Development

Lesson

Part 1 — what development means to different people, why income is not the only goal, and how countries are compared using average income.

In this lesson you will

Explain why different people have different and sometimes conflicting development goals
Explain why non-income goals such as security, equality and freedom matter
Calculate and interpret average (per capita) income, and state its limitations
Describe how the World Bank compares countries

Part 1 at a glance

Concept

Development begins with aspirations

Every person has hopes for a better life. Development is about these aspirations: what people want and how their lives can improve.

Table of three questions about development: what people want, whether everyone wants the same, and how progress can be measured
Question	Why it matters
What do people want from life?	Development starts with people's goals
Do all people want the same things?	No: goals depend on each person's situation
How can we measure progress?	With indicators: income, health, education, and more

Diagram

Different people, different goals

Table of six people and their development goals: a construction worker wants regular work and fair wages, a rain-fed farmer wants irrigation and fair prices, a young woman wants freedom and equal treatment, a fishing family wants clean seas, a valley family wants to keep its land, and a shopkeeper wants roads, power and customers
Person	What development means to them
A daily-wage construction worker in a city	Work every day, fair wages, a safe place to live
A farmer who depends on rain	Irrigation, timely credit, a fair price for crops
A young woman from a well-off family	Freedom to choose her studies and career, equal treatment
A fishing family on the coast	Clean seas, safe boats, a market for their catch
A family in a valley where a dam is planned	Keeping their land, homes and way of life
A shopkeeper in a small town	Good roads, steady electricity, customers with money to spend

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