HL Geography: Human Development and Diversity Study Notes
Hello HL Geographers! Welcome to the notes for the "Human development and diversity" component of the HL Extension: Geographic perspectives—global interactions. This chapter is essential because it moves beyond simply describing *where* poverty is, and asks the far more challenging question: why do massive inequalities persist, and how do global systems interact with local cultures to produce diverse outcomes?
As HL students, you need to synthesize theories, evaluate complex indices, and understand how power structures influence development trajectories. Don't worry if this seems tricky at first; we will break down the complex concepts into manageable steps!
Section 1: Conceptualizing Human Development
When we talk about development in Geography, we are looking at more than just bank accounts. We are examining the quality of life and the capabilities people have.
A. Defining Human Development
Human Development is defined as the process of enlarging people's choices and capabilities, enabling them to lead long and healthy lives, to have access to knowledge, and to enjoy a decent standard of living. It's about freedom and opportunity.
- Contrast: Traditional economic growth (like GDP) focuses on *means* (money). Human development focuses on *ends* (what people can actually achieve with that money).
- Key Geographer Connection: The concept is heavily influenced by economist Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, which argues that development means expanding the substantive freedoms that people enjoy.
B. The Geography of Diversity
The world is not uniform. Diversity refers to the spatial variation in human characteristics and outcomes, including economic, cultural, linguistic, and demographic differences.
The HL Challenge: We must analyze not only the spatial distribution of diversity (mapping languages or income levels) but also the *causes* and *consequences* of this diversity within a globally interconnected world.
Quick Takeaway: Development is about capability and choice. Diversity is about the spatial patterns of difference. HL geography links these two: How does global interaction affect local choices and cultural diversity?
Section 2: Measuring Inequality and Development (HL Metrics)
For HL, simply using Gross National Income (GNI) is not enough. We must use composite indices that capture multiple dimensions of well-being and, critically, adjust for internal inequality.
A. The Human Development Index (HDI)
The HDI is a composite statistic summarizing average achievement in key dimensions of human development.
The Three Dimensions of HDI (L-E-I):
- Long and Healthy Life: Measured by Life Expectancy at Birth.
- Knowledge: Measured by Mean Years of Schooling and Expected Years of Schooling.
- Decent Standard of Living: Measured by GNI per capita (PPP $).
Memory Aid (LEI): Think of Life, Education, Income.
B. Going Deeper: Measuring Inequality (The HL Standard)
The HDI hides huge differences *within* a country. HL students must use metrics that account for this inequality.
1. The Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI)
The IHDI discounts the HDI according to the level of inequality.
Analogy: If a country has an HDI of 0.85, but the wealth and education are highly concentrated in a few cities, the IHDI might drop to 0.65. The difference between the HDI and IHDI represents the "loss" of potential human development due to inequality.
- Key Principle: The greater the inequality, the lower the IHDI compared to the HDI.
2. The Gini Coefficient
The Gini Coefficient (or Gini Index) is the standard measure of income inequality within a nation or area.
- It ranges from 0 to 1 (or 0% to 100%).
- 0: Represents perfect equality (everyone earns the same).
- 1 (or 100%): Represents perfect inequality (one person earns everything).
Did you know? Countries in Northern Europe often have Gini Coefficients near 0.25 (low inequality), while countries in Southern Africa or parts of Latin America often exceed 0.50 (high inequality).
3. The Gender Inequality Index (GII)
The GII reveals gender disparities in three critical areas:
- Reproductive Health (e.g., maternal mortality rate).
- Empowerment (e.g., share of parliamentary seats held by women).
- Economic Activity (e.g., female labor force participation rate).
Quick Review: HL analysis requires using IHDI and GII alongside HDI to paint a true picture of internal spatial inequality.
Section 3: Geographic Dimensions of Diversity
Diversity is often geographically expressed—meaning different groups or traits are clustered spatially. These boundaries can be economic, cultural, or linguistic.
A. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
Cultural groups and languages are mapped spatially, and these patterns influence development, governance, and conflict.
- Linguistic Fragmentation: This refers to the existence of many different languages or dialects within a small area. High fragmentation can complicate governance, education, and national unity (e.g., Papua New Guinea, which has hundreds of languages).
- Religion and Borders: The spatial boundaries of religious groups often do not align with political borders, leading to tension and development issues (e.g., conflicts along the "Shatterbelt" zones in parts of Africa and the Middle East).
