Week 15 Chapter 12 Development

This is the last installment. The text and lecture return to a common conceptual ground for the end of the course.

1. The text begins Chapter 12 with a series of causes that together, but not singularly, cause a lack of development; "…a combination of interwoven limiting factors thwart development." Can you list and describe some of these factors?

2. Another list can be made for the section "How Economic Development is Measured."

3. Define the "Epidemiological Transition" and the "Human Development Index."

4. What does Myrdal mean by circular and cumulative causation? How about "backwash and spread effects"?

5. According to your book, what are the primary reasons for the failure of Soviet style communism?

6. How can the developed countries help the less developed countries?

7. Chapter 12 is, in my opinion, rather fragmented but it does tend to link reasonably well with the lecture topics. Both deal with development, although the perspectives on development are a bit different. Could you describe the difference in approach between text and lecture as related to development?

8. What topics would you like to add to Chapter 12 and why? For example, I would argue for a section on "basic needs." Could you support that? How? What else would you add?