Development Theories and Indicators
Two major theories explain global development patterns, though both have their flaws. Rostow's modernisation theory suggests all countries start at the same development level and progress through stages - but it's quite outdated since it ignores the quality of resources, skills, and natural hazards each country faces.
Frank's dependency theory offers a different perspective: developing countries can't progress because they're dependent on developed nations. This creates a cycle where poorer countries remain stuck providing raw materials whilst richer nations benefit from the profits.
Development itself has three key dimensions. Economic development focuses on increasing a country's wealth. Social development measures how well a country serves its people's needs. Political development examines what governments do for citizens - including whether there's corruption or free speech.
Quick Tip: Remember that development is multidimensional - a country might be economically strong but socially weak, or vice versa.
Global inequality stems from various causes including colonialism, international relations, climate, topography, and historical factors. Many of the world's poorest countries are HIPCs (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) that rely heavily on remittances - money sent back by citizens working abroad.
Key indicators help measure development progress. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) shows the total value of goods and services produced annually. GNI (Gross National Income) includes wealth earned abroad. The HDI (Human Development Index) combines social factors like literacy and birth rates, scoring countries from 0-1 (0.8+ is high development, 0.5-0.8 is medium, below 0.5 is low). PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) adjusts these figures to show what money can actually buy in different countries.
Development projects come in two main types: top-down development involves large-scale projects like the Three Gorges Dam that don't always benefit local communities, whilst bottom-up development focuses on local-scale education and intermediate technology, often funded by charities like Water Aid.