IB geography paper 3 core unit 5 human development and diversity HL only
UN SDGs
The UN’s set of 17 sustainable development goals agreed upon in 2016, meant to be met by 2030
They replaced the millennium development goals (written in 2000 for completion by 2015)
GII
Gender Inequality Index- values from 0 to 1 with 1 being the worst.
What measures go into the GII?
Reproductive health (maternal mortality rate and adolescent birth rate)
Empowerment (rate of higher education, share of parliamentary seats)
Labour participation.
Advantages of GII
Composite measure (uses multiple indexes)
Disadvantages of GII
Excludes local government contribution and contribution elsewhere in community/public life
Share of parliamentary seats doesn’t work as a measure when the country is not a democracy
Asset ownership and gender-based violence are excluded (mostly due to lack of data)
Give an example of a country with a low and a high GII
Slovenia has the lowest GII
Yemen has the lowest GII
Gender inequality in Colombia
In 2023 Colombian women’s presence and participation in politics was only 37% compared to men’s.
There are 750,000 domestic workers (95% of whom are female). They are often exploited for long hours of labour while enduring sexual harassment and racism.
HDI
Human Development Index, a score between 0 and 1 with 1 being the most developed
What measures go into the HDI?
Education (years of schooling)
Long and healthy life (life expectancy)
Standard of living (GNI per capita)
Advantages of HDI
Combines social and economic factors
Composite measure
Very useful
Disadvantages of HDI
Doesn’t consider environmental aspects/sustainability
Assumes that a long life expectancy is an accurate indicator of a healthy life
Doesn’t show spread of data within countries (disparities)
Give an example of a country with a low and a high HDI
Norway has the highest HDI
Niger has the lowest HDI
Cultural imperialism
The practice of promoting the culture values/language of one nation or another. It is usually the case that the former is a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter is a smaller, less affluent one.
Definition of culture
System of shared meanings used by people who belong to the same community/group/nation, to help them interpret and make sense of the world
How is Dubai an example of homogenisation as well as traditional values/features?
“Cultural hybridity“- Burj al Arab hotel built very high despite cheap desert real estate in the Western style
-Consumption of dates/figs, traditional dress, camel rides, oil on hands
Advantages of globalisation on culture
-Increased value of economic development and trade increases
-Greater availability of commodities available
-Pressure from the West has increased women’s rights
Disadvantages of globalisation on culture
-Economic/political exploitation
-Loss of local culture
-eg. there are over 6000 languages spoken worldwide but half could disappear by 2100
Named example of Fairtrade
People tree: a textiles company that follows the principles of fairtrade set out by the WFTO (world fairtrade organisation)
Works with 50 fairtrade groups in 15 countries
Garments produced from certified organic cotton by hand- minimal environmental impact
Locally-sourced, natural products
Named example of microfinance
Grameen Bank, Bangladesh (set up in 1974 by Muhammad Yunus)- small scale loans to grow businesses 97% of which to women.
What is microfinance?
Small-scale financial support to help individuals and communities to start small businesses
Advantages of microfinance
Provides disadvantaged people and communities with opportunities, free from collateral, organising recipients into groups to hold each other accountable makes it more likely that loans will be paid back
Disadvantages of microfinance
Not all people are entrepreneurs so money may be wasted. They may use money to pay off other loans or to buy food/etc instead of investing into their businesses.
What are indigenous people/groups?
Culturally distinct social groups who share a collective heritage related to the land where they live or from which they have been displaced
Causes of uneven development
Geographical factors (altitude, terrain, natural resources, proximity to the coast), economic factors (global trading systems, cycle of poverty) and historical factors (imperialism)
Homogenisation
The process of people and places becoming the same
Two causes of cultural homogenisation
Rise of TNCS, immigration
World Cities
Highly-connected cities (often ports) that house banks, HQs, regional offices of TNCs, schools, unis, hospitals, libraries, etc. Places where information is housed.
Cultural diffusion
The spread of cultural values from one area to another
Advantages of McDonald’s CSR policy
First business to scrap plastic straws, they pay their suppliers a fair wage, Ronald McDonald charity donates millions of pounds
Weaknesses of McDonald’s CSR policy
Promotes unhealthy eating habits (esp. in children) “health washing“, employees underpaid, understaffing, lack of first aid training, massive environmental footprint, burning in the Amazon for soybeans to feed chickens, excessive utensils, packaging and food waste
Consumer culture
Focuses on the spending of customers’ money on material goods to sustain a lifestyle in a capitalist economy
Glocalisation
the practice of conducting business according to both local and global considerations, to sell products globally but according to local needs/laws
Consumer culture
the focus on spending of consumers’ money on material goods to attain a lifestyle in a capitalist economy
What is a diaspora?
