Cuba’s dependency on the Soviets aid forced the country to relearn or to create new structures to combat the large-scale decrease in economic growth and other negative effects on transportation...
Words: 845 - Pages: 4
...interesting aspect about these differences, however, has to do with the ‘religions’ part and whether individuals consider themselves to be ‘religious’ or not. This is because there are numerous religions worldwide, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, to name a few. Though what makes looking at ‘religion’ problematic is that one cannot clearly define ‘religion’ and definitively say what constitutes ‘religion’. Considering this, how then can one say what a religion is and is not? In Arthur Greil’s “Defining Religion,” the issues regarding defining ‘religion’ and what constitutes a religion, is clearly discussed. Greil starts off by saying that religion is a “western folk concept” (Greil, 135), he continues to explain that this means that they believe in a supernatural, transcendent being,...
Words: 1138 - Pages: 5
...figure who contributed in this was Pierre Trudeau. Winning a majority government with his Liberals, Trudeau became the 15th Prime Minister of Canada in 1968 (Whitaker 13). Effectively taking advantage of his authority, he helped strengthen Canada as a country, all the while assuring its unity as a nation. He maintained stability between French and English speaking Canadians and recognized Canada's stand globally as an independent country, as he continued to protect the rights and freedoms of all his citizens. All these aspects establish Pierre Trudeau as a positive defining leader who marked his stand in Canadian history. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau...
Words: 921 - Pages: 4
...During the last 25 years, the capability approach moved gradually from an idea initially developed by the economist and philosopher Amartya Sen to a broad interdisciplinary framework. This essay will define capability deprivation and address whether it is only relevant for use in either “developing” or “developed” countries. The first section will explain the capacity approach and the distinction between poverty and deprivation. Its core claim is that the focus should be on people’s functionings (being and doing) and capabilities (effective opportunities to achieve those functionings). The second section will argue that capacity deprivation is relevant for use in both “developing” and “developed” countries by providing a multidimensional focus...
Words: 1069 - Pages: 5
...of life, they all have crime, religion, family structure, politics, and economy. The vast differences in societies are constantly studied and theorized. Grand theories, for example, are meta-theories that examine an aspect of society on a global or national scale. One particular theory of interest is the modernization theory. The modernization theory suggests that the main causes of crime are the repercussions of the rapid development and modernization of nations (Howard 148). The theory of modernization is composed of three distinct Parts: (1) Identification of types of societies, and explanation of how those designated as modernized or relatively modernized differ from others; (2) specification of how societies become modernized, comparing factors that are more or less conducive to transformation; and (3) generalizations about how the parts of a modernized society fit together, involving comparisons of stages of modernization and types of modernized societies with clarity about prospects for further modernization. (Defining Modernization) Part one explains that there must be qualities that differentiate modernized and underdeveloped societies. This is essential because a basis of comparison is required. Furthermore, the parameters of how societies modernize must be noted so that these growth factors can be compared across societies. The final portion requires an explanation about how aspects of a modernized society interact or vary. Emile Durkheim's...
Words: 1985 - Pages: 8
...those of the majority. Through political, human and cilvil rights, social well-fare systems, and international relations, Canada has formed a strong governmental institution that fosters an inclusive democracy. Between 1945-2014, the Canadian identity transitioned to an inclusive democratic society defined by domestic social reforms and international commitments to the global community In the last seventy years, Canada developed lawful political, human and civil rights within the nation and in the global community. In May of 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organizations, to draw up the United Nations Charter. Canada participated in the San Francisco conferences as a founding member of the Unite Nations. The Charter strived for collective security to avoid war, to develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international co-operation in solving international problems and promoting and encouraging respect for human and civil rights. Canada’s participation in the United Nations was instrumental in a global reputation of humanitarian contributions. Canada’s dedication to fundamental human rights internationally, upheld Canadian core democratic values. Canada’s federal government crafted a new Canadian Constitution that domestically improved the civil rights of every citizen. Authorized in 1982, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteed the rights of individuals by enshrining those rights and...
Words: 819 - Pages: 4
...Project Scope Management has been defined in many ways but can be summarized as defining the work that must be completed to deliver a product with the specified features and functions. The project scope is important because it specifies clear project boundaries. It can be defined as developing a common understanding as to what is included in, or excluded from, a project. Most people from the beginning of the project associate project scope with cost and time. When the scope of the project has been defined, the cost and time to implement and complete the project can be calculated. As the project is implemented, it is a fact that the scope is expected to change. This is then where cost and time are recalculated and added. I had to make a trip to my country of origin, Liberia in August of 2009. Liberian in 1990 to 2003 was plaque with violence and mayhem perpetrated by Liberians on Liberians all because of greed and selfishness. About two hundred and fifty thousand Liberians died and the country’s infrastructures were complete destroyed. In 2003, a female president was elected with the task of rebuilding the war torn nation. Development has been very slow. Electricity and water are rationed out and in many instances people have to do without the basic necessities of life. My visit was the first and although it was never a thought, I was inspired by my ill experience when I was not guaranteed a uninterrupted access to the internet. The local internet cafés experience on a regular...
