Disparities in wealth and development
- Measurements of regional and global disparities
Define indices of infant mortality, education, nutrition, income, marginalization and Human Development Index (HDI). Explain the value of the indices in measuring disparities across the globe.
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Case StudiesChina: Disparities at all scales
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- Origin of disparities
Explain disparities and inequities that occur within countries resulting from ethnicity, residence, parental education, income, employment (formal and informal) and land ownership.
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Case StudiesEmployment: the informal economy in the slum of Dharavi, Mumbai Interactive: the slum of Dharavi Article on informal economy in Dharavi Inequalities and income: the working poors in the USA Working poor in the USA: http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/who-are-working-poor Food insecurity in the USA: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/hunger/ Land Ownership: Brazil's Landless Workers Movement Article |
- Disparities and change
Identify and explain the changing patterns and trends of regional and global disparities of life expectancy, education and income.
Examine the progress made in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in poverty reduction, education and health.
Examine the progress made in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in poverty reduction, education and health.
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- Reducing disparities
Discuss the different ways in which disparities can be reduced with an emphasis on trade and market access, debt relief, aid and remittances.
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies designed to reduce disparities.
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies designed to reduce disparities.
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Case StudiesRemittances: Filipino Oversea Foreign Workers
Article and Photos Impact of Debt Relief: Guyana and Uganda Trade and Market Access: the Chinese Economic Growth Timeline China Overview, The World Bank Since initiating market reforms in 1978, China has shifted from a centrally planned to a market based economy and experienced rapid economic and social development. GDP growth averaging about 10 percent a year has lifted more than 500 million people out of poverty. All Millennium Development Goals have been reached or are within reach. With a population of 1.3 billion, China recently became the second largest economy and is increasingly playing an important and influential role in the global economy. Yet China remains a developing country (its per capita income is still a fraction of that in advanced countries)and its market reforms are incomplete. Official data shows that about 98.99 million people still lived below the national poverty line of RMB 2,300 per year at the end of 2012. With the second largest number of poor in the world after India, poverty reduction remains a fundamental challenge. Rapid economic ascendance has brought on many challenges as well, including high inequality; rapid urbanization; challenges to environmental sustainability; and external imbalances. China also faces demographic pressures related to an aging population and the internal migration of labor. Significant policy adjustments are required in order for China’s growth to be sustainable. Experience shows that transitioning from middle-income to high-income status can be more difficult than moving up from low to middle income. China’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) forcefully addresses these issues. It highlights the development of services and measures to address environmental and social imbalances, setting targets to reduce pollution, to increase energy efficiency, to improve access to education and healthcare, and to expand social protection. Its annual growth target of 7 percent signals the intention to focus on quality of life, rather than pace of growth. Shanghai's Free Trade Zone |