Measuring Development
Last lesson we considered exactly what we meant by development and came to the conclusion that development itself is a contested concept. In this lesson, we look at the different methods used by actors on the global political stage to measure development. As we look at these different methods, it is very important to ask ourselves 'is it actually development that is being measured here?' By the end of the lesson we will be able to describe the key features of each method and begin evaluating their usefulness as indices.
Method One - Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
This article from OECDObserver.com is a very good introduction to the limitations of the GDP as a measure of GDP. It gets a little technical towards the end but the first paragraph is very accessible and covers the key points. Check it out here
Method Two - Human Development Index (HDI)
Measure 4 - The Happy Planet Index
We have considered a number of indices we can use to measure development and they all have particular strengths and weaknesses. It seems obvious that the smartest way to approach the problem of measuring development is to acknoweldge the difficulties in defining what we are actually measuring and using a combination of these indices to generate the fullest picture.
We have only discussed four particular measures of development in this session. You should create a BRIEF powerpoint - 6 slides max - that introduces another measure of development not discussed today. You may chose any recognised measure of development you like but you may wish to choose one of the following: Gross National Income (GNI), Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), Transparency International Corruption Index.
YOU SHOULD BE READY TO PRESENT YOUR PRESENTATIONS IN OUR NEXT LESSON