HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

GDP AND HDI

YEAR 11

ESSAY QUESTION

• Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative indicators of development.

GDP

• Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the size of an economy. It is defined as “the total measure of production equal to the sum of the gross values added of all resident, institutional units engaged in production (plus any taxes, and minus any subsidies, on products not included in the value of their outputs)"

ISSUES WITH GDP AS AN INDICATOR OF DEVELOPMENT?

• The valuable capacity of the human mind to simplify a complex situation in a compact characterization becomes dangerous when not controlled in terms of definitely stated criteria. With quantitative measurements especially, the definiteness of the result suggests, often misleadingly, a precision and simplicity in the outlines of the object measured. Measurements of national income are subject to this type of illusion and resulting abuse, especially since they deal with matters that are the center of conflict of opposing social groups where the effectiveness of an argument is often contingent upon oversimplification.

MEASURING GDP (CHOROPLETH MAP)Choropleth Map is a thematic map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map

Interpreting the Choropleth Map:Construct 3 sentences which describes the spatial variation of Human Development show on the map.

THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)

• The Human Development Index (HDI) is a combined statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which is used to rank countries into four tiers of human development.