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Caribbean Development Studies Flashcards
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Caribbean Development Studies Flashcards
Caribbean Development Studies Flashcards
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1
Question
What is the Human Development Index (HDI) used to measure?
Answer
The HDI measures a country's overall achievement in its social and economic dimensions: the health of people, their level of education attainment, and their standard of living.
2
Question
Define sustainable development according to the text.
Answer
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing money, human well-being, and the environment practically and maintainably.
3
Question
Why is the environment considered non-renewable in the context of sustainable development?
Answer
Because the environment’s resources are limited and cannot be regenerated quickly, making it essential that development carefully uses resources without causing uncalculated environmental impact.
4
Question
What major challenge do developing Caribbean nations face regarding sustainable development that developed nations may not?
Answer
Caribbean developing nations face resource depletion due to historical exploitation, lack of infrastructure, social and economic inequalities, and legacies such as poor productivity and empowerment, making sustainable development more difficult.
5
Question
Explain the significance of historical capitalism and its impact on Caribbean development.
Answer
Historical capitalism refers to systems like encomienda and plantation that led to European nations exploiting Caribbean wealth continuously and purposefully, resulting in depleted resources and economic challenges for Caribbean countries.
6
Question
How does social injustice affect development in Caribbean societies?
Answer
Social injustice, where human rights and dignity are not respected, creates inequitable treatment and exclusion, inhibiting social cohesion and preventing true development.
7
Question
What are the two major issues linked to legacies of the plantation system in Caribbean societies?
Answer
The two major issues are productivity (a poor work ethic leading to minimum effort for pay) and empowerment (social stratification that divides society and inhibits positive contributions).
8
Question
Why is heavy dependence on traditional industries a development challenge for Caribbean nations?
Answer
Because traditional industries, such as agriculture and extraction, provide low-yield, often seasonal employment, may suffer from vulnerability to disease or natural disasters, and do not encourage advancement or high productivity.
9
Question
Describe the importance and limitations of GDP and GNP as material indicators of development.
Answer
GDP and GNP measure economic output and growth, allow income per capita calculations, long-term planning, and international comparisons. However, they do not reveal income distribution, poverty levels, environmental status, or social well-being.
10
Question
What does the Gini coefficient measure and what does a high value indicate?
Answer
The Gini coefficient measures income distribution in a society; 0 means perfect equity and 100 means total inequity. In the Caribbean, values between 20 and 70 indicate significant economic polarization and unequal income distribution.
11
Question
List the four Pillars of Development (POD) according to Mahbub Ul Haq and the recommended order of achieving them.
Answer
The four Pillars are Empowerment, Equity, Productivity, and Sustainability, to be achieved in that order: Empowerment → Equity → Productivity → Sustainability.
12
Question
Why is empowerment considered the foundational pillar for sustainable development?
Answer
Because empowerment enables individuals to contribute positively to society, pursue productive activities, and participate equitably, which are prerequisites for achieving equity, productivity, and sustainability.
13
Question
How does progressive taxation promote equitable income distribution?
Answer
Progressive taxation requires higher earners to pay more taxes, which reduces economic inequality and alleviates pressure on government resources to support the less privileged.
14
Question
Explain the role of education in achieving sustainable development in the Caribbean context.
Answer
Education empowers people by providing knowledge and skills, improving productivity, enabling socioeconomic mobility, and reducing disenfranchisement, thereby facilitating more equitable and sustainable development.
15
Question
What are some social and economic consequences of discriminatory attitudes within Caribbean societies?
Answer
Discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or class leads to social exclusion, dehumanization of groups, low productivity, restricted contributions from marginalized groups, and perpetuation of inequity and underdevelopment.
16
Question
How does political stability and good governance influence development?
Answer
Political stability provides continuity for development initiatives, while good governance ensures equitable resource use, fights corruption, promotes transparency, and enforces socially conscious policies benefiting all societal groups.
17
Question
Why is environmental consciousness critical to sustainable development, especially in the Caribbean?
Answer
Because human misuse, exploitation, and mismanagement have caused significant environmental damage, and responsible attitudes and conservation practices are essential to protect limited natural resources for current and future generations.
18
Question
Identify key healthcare challenges faced by Caribbean nations in achieving sustainable development.