People who have migrated abroad but have kept strong identity/ties with their homeland.
Give an example of a large diaspora
There are >200 million Chinese migrants around the world. Almost every major city worldwide has a Chinatown.
What is permaculture?
A sustainable farming practice involving crop rotation and land rotation; the land is given time for recover
Civil societies
Movements and organisations whose aim is to negotiate and build bridges for mutual understanding between individuals, corporations and government (eg. Greenpeace)
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme: the global authority for the environment with programmes focusing on climate, nature, pollution, sustainable development, etc.
Why are some people opposed to immigration?
Perceived threat of immigrants “stealing“ jobs, rise in cost of housing/healthcare/etc, rapid population growth, increased crime rate, risk of infectious disease and lack of integration into society
Benefits of immigration
UCL 2014 estimated that annual economic benefit to the UK from immigrants is £20 billion. Immigration adds to the workforce, especially doing jobs that others don’t want to do.
Example of an anti-immigration party
The BNP (British National Party)
Geopolitical rejections of globalisation
Government/militia controls, national trade restrictions, resource nationalism
What is resource nationalism?
When a country decides to take all or part of a resource/resources under state ownership
Example of resource nationalism
In 2012 Ghana announced a review raising taxes on mining operations on nationalised resourced from 25 to 35 per cent
In Botswana the largest diamond firm Debswana is owned 50/50 by de beers and Botswana government contributing 50% of government revenue and 30% of GDP.
What is a windfall tax?
A tax on an unforseen or unexpectedly large profit, especially one thought to be excessive or unfairly obtained
Example of government control
North Korea restricts access to mobile phones.
Only political elite have vehicles.
Prevents citizens travelling around the country or leaving.
An indigenous group that has been affected by globalisation
The Dani Tribe has lost a lot of traditional culture because of Christian missionaries, the Indonesian government, and tourism.
Traditional Dani culture
Survival based on sedentary farming, pigs killed in ceremonies for important events, ritual warfare, men and women living in separate houses, little clothing worn
Dani culture post-contact with global culture
Eliminated ritual warfare and cannibalism, pig kill ceremonies persist. 80 percent of Dani are now Christian. Widened variety of livestock and crops, however a new species of pig brought fatal disease. Dani have rejected new houses and attempts to get them to wear more clothing. School lessons are taught in the Indonesian language.
Tourism has preserved traditional crafts and spread awareness of their culture, however is eroding traditional way of life.
What is the case study for a campaign against TNCSs?
Shell in Nigeria
Shell background info
The largest oil company in Nigeria
Responsible for nearly half the country’s daily output of 2 million barrels
Nigeria is highly dependent on oil as it accounts for 90% of government revenue
Shell in Nigeria case study: the problem
Widespread land, water and air pollution
Oil spills
Reduces chances for Ogoni people (ethnic group in Niger delta) to continue as farmers and fishermen
In 2011 an independent report by UNEP found several areas were contaminated with carcinogens and hydrocarbons
The carcinogen Benzene was 900x the WHO safe limit
“Disastrous“ mangrove destruction
Shell in Nigeria case study: the solution?
UNEP requested emergency measures including surveys of drinking water wells, warning signs posted in contaminated areas, clean drinking water provided for those affected
Shell was forced to pay a $83m settlement to the Bodo community for the oil spills
What is the named example of a civil society?
Greenpeace
What is the case study for challenging restricted freedoms?
The Arab Spring
What were the causes of the Arab Spring?
Short term: in 2010 in Tunisia street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight in response to confiscation of wares and harassment by local officials. Protests led to the removal of president Ben ali after 23 years in office.
Long term: dictatorship, dissatisfaction with gov, unemployment, food shortages
What were the successes of the Arab Spring?
In Tunisia and Egypt there is greater freedom than before
Tunisia became a democracy
Most civil unrest was over by 2012 (Syria the exception)
What were the failures of the Arab Spring?
Post- Arab Spring, there was a wave of violence, instability and economic decline known as the “Arab winter“
In Syria and Libya there has been a collapse of law and order
300 killed in Tunisia’s Arab Spring, 40k in Libya’s and 300k in Syria’s
Only Tunisia became a democracy afterwards