Transcript Living Standards PP - Social Studies 11 Frankhurt

Living Standards in a Changing World
Measuring Development
Human Development Index
http://www.chf4youth.ca/disastrix/
•
•
•
•
•
Every year the United Nations ranks UN member countries according to standard of living in the
Human Development Index. It includes: life expectancy, literacy rate, and GDP per capita.
Per Capita GDP- gross domestic product is the value of all goods and services produced in a
country in one year. Per capita is the amount each person produces.
The 2009 report showed that people in 85 countries were worse off than they were in the
1980s.
The wealth of 200 richest people in the world in 2008 was greater than the combined income
of approximately 40% of the world’s population.
Despite the efforts of the UN and non-government organizations (NGOs) such as Save the
Children and Oxfam, the gap between the rich and poor countries continues to grow.
Per Capita GDP: Gross Domestic
Income




How much money a country puts out into economy
Gross domestic income (total income) / population
Can show living standards; higher GDP usu.
indicates higher living standard
Canada’s GDP trend
Per Capita GDP
Canada
$37,808 in U.S dollars
(2011)
“I am a girl. I have a
home, a school, a car,
clothes – everything I
need. But it’d be nice if I
could have the new
iPad.”

Rwanda

$583 in U.S dollars
(2011)
“I am a girl. I live in a hut
filled with children, I barely
have clothes, I don’t go to
school. I am always hungry.
It’d be nice to have a pair
of sandals.”
Human Development Index
3.
Helps measure countries’ development using:
GDP
Education – literacy rate
Health – life expectancy at birth

High HDI:
1.
Canada (6)
2.
Norway (1)

Low HDI:
1.
Rwanda (166)
2.
Sierra Leone (180)

1.
2.
Infrastructure


Structures (physical or organizational) that help
society + economy function
Ex. Roads, railways, bridges, dams, water and
sewage treatment, communications, schools, hospitals
etc.
Infrastructure
Developed (Canada)
Developing (Rwanda)
“When I go to school, I
take the bus. There are
hardly any bumps in the
road, so the ride is never
much fun. Last week, my
brother broke his arm at
the playground so he got
to ride in the ambulance
to the hospital. He is so
lucky.”
“Every morning, I must walk a
long time to get to the well to
bring back water to my home.
The dirt gets caked between
my toes. Sometimes I see
people with bicycles carrying
sick people. The trip must be
long for there is no hospital
near my village.”
The Divided Planet
•
•
•
•
•
Developed countries- mostly the more affluent(wealthy)
countries.
Infrastructure-transportation, communication, links, schools,
hospitals.
Newly Industrialized countries (NICs)- those building up
industries and infrastructure, such as Indonesia and Brazil.
Developing countries- those that do not have a modern
infrastructure or many industries.
Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs)-Owe too much
money therefore cannot industrialize or offer social services
Newly Industrialized Countries

A country that begins to have a more industrialized
economy instead of relying on agriculture
Closing the Development Gap
Closing the Development Gap




In 2000, a major worldwide initiative was
launched to close the gap in living
standards between developed and
developing countries.
All United Nations member states adopted
eight Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)
By 2015, the world would have less
poverty, hunger, and disease, greater
survival rates and prospects for mothers
and their infants, education for all, equal
opportunities for women, an improved
physical environment.
http://www.developafrica.org/healthAfrica
Closing the Development Gap
Developed (Canada)
Developing (Rwanda)
“School is so boring. I get so much
homework and I barely have time to
hang out with my friends! I wish it
was shorter and the teachers would
stop giving us so many
assignments…”
“My brother is sick. But there is no
hospital and I can’t let him die!
Since our parents died, I’m the only
one that can take care of the family.
I had to drop out of school and how
I wish I could go back…”
Measuring Quality
Measuring Living Standards






Levels of economic development are hard to measure
accurately.
Developing economies have many people who make
goods at home and trade them in local communities.
The wealth of a country is not shared among the people.
For example, in Qatar the 2009 GDP was $121, 400 US
because of the income from the sale of oil resources.
Quality of life includes : health, levels of nutrition, life
expectancy, literacy rate, and the status of women and
children
A person living in poverty in Canada has access to
government programs that provide a safety net of
services, such as health care and education. In developing
countries, a very poor urban family is likely to live in a
dwelling made from scrap materials with no electricity,
sanitation or safe ware.
Quality of life depends on more than meeting the
necessities of life. Many are denied freedom of
expression, economic freedom, and the right to safe and
clean environment.
Quality of Life
Poor person in Canada


Access to social welfare
programs set up by gov’t
People can voice their opinion
and try to help the poor
Poor person in developing country




Occupy Vancouver
No clean water supply, live in slums,
no access to medical and welfare
services
Uneducated unable to vote, or vote
not counted
Sometimes gov’t can threaten people
if they try to speak out or make their
life better
An urban world
An Urban World and Globalization






