Measures of Development
INTRODUCTION
In order to evaluate the main measures of development and the most appropriate for Zambia’s development, this paper will discuss the main measures of development for better understanding. The paper will also discuss how these measures can be useful in measuring development and also the limitations they face. Thereafter, the conclusion will be drawn according to the possible findings presented in this essay. The main measures of development discussed include Income Per Capita and the Human Development Index (HDI).
Development is a dynamic concept that does not have a standard universal definition; it means different things to different people in different situations. Scholars and theorists have given various descriptions of what they think development is. According to Michael Todaro, he described development as “a perceived multidimensional process involving the re-organization and re-orientation of entire economic and social systems. In addition to improvements in incomes and outputs, it typically involves radical changes in institutional, social and administrative structures as well as in popular attitudes and, in many cases, even customs and beliefs.” (Todaro, 1982:56) Dudley Seers on the other hand described development as the reduction in unemployment, poverty and inequality in a society. Such are examples of the differences that are there when describing development, while Todaro speaks of development from an economic point of view Seers describes it from a more social aspect.
In the field of development studies an indicator of how countries and regions are progressing is needed, and in the past and present income per capita has been useful. Income per capita is the measure of a country’s national income divided by the number of people in that nation. Income per capita cannot consistently predict human development or even indicate how people are living since there are many other variables that play a role when looking at human welfare. Income
In order to evaluate the main measures of development and the most appropriate for Zambia’s development, this paper will discuss the main measures of development for better understanding. The paper will also discuss how these measures can be useful in measuring development and also the limitations they face. Thereafter, the conclusion will be drawn according to the possible findings presented in this essay. The main measures of development discussed include Income Per Capita and the Human Development Index (HDI).
Development is a dynamic concept that does not have a standard universal definition; it means different things to different people in different situations. Scholars and theorists have given various descriptions of what they think development is. According to Michael Todaro, he described development as “a perceived multidimensional process involving the re-organization and re-orientation of entire economic and social systems. In addition to improvements in incomes and outputs, it typically involves radical changes in institutional, social and administrative structures as well as in popular attitudes and, in many cases, even customs and beliefs.” (Todaro, 1982:56) Dudley Seers on the other hand described development as the reduction in unemployment, poverty and inequality in a society. Such are examples of the differences that are there when describing development, while Todaro speaks of development from an economic point of view Seers describes it from a more social aspect.
In the field of development studies an indicator of how countries and regions are progressing is needed, and in the past and present income per capita has been useful. Income per capita is the measure of a country’s national income divided by the number of people in that nation. Income per capita cannot consistently predict human development or even indicate how people are living since there are many other variables that play a role when looking at human welfare. Income
Bibliography: Todaro, M. 1982. Economic Development in the Third World Second Edition, New York: Longman Inc. Pritchett, L. Summers L. H. 1996. Wealthier is Healthier. The Journal of Human Resources, 31 (4), pp 841-868 Ravallion, M. 1991. Good and Bad Growth: The Human Development Reports. World Development, p.631. McGillvray, M. 1991. The Human Development Index: Yet another Redundant Composite Development Indicator? World Development, pp. 1461-1468. Streeten, P. 1994. Human Development: Means and Ends. The American Economic Review, pp.232-237. United Nations Development Programme, Zambia Human Development Report 2011. Service Delivery for Sustainable Human Development. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report, 1990, Oxford University Press, New York.