B. The Role of Globalization on Diversity
Globalization acts as a powerful force that can both homogenize and diversify human outcomes.
- Convergence (Homogenization): Globalization spreads universal consumer culture (e.g., fast food, Western media, English as a lingua franca). This can erode local traditions and languages, leading to cultural loss.
- Divergence (Accentuating Difference): Globalization also allows local groups to assert their identity, often in reaction against homogenization. Technology allows diasporas (dispersed populations) to maintain connections, reinforcing cultural identity across borders (transnationalism).
- Glocalization: The adaptation of a global product or idea to meet local needs or tastes. Example: McDonald's selling McAloo Tikki burgers in India.
Key Takeaway: The geography of diversity highlights how human differences are spatially organized. Globalization simultaneously pushes cultures together and pulls them apart (glocalization).
Section 4: Theories and Models of Development (Critical HL Analysis)
To analyze global interactions, HL students must evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different theories explaining *why* some countries are developed and others are not.
A. Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth (Modernization Theory)
This is a linear model that suggests all countries follow the same path to development, moving through five stages:
- Traditional Society (pre-industrial)
- Pre-conditions for Take-off (infrastructure, banking)
- Take-off (rapid industrialization in key sectors)
- Drive to Maturity (technology diffusion, diversified economy)
- Age of Mass Consumption (high standard of living)
Evaluation:
- Pro: Simple, optimistic, explains the historical development of countries like the UK/USA.
- Con (HL Critical View): It is Eurocentric (assumes all cultures value Western-style consumption). Crucially, it is Ahistorical—it ignores the role of colonialism and exploitation that provided the capital for the first world to "take off."
B. Dependency Theory
This theory directly contradicts Rostow, arguing that low-income countries are poor because they are *kept* poor by wealthy nations.
- Core-Periphery Structure: The world is divided into a wealthy, powerful Core (developed nations) and a poor, dependent Periphery (developing nations).
- Mechanism: The Core extracts cheap raw materials and labor from the Periphery, and sells expensive finished goods back, ensuring the Periphery remains reliant.
- Neocolonialism: This describes how political and economic mechanisms (like debt burdens and unequal trade agreements) replaced traditional colonization, maintaining dependency.
Evaluation:
- Pro: Offers a strong geographical explanation for global inequality, acknowledging historical power imbalances.
- Con: Often too pessimistic; it struggles to explain the rise of newly industrializing economies (NICs) like South Korea or Singapore, which successfully broke away from core dependence.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Do not confuse the Core/Periphery structure in Dependency Theory with the general concept of the Core/Periphery model in geographical economics. Dependency Theory specifically emphasizes *exploitation* and *historical causation*.
Section 5: Global Interactions and Diversity Outcomes
HL Geography requires synthesis—how do global economic and political interactions influence human development and diversity patterns?
A. The Impact of Global Institutions
Global governance organizations (part of the HL "Power, places and networks" unit) significantly affect human development outcomes.
- World Bank/IMF: These institutions often impose conditions (Structural Adjustment Programs – SAPs) on loans to developing countries. SAPs demand privatization, reduced social spending (health/education), and free trade.
- Geographic Consequence: SAPs often prioritize servicing debt over investment in human development (like schools and clinics), potentially worsening inequality (lowering the IHDI score).
B. Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Development
TNCs are key drivers of globalization and significantly influence the geography of human development.
Positive Impacts: TNCs bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), create jobs, transfer technology, and raise wages above subsistence levels (e.g., Foxconn factories in China lifting people out of poverty).
Negative Impacts: TNCs may exploit labor (especially women), repatriate profits (removing wealth from the host country), exert political influence that undermines local governance, and prioritize economic profit over cultural preservation or environmental health.
Synthesis Point: The existence of extreme diversity (spatial inequality in wealth and capability) allows TNCs to maximize profit by seeking out places where labor is cheapest and environmental regulations are weakest. This reinforces global core-periphery structures.
C. The Digital Divide and Development
Access to technology is now a critical factor in human development.
- The Digital Divide is the disparity in access to, use of, or knowledge about information and communication technologies (ICTs).
- Relevance to Diversity: This divide often falls along existing lines of inequality (rural vs. urban, rich vs. poor, developed vs. developing nations). Lack of access to online education, financial services, or global markets severely limits the capabilities and choices of populations in the periphery.
Key Takeaway: Global interactions, mediated by powerful institutions and TNCs, fundamentally shape which development theories apply locally, often exacerbating existing geographical inequalities in capabilities and access.