More people live in cities than ever before. Various reasons can push
people to leave land and others are attracted to cities for a better life.
The UN-HABITAT State of the World’s Cities 2006-2007 report found
that poor people living in urban areas are as badly off than rural
populations. They face similar issues in health, education, employment,
mortality (death rate per 1000 people), and malnutrition.
Many people in the developed world believe globalization ( spread of
ideas, information, and culture around the world) brings free trade,
cheaper goods, and access to technology, which in turn contribute to
wealth and standard of living.
Many see this as a threat because their job may be sent to a country
with cheaper labour or fewer environmental protection policies.
China and India have benefited from globalization and have seen a
rise in their standard of living.
Many developing nations are in debt and their industries and natural
resources are controlled by multinational corporations (MNCs).
Globalization – YouTube
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oh03fuIlQNI
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo
Globalization: countries
interdependent on each other
economically & culturally
Pros

Raise living standards for everyone

Large companies help create jobs

Promote free trade

Stronger economy
Cons





Multinational corporations (MNCs),
or companies that have factories or
business in many countries, have
control over resources
Takes away power from gov’t
Factories built in other countries
because there are less restrictions;
cause nation to lose jobs
Can impact culture and society
Some developing countries lack the
resources to be able to stay alfoat in
a global market
Urban Centers
Push


Not enough jobs
Disagreements between different
religions & cultures

Natural disasters (floods, drought)

Not enough resources

Soil overused

Using too many resources
Pull

More opportunities

Medical & welfare services

Food & resources easy to get

Groups of immigrants & family already
in city
Measuring poverty
Measuring Poverty
•
•
•
•


Measured differently in developed and developed
countries
Poverty line-unable to afford a minimum of food,
clothing, shelter, health care and education services
in developing countries, the poverty line is about
$1.25 per person per day
The World Bank in 2008 showed 1.4 billion (one in
four) people in developing countries were living on
less than $1.25 per day
Statistics Canada uses a low income cut-off (LICO)
to determine those living in poverty=household
that spends 70% of its income on food, clothing,
and shelter.
The National Council of Welfare (NCW) differs
from Statistics Canada in determining LICOs. The
NCW uses after-tax income to measure poverty.
The Poverty Trap






About 1 billion people in developing countries go hungry every day. Yet
the world produces enough food to feed every single people on Earth.
The problem is that poor people can not afford the food that is available.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank (agencies of
the United Nations) gave loans and development assistance to help
improve standards of living through economic growth.
They encourage developing countries to engage in megaprojects to
promote economic growth.
Many of these initiatives caused environmental damage and did not
improve the countries’ economies.
In the 1960s, Western banks loaned billions of dollars to newly
independent African countries for megaprojects. These nations’ main
income came from exporting minerals and agricultural products. A world
economic slowdown led to a collapse in prices for these commodities,
making it difficult to repay the loans.
The Poverty Trap




1960s: banks in developed countries
(i.e. U.S & Canada) gave money to
African countries who recently
became independent to build up
their infrastructure through big
projects
The African countries’ economies
depended on the sale of minerals
overseas and farming, recession
cause the prices for exports to
decrease
Countries spend so much trying to
pay off loan, don’t have enough to
fund education & welfare services
This in turn further increases the debt
The Cycle and Burden of Debt






Western banks and their governments encouraged the IMF and the
World Bank to lend countries money to pay off their debts.
Today African countries owe $227 billion.
IMF told these countries to also restructure their economies to help
repay their debts. IMF encouraged foreign investment, cash crops for
export and private companies to run some gov’t services. These
measures are called structural adjustment programs (SAPs)
Poor countries are forced to sacrifice spending on health and
education to meet the demands of SAPs and repay debts.
Many countries that are in debt have few natural resources or
receive low prices for them on the world market. Their resources are
under control of foreign multinational corporations.
West Africa produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, but it must sell its
crops to four multinational corp. that control the price. Very little of
the profit filers back to the farmers. This makes it difficult to pay
back their debts.
The Burden of Debt



IMF (International Monetary Fund): supposed to help developing countries pay off
debt
World Bank:

Created as part of UN

Help countries’ economies become better through loans and projects

Millennium Development Goals (eradicate hunger & poverty, education for all etc.)
SAPs (structural adjustment programs): IMF can instruct a country to increase taxes
or remove tariffs

This is unfair to the citizens because a) they can’t afford food and shelter, even without added taxes,
and b) if an MNC ships goods in out of the country without tariffs, they will exploit the labour and
resources of the country just because they can

Most of the country’s money will go towards paying off the debt when it could be used for education
and health services
Kenya: Trapped in Poverty

