Conceptualization of development and poverty

1. A) Development is a highly contested term that has been defined differently by a number
of development scholars. Among the many, enlist and analyze three definitions.

B) Present three discernable definitions of ‘development’ as conceptualized by Sumner,

A. & Tribe, M. (2008); compare and contrast the Sumner& Tribe (2008) definitions with
the above three definitions.

2. A) Why do we need to measure development?

B) Identify and briefly describe the economic and social indicators that are used to
measure development.

3. A) What is poverty? Present and analyze five (3) definitions of poverty from different
scholars.

B) Outline some ways in which poverty has been categorized.

4. A) Identify and describe poverty measures.

B) Why Gross National Product (GNP) is not a good measure for poverty?

5. A) What are the outside signs that could be used to implicate a society or an individual is
poor?

B) List the indicators of poverty according to Human Poverty Index (HPI).

6. A) Describe the concept of inequality.

B) Explain how development scholars measure inequality within a particular region or

country.

7. Explain the origin and nature of the following spatial categorization of world
development regions:

a) First World Countries, Second World Countries and Third World Countries

b) Global North and Global South

c) Developed and Developing Countries

d) High, Middle and Low Income Countries

8. Identify and briefly discuss ten important features that developing countries tend to have
in common (on average) in comparison with the developed world as conceptualized by
Todaro and Smith (2009).
9. How Low-Income Countries today differ from Developed Countries in their earlier
stages? Identify eight significant differences in initial conditions that require a special
analysis of the growth prospects and requirements of modern economic development.

10. Identify at least seven (7) key actors in development. Briefly explain the role they can
play in development. (Include Willis (2005) in your references).

References
Desai, V. & Potter, R. (Eds.)(2014) The Companion to Development Studies. Third
Edition. New York, NY, Routledge
Kingsbury, D., Remenyi, J., McKay, J. & Hunt, J. (2004) Key Issues in Development.
New York, NY, Palgrave Macmillan
Potter, R. B., Binns, T., Elliott, J. A., Smith, D. (2009) Geographies of Development: An
Introduction to Development Studies. Third Edition. London: Pearson-Prentice
Hall
Peet, R. & Hartwick, E. (2009) Theories of Development: Contentions, Arguments,
Alternatives (Second Edition). New York, NY, The Guilford Press
Sumner, A. & Tribe, M. (2008) International Development Studies Theories and
Methods in Research and Practice. London, Sage Publications
Todaro, M. P. & Smith, S. C. (2009). Economic Development, New York, Edison Wesley

Willis, K. (2005) Theories of Development. New York, NY, Routledge