Measuring Measuring Disparities in Disparities in DevelopmentDevelopment

Quantitative v QualitativeQuantitative v Qualitative

Qualitative Qualitative Written, oral or visual descriptions Written, oral or visual descriptions

or accounts…or accounts…of people’s experiences or of people’s experiences or

perceptionsperceptionsUsually collected in interviews or Usually collected in interviews or

open-ended surveys open-ended surveys eg “what is your opinion / how do eg “what is your opinion / how do

you feel”…you feel”…

Quantitative v QualitativeQuantitative v Qualitative

Qualitative Qualitative Can help us to see the “people Can help us to see the “people

behind the statistics”behind the statistics”The reasons why things happenThe reasons why things happeneg a 11 yr old child worker in the eg a 11 yr old child worker in the

Philippines said “I have to work every Philippines said “I have to work every night to help feed our family. I often night to help feed our family. I often feel sleepy in class and don’t feel sleepy in class and don’t understand the lessons, so I fail”understand the lessons, so I fail”

Quantitative v QualitativeQuantitative v Qualitative

Qualitative Qualitative Sometimes referred to as SubjectiveSometimes referred to as Subjectiveeg the government of Bhutan wants eg the government of Bhutan wants

to improve its level of Gross National to improve its level of Gross National HappinessHappiness

How happy are you? Do you feel How happy are you? Do you feel happier if you miss school? Will that happier if you miss school? Will that make you happier in the long term?make you happier in the long term?

Quantitative v QualitativeQuantitative v QualitativeQuantitativeQuantitative

To do with To do with QuantityQuantityData that can be recorded and Data that can be recorded and

presented in numerical terms presented in numerical terms eg Sierra Leone had the lowest eg Sierra Leone had the lowest

“under-5 survival rate” in the world “under-5 survival rate” in the world in 2005in 2005

There are thousands of possibilities!There are thousands of possibilities!Dates are VERY important as they go Dates are VERY important as they go

out of date almost immediatelyout of date almost immediately

Indicators Indicators

Quantitative measures of development Quantitative measures of development are often called INDICATORSare often called INDICATORS

They show or “indicate” the degree of They show or “indicate” the degree of a country’s development in a particular a country’s development in a particular area area

They can then be supported or They can then be supported or illustrated by Qualitative information illustrated by Qualitative information eg video, descriptionseg video, descriptions

Common IndicatorsCommon Indicators The most common are EconomicThe most common are Economic They refer to income, production, wealth, They refer to income, production, wealth,

expenditure and so onexpenditure and so on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) = the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) = the total

output (goods and services) of an output (goods and services) of an economy ($)economy ($)

Gross National Product (GNP) = GDP Gross National Product (GNP) = GDP minus the value of goods and services minus the value of goods and services that are exportedthat are exported

Gross National Income (GNI) = GDP plus Gross National Income (GNI) = GDP plus earnings from other countriesearnings from other countries

Absolute v RelativeAbsolute v Relative

The three Indicators on the previous slide The three Indicators on the previous slide are are AbsoluteAbsolute measures. They give an measures. They give an actual value eg in US$actual value eg in US$

Another method is to Another method is to relate relate them to them to something else something else

eg population = “per capita” (per person)eg population = “per capita” (per person) GNI per capita = GNI / populationGNI per capita = GNI / population eg percent = out of 100, or per thousandeg percent = out of 100, or per thousand Useful for Useful for comparingcomparing countries, countries,

especially with vastly different especially with vastly different populationspopulations

RankingsRankings These are another type of Relative measureThese are another type of Relative measure Values are ranked from highest to lowestValues are ranked from highest to lowest This smooths out large gaps, which can This smooths out large gaps, which can

sometimes be useful, or other times misleadingsometimes be useful, or other times misleading

GNI per capita for all countries starting with "A"Country GNI per capita (US$) Rank

Austria 32,280 1

Australia 27,070 2

Argentina 3,580 3

Algeria 2,270 4

Albania 2,120 5

Armenia 1,060 6

Angola 930 7

Afghanistan 250 8

1st4th 3rd 2nd

Human Development IndexHuman Development Index

An Index is a composite measureAn Index is a composite measure Created in 1990 by the United Nations Created in 1990 by the United Nations

Development ProgrammeDevelopment Programme It uses a calculation to combine four It uses a calculation to combine four

indicators into a single value from 0 to 1indicators into a single value from 0 to 1 Above 8.000 = High (NZ =0.936)Above 8.000 = High (NZ =0.936) 0.500 to 0.799 = Medium0.500 to 0.799 = Medium Below 0.500 = LowBelow 0.500 = Low

Human Development IndexHuman Development Index

It combinesIt combines Gross Domestic ProductGross Domestic Product Life Expectancy at BirthLife Expectancy at Birth Adult Literacy Rate Adult Literacy Rate (how many adults can read and write)(how many adults can read and write)

Gross Educational Enrolment Ratio Gross Educational Enrolment Ratio (how many (how many people are enrolled in education compared to those who are not)people are enrolled in education compared to those who are not)

Comparing Developed and Developing Comparing Developed and Developing CountriesCountries

Comparing Developed and Developing Comparing Developed and Developing CountriesCountries

Comparing Developed and Developing Comparing Developed and Developing CountriesCountries

Addis Ababa’s children have joined the battle against HIV/AIDS in a unique way: painting street Addis Ababa’s children have joined the battle against HIV/AIDS in a unique way: painting street murals to express the gravity of the situation. murals to express the gravity of the situation.

"We are pleased that our parents are interested in what we are doing. Our objective is to make "We are pleased that our parents are interested in what we are doing. Our objective is to make everybody understand that AIDS is a menace to humanity, particularly Africans." everybody understand that AIDS is a menace to humanity, particularly Africans."

Comparing Developed and Developing Comparing Developed and Developing CountriesCountries

Comparing Developed and Developing Comparing Developed and Developing CountriesCountries