Very low literacy rate – people can’t afford a better education

Not enough jobs to accommodate the huge population

Not enough suitable farmland:
1.
Rainforests and beaches used for tourism
2.
National parks used for tourism
3.
Most of the farmland used for exporting food to other countries

This leaves little land and food for the inhabitants

Millions of people get infected with HIV/AIDs

Since they don’t have access to medical services usually die from diseases

Many people move to Nairobi (capital city) in hopes of finding opportunity, only to
discover they can’t since they lack the necessary education

End up living in dirty, cramped slums

To make things worse, Kenya has a huge debt
Debt Relief






The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched
in 1996 by the International Development Association (IDA) and
IMF. The goal was to ensure that poor countries are not crippled
by their debts.
The HIPC provides debt relief to poor countries with external
debts that severely burden export earnings.
By the end of 2008, the World Bank and IMF had committed more
than US$57 billion to help HIPC restructure their debts.
Many governments of developed countries have forgiven the HIPC
debt.
Canada has forgiven all overseas development aid debt to HIPCs
(Highly Indebted Poor Countries) except Myanmar (formerly
Burma) which has a military dictatorship.
more bilateral aid for development (assistance from one
government to another) money given as grants now (instead of
loans)
The vulnerable ones: Women &
Children
The Vulnerable Ones : Women and Children

Male-dominated societies in developing countries

Women and children may have no legal rights

Women may even be killed to satisfy a family’s honour.







May have to eat whatever is left after men have finished their
meals= malnutrition
Women may have to work more than 12 hrs each day
They are responsible for more than 2/3 of the food
production and are often left to support the family when men
migrate in search of work.
Literacy rate is lower among women than men in the
developing world.
Only 1/3 of girls in rural India go to school compared to
more than half of boys.
Girls are kept at home to look after the younger children and
help with chores.
http://www.chf.ca/newsroom/latest-news/812-how-can-
Education is the Solution


A decline in the number of children a woman has in her lifetime frees her to
improve her lot and that of her children. Studies show that better-educated
women tend to marry later and have fewer children. Because they are
literate, they have a better understanding of contraception, and may be
able to resist family pressures to have more children.
The children of educated women are also more likely to survive because
their mothers know the importance of immunization, clean water, and good
nutrition.
Children in Crisis



Famine, disease, war, and a host of other problems prey on society’s most
vulnerable people.
Children in some developing countries have few educational opportunities and are
often exploited as child labour. Some are even trapped in the sex trade.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published a Progress of Nations Report
(PNR) on the welfare of children. It is based on :the mortality rates of children
under the age of 5, the percentage of children who are moderately or severely
underweight, number of children who do not attend primary school, risks from
armed conflict, and risks from HIV/AIDS
Working Children

Abandoned children in cities survive by begging, stealing, or selling sex.

Root causes of child labour are poverty and no access to education.




The first two Millennium Development Goals are to aim to wipe out extreme
poverty and achieve universal primary education.
Children forced to work in unsafe conditions.
Many children are forced to work as bonded labour to help pay off their
families’ debts.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates there are 100 million
girls working as child labourers. Girls are sometimes pulled out of school to
earn money so their brothers can get an education. They have double the
burden as they have to work and complete house duties.
Children in Crisis

Stuck in poverty trap:




Don’t have opportunity to go to
school; if they do, they don’t do well
since they can’t focus because they’re
always hungry or suffer from mental
disabilities because parents were
born into poverty as well and didn’t
receive a proper education
This means they weren’t able to get a
high paying job to provide for child,
or receive education on how to take
care of a child (prenatal &
postpartum)
Family problems – more likely to be
alcoholic or abusive since that’s the
only way they can escape despair
and stress of living poverty
Didn’t receive love when they were
kids, won’t know how to love their own
kids
Boys cleaning new carpets in Fayum,
Egypt.
Rural farming boy in Bolivia tends his flock of
sheep.
Mauritanian girls weave a straw rug.
Young boys carrying bricks at a
construction site to earn a living
in New Delhi, India.
Children selling handicrafts in
Bangkok, Thailand.
Columbia boy shifts through trash for items of value
to sell.
The Health crisis: Clean water – a
basic necessity
Clean Water: A Basic Human Need






In 2002, about 1.2 billion people around the world did not have access to clean or enough
water.
Climate change, which has contributed to extreme droughts and damaging floods, is adding to
the problem.
Open water sources are contaminated. Rivers that supply water are also used for washing and
disposing waste.
Irrigation for agriculture takes the largest share of water supplies in the developing world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that improving drinking water, sanitation,
and hygiene could prevent about 10% of diseases worldwide.
Cholera and typhoid are among the diseases caused by bacteria that breed in unclean water.
Conditions on Aboriginal Reserves
1.
2.
3.
4.
Widespread alcoholism – easy access
Drugs flow freely – gov’t doesn’t care
Environmental – industrial factories release
pollutants into air and streams; contaminates
drinking waster and causes disease
Poor education system – outdated textbooks,
usually drop out and don’t continue on in postsecondary
Clean water

