Global Development Exam

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Western University *

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1023

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Geography

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by DukeBoulder6384

Name: Clayton Melbourne Course and section numbers: CGS 1023F Instructor: Dr. Matthew McBurney Exam date/time: December 07 – December 11 (by 11:55 pm) 1

Short Answer Questions Theory/Concept #1 – Poverty Throughout the duration of our course, we talked about what poverty is, its subtopics, and some things that would be classified as a part of poverty that have previously or are still ongoing in the real world. From the information I collected from this course, I crafted a specific general definition of poverty: not having enough money to meet basic needs, including food, clothing and shelter. I used multiple essential pieces of information, elements and materials to craft this definition, one of them being the terms absolute and relative poverty, which we discussed earlier in the year. According to the course readings, a source I found through our lectures, the term absolute poverty is a fixed standard of what households should count on to meet their basic needs. According to the course readings, relative poverty means that a particular family does not have as much money or resources as most other people in their community. Another piece of information mentioned previously in class lectures was the topic of the four dimensions of poverty. The first of the four dimensions of poverty is materiality, which are the "things" that the poor person lacks, the subject's perceptions of their condition, meaning only when someone perceives the lack of materiality do they acquire the particular meaning attached to the world poverty, how others view the poor, as in terms of the views of the poor lead to 2 reactions, as well as SPIMES affecting various perceptions of poverty. Arturo Escobar was one of the most influential theorists/authors we discussed throughout the course. Arturo Escobar has made several contributions and theories within the field and topic of poverty, one of them being that the essential trait of the third world was its poverty and that the 2

solution was economic growth and development, which became self-evident, necessary and universal truths. He also stated that rich countries were believed to have the financial and technological capacity to secure progress worldwide. Another theorist and philosopher we discussed in our lectures was Majid Rahnema, who also had multiple theories about poverty. He believes that poverty is not just a lack of material resources but also a result of social and cultural factors. Rahnema also argues that poverty is not an inherent condition but rather a consequence of socioeconomic systems and unequal power dynamics. Theorists of poverty often look to develop the earth into a better and more even place; by doing that, they look at the human development index (HDI) and an alternative form of measurement, including the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, which helps measure how an individual will eventually end up in life. This method, compiled annually by the UNDP, includes multiple indicators, which are the health/life expectancy, starting from the life expectancy at birth and the education levels, measured in the average years of schooling and expected years of teaching, followed by the standard of living. The development consists of more than improvements in the well- being of citizens; it is even broadly defined and conveys something about the capacity of economic, political, and social systems. Bibliography ● Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Poverty.” Encyclopedia Britannica . November 19, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/poverty . ● Habitat for Humanity UK. "Exploring the Difference Between Relative and Absolute Poverty." Habitat for Humanity UK Blog . September 2018. https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/blog/2018/09/relative-absolute-poverty/ . ● Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). "Dimensions of Poverty." Sida Publications , (2019). https://www.cdn.sida.se/publications/files/sida62275en-dimensions-of- poverty.pdf . 3

Theory/Concept #2 – Modernization Theory Throughout our class lectures, I’ve formulated a deep and well-thought-out meaning behind the Modernization Theory. With my understanding from R.N. Gwynne, which was cited in the lectures, I understand that this theory is based on classical and neo-classical economic theories. (R.N. Gwynne 2009, 125-26). These theories include manufacturing more significant increases in productivity than agriculture, expansion of markets, labour specialization, technological change becoming vital to productivity and demand, and the free trade and free market is necessary. The modernization theory is also very concerned with economic growth (GDP). Along with the theory come several assumptions that several people have about it. The most notable assumptions that were included were the universal values, which is when the modernization theorists believe that 'modern values' technologies and institutions are required for societies to develop and advance, as well as the eurocentric assumption, which is when people think that all countries should copy Europe and the US. Other assumptions also include the homogenization theory, which is the familiar concept of traditional societies that paints the developing world as the same, and finally, the development as a linear process, which is when the modernization theory is a description and explanation of the process of transformation from traditional or underdeveloped societies to modern developed societies. The modernization theory in today’s world is often connected with several other terms. According to John Brohman of Simon Fraser University, the term neoliberalism, rooted in classical liberalism and with people having the right to live lids free from government intervention, is one of 4

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