Words: 507 - Pages: 3
...Studies conducted, both from an economic perspective (focused on the effects and therefore the relationship with economic growth) and a social / psychological one (concerned with the origins and trait research) have in common 3 attributes defining entrepreneurial behavior: need for achievement, internal locus of control and risk taking predisposition. The need for achievement was linked by McClelland to a country’s economic success in one of the first studies trying to define entrepreneurial culture. McClelland’s thesis states that countries characterized by high levels of N achievements have higher levels of economic development but was contested by more than e few economists. In other word countries that have high scores on entrepreneurial culture should have high rates of entrepreneurship which will lead to economic success. The main flaw is related to the methods of measurement (by analysis of widespread folk tales and contemporary children schoolbooks) of the N achievement for a country and the stretching of the data; basically there are no empirical results to prove the McClelland’s thesis. Furthermore, economists like Wennekers and Thurik take issue with the individual level of entrepreneurship and the aggregate level characterizing a nation. Findings related to specific traits and motivations of individuals who undertake actions as entrepreneurs cannot...
Words: 671 - Pages: 3
...One hundred years ago, Canada began a mission destined to change the course of the nation forever. Britain’s declaration of war on Imperial Germany, August 4th, 1914, forced Canada into the Great War. The allied war effort intended on carrying out a swift victory over the barbaric ‘Huns’, completing duty before the Canadians could cross the pond. Unfortunately, the campaign emerged into an unprecedented, grueling struggle lasting five years. In all, the conflict claimed the lives of 60,000 Canadian soldiers and wounded 150,000. The loss of life was historic and horrifying. However, through pain and sacrifice, Canada’s contribution and success amongst the brutality and misery defined a new identity for a strong and proud nation. The Great War...
Words: 529 - Pages: 3
...2 Contents Page Introduction 3 1. The concept and essence of globalization 1. What is globalization 5 2. History of globalization 11 3. Different types of globalization 13 2. Effects of globalization 2.1 Positive effects of globalization 19 2.2 Negative effects of globalization 21 Conclusion 23 Endnotes 24 Bibliography 25 3 Introduction Today it is really difficult to find a more fashionable and a discussion topic as globalization. Dozens of conferences and symposia, hundreds of books and...
Words: 11953 - Pages: 48
...commercial groupings that cross national frontiers, and international agreements that reduce the cost of doing business in foreign countries. Globalization offers huge potential profits to companies and nations but has been complicated by widely differing expectations, standards of living, cultures and values, and legal systems as well as unexpected global cause-and-effect linkages. Globalization is not an inevitable process and there are risks and costs: -Inequality: Globalization has been linked to rising inequalities in income and wealth. Evidence for this is a rise in the Gini-coefficient and a growing rural–urban divide in countries such as China, India and Brazil. -Inflation: Strong demand for food and energy has caused a steep rise in commodity prices. Food price inflation (known as afflation) has placed millions of the world’s poorest people at great risk. -Macroeconomic instability: A decade or more of strong growth, low interest rates, easy credit in developed countries created a boom in share prices and property valuations. The bursting of speculative bubbles prompted the credit crunch and the contagion from that across the world in from 2008 onwards. This had negative effects on poorer & vulnerable nations. -In 2007-08, financial crises generated in developed...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...products locally. This led consumer to trusts their brands more than any foreign products, thus the country of origin was seen as a single place of association for consumers, which summarized the brand’s origin, the design location and the place of production. Globalization has tremendously changed this perception as consumers have far more choices than they ever had decades ago. In fact, they can be confused on what product they should go for and buy due to numerous diversities that they enjoy. Globalization has challenged this perception, resulting in a growing differentiation between the Country of Origin of the brand, the place of design and the place of production, potentially creating more confusion for the consumer. Therefore, defining the Country of Origin or the meaning of ‘Made In’ with a view to creating associations and trust at the consumer level has become...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...Global Population Growth Accordance to the United Nations demographers, global population already passed 6.9 billion in mid-2010. Also, population life expectancy is consistently rising decline (Engelman, 2010). Many industrial countries are now experiencing either slow population growth or completely. However, a lot of developing countries still continue to grow rapidly their populations to have large proportions of young people for working. Thus, 95 percents of population growth is appears in the developing nations today. Population growth has resulted in overpopulation on a national and world's level. It may limit future economic growth in high-fertility nations while population aging may do so in low-fertility ones. The population growth accelerates continuously increased demand for food, water, shelter, energy, health care, commodities, and careers. The most rapid rates of population increase often in countries where basic necessities are already scarce and that are least economically productivities and least ability to afford imports. Meanwhile, in many industrial and some rapidly developing nations, labor supplies are start to decline proportionally and sometimes completely decline. Many industrial and some developing nations have higher proportions of elderly unprecedented in demographic history, such as Japan which is 23 percents of current 127 million population being older than 64. Even if the life expectancies are expanding, there is no guarantee this phenomenon...
Words: 708 - Pages: 3
...According to the economist and strategist Dr. Vladimir Kvint, an emerging market is “a country whose society in transition from a dictatorial form of government to a free market economy, increasing economic freedom, gradual integration into the world market, an expanding middle class, improving living standards, social stability and deepening cooperation with multi-institutions ". Furthermore, In 2008 Emerging Economy Report, the Center for Knowledge Societies defines Emerging Economies as those "regions of the world that are experiencing rapid informationalization under conditions of limited or partial industrialization." The notion of the author/ in simple terms with regards to emerging markets is that it is a particular economy which stands ahead of developing economies with more attractive economic and political conditions and institutional framework leading to potential business opportunities. According to Brandes (2014), “Emerging markets are no longer the uncharted markets they were in the past—they are advancing economies with growth opportunities and continually improving economic and political conditions”. The trend of emerging markets up surged from late 1990’s when 73% of developing countries outpaced America. The most impressive growth was reported in four biggest emerging economies; namely, Brazil, Russia, India and China which were abbreviated to BRICs in 2001. http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21582257-most-dramatic-and-disruptive-period-emerging-market-growth-world-has-ever-seen...
Words: 1526 - Pages: 7