1.
2.
3.
Difficulties in obtaining
clean water source:
Global warming –
causes land to dry &
floods
Rivers used for cleaning
and dumping wastes
Pesticides used in cash
crops run-off into water
sources
Diseases


Diarrhea: caused by bacteria & viruses in water
Cause person to become dehydrated & weak because of nutrient-loss – could lead
to malnutrition & other diseases

Washing hands with clean water & soap can prevent spread

Also having water cleaning systems would help




Arsenicosis: exposure to arsenic in water over a period of time can lead to hard,
thick skin (skin keratosis) which can lead to cancer
Arsenic would be cleaned out through water sanitation
Cholera: intestinal infection – lead to severe diarrhea, which can lead to
dehydration, or death if person doesn’t receive medicine
Clean water & good habits of washing hands can help stop spread

The Scourge of Epidemics






Malaria is prevalent in 106 countries, affecting half of the
world’s population. More than 240 million cases of malaria
were diagnosed in 2008. At least a million of these people
will die. Many of them will be under the age of five.
Why is it an epidemic in the developing world?
Help is not available in slums, forest clearing in South
America and Asia allows sunlight to warm standing water,
creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
THEY CANNOT AFFORD VACCINES
Way of preventing malaria is to use insecticide-treated bed
nets to protect people from being bitten while they sleep.
DDT, a chemical that nearly eradicated malaria in the
1960s is also effective but it was banned because of its over
use in agriculture.
HIV/ AIDS Pandemic

Treatments are too costly for those who suffer in developing countries.

HIV/AIDs pandemic affects 33 million people worldwide








More than 2 million children under 15 years of age were living with HIV
and 430 000 children became newly infected.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the centre of this epidemic.
Those dying from the pandemic are often productive workers so this will
have long-term effects culturally and economically. (Botswana)
There are at least 1 million AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa.
These children may face poverty, homelessness, or loss of education and are
often forced to take on the role of parent to younger siblings.
The international community has been slow to react to the seriousness of the
problem.
It requires the cooperation of many national and international agencies.
Canada has been one of the leaders in establishing the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKrtG724Cek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lufN0dD-DU8
joinred YouTube
Helping to improve Living
Standards
Helping to Improve Living Standards






Foreign aid:
Official development assistance (ODA) is delivered by
governments.
Non-government organizations (NGOs) give another
type of aid.
Multilateral aid is funded by a number of
governments, and usually involves large-scale
programs like dam building.
Bilateral aid goes directly from one country to another.
Much bilateral aid is tied aid, giving conditions
attached. For example, donated money must be spent
on goods bought from the donor country.
Canada’s Foreign Aid Program


In 1968 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his government created the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to administer Canada’s
aid to developing countries.
CIDA’s priorities: basic human needs, women in development, infrastructure
services, human rights, democracy, and good government, private sector
development, and the environment.
Multilateral Aid: help from many gov’ts
Pros


Large projects
Many donors
Cons


Corrupt gov’t can
pocket money for
themselves
Country doesn’t get
the help it needs
Bilateral Aid: from country to
country
Pros


Cons
Country in need gets
the money it needs
Developed country
increases economy

Conditional/ tied aid:




How much aid is tied
aid

Developing country has to buy
products from nation
providing aid
Ex. Canada gives some
money to Kenya; in turn Kenya
has to only buy Canadian
lumber
This is a problem because
then it only benefits
developed country
Increases debt
CIDA: created by Trudeau to help
countries industrialize
Pros


Helps nations come up
with sustainable plans
to better both the
economy and the
quality of people’s
lives
Gains support from
universities, NGOs,
businesses, and gov’t
Cons


Has a priority list
Some countries in
Africa not on priority
so they don’t get as
much help as others do
NGOs: non- governmental
organizations






Organizations that aren’t part of the gov’t that
advocate for human rights, health, and other issues
PROS:
Usu. Local so aid is directly to the people
CONS:
Smaller projects
Don’t deal with gov’t of developing nation; can
cause problems
Debts: should they be forgiven?
YES


This way the HIPC will
be able to fund
education and health
services instead of
trying to pay of
massive debt
Wealth needs to be
distributed more
equally
NO


Donor nations’
economy not as strong
If you borrow you
should pay back
Global Problems: How to make a
better world
1.
2.
3.
4.
Education – give people the power to make their lives better
because they have the tools and knowledge to make good
decisions
Forgive debts – this will allow them to put the money they do
have to good use such as education and health
Untied aid – provide help because it is the right thing to do,
not because you will receive something in return
Clean water – this is vital to human survival and if everyone
had access to this, they would lead healthier lives, be able to
live a full life
World Map: Gapminder

www.gapminder.org