Answer
Challenges include insufficient trained personnel, inadequate machinery and infrastructure, financial constraints limiting effective healthcare delivery, and unequal access to medical services for poorer populations.
19
Question
What is positive discrimination (affirmative action), and why is it used in the context of sustainable development?
Answer
Positive discrimination is promoting disadvantaged groups (e.g., women, minorities) through special opportunities or policies to correct historical inequities, empower marginalized populations, and support equitable development.
20
Question
How do material and non-material indicators differ in assessing human development?
Answer
Material indicators quantify economic and infrastructural aspects like income and infrastructure but miss quality of life elements; non-material indicators measure socioeconomic equity, empowerment, and social justice, capturing the human well-being dimension.
21
Question
What is patriarchy and how has it influenced Caribbean society, particularly regarding gender roles?
Answer
Patriarchy is a social system where men are dominant and women are treated as second-class citizens. In the Caribbean, patriarchy has deeply influenced social relations, leading to male dominance in families, stereotyping women's education towards domestic skills, and higher poverty rates among women, especially single mothers.
22
Question
Why does gender inequality hinder sustainable development in a society?
Answer
Gender inequality hinders sustainable development because it creates social injustice by alienating and disenfranchising a group (usually women), reduces overall productivity by restricting participation, lowers government tax revenue, strains limited government resources, causes psychological harm to the marginalized group, limits the nation's potential growth, and damages the country's international reputation.
23
Question
List some strategies to overcome gender inequality and promote development.
Answer
Strategies include promoting educational access for disempowered groups, sensitizing society about gender issues, creating protective legislation against abuse and discrimination, empowering women to participate in society, establishing sexual harassment laws, enforcing equal opportunity principles (e.g., equal pay), and attempting to de-gender occupations to remove stereotypes.
24
Question
What are the main differences between the Communist (Central Economic Model) and Free Market Model political-economic systems?
Answer
The Communist model involves government ownership of all factors of production and aims for equitable resource distribution and a classless society. It is inflexible, prone to inefficiencies, and often ruled harshly. The Free Market Model, linked with democracy, allows private ownership, lets supply and demand determine prices, and limited government intervention providing only basic services; it tends to produce socio-economic inequality.
25
Question
What is a Mixed Economic Model (MEM) and why is it considered efficient for sustainable development?
Answer
A Mixed Economic Model incorporates both free market mechanisms and government planning. It balances generating wealth ($$$) with equitable resource distribution (equity), allowing private ownership with state intervention when necessary. MEM provides essential services like education and healthcare while promoting social welfare, making it effective in achieving sustainable development.
26
Question
How do popular movements and ideologies influence development? Provide examples.
Answer
Popular movements can raise awareness, influence government policies, give voice to marginalized groups, and promote social change that supports equitable development. Examples include feminism (promoting equity for women), Rastafarianism (resisting inequity and oppression), environmental consciousness (promoting sustainable environmental practices), negritude (promoting dignity for exploited groups), social justice and human rights advocacy, and health consciousness (improving public health outcomes).
27
Question
What functions do lobby groups serve in the context of development and democracy?
Answer
Lobby groups apply pressure on society and governments based on issues they find important, can influence policy changes, amplify voices of marginalized groups, and raise international awareness. Their activities exemplify democratic free choice by enabling people to voice discontent and push for development that reflects their interests.
28
Question
Why is equitable distribution of wealth and resources critical for development, and what challenges does the Caribbean face in this regard?
Answer
Equitable distribution ensures all members of society have access to resources needed for a decent quality of life and empowerment. The Caribbean's legacy of socio-economic polarization results in one group having most resources while others have little or none, making equitable distribution challenging. Governments must carefully prioritize spending and provide subsidies to help vulnerable populations access basic needs.
29
Question
What issues are caused by class boundaries and stratification in Caribbean societies that hinder development?
Answer
Stratification leads to inequity, alienation, antagonistic work relationships, a demotivated workforce with poor work ethic, institutional injustice, and discrimination based on race, gender, or class. These factors reduce quality of life and human rights, create social divisions, and hamper productivity, all obstructing sustainable development.
30
Question
How can entrepreneurship contribute to the development of a nation?
Answer
Entrepreneurs promote self-reliance, reduce dependency, create employment, stimulate economic activity, and increase national income through taxes. Encouraging entrepreneurship fosters empowerment and diversifies the economy, which are all vital for national development.