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Year 11 - Geography

Defining development

Global inequalities

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about global economic development. Pupils learn how, using a variety of measures, economic development is unequal and how this is reflected in demographic characteristics. Pupils learn about the causes and consequences of inequality and consider how they can be reduced.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to define quality of life and development and understand how their definitions have changed over time.

Key Notes

  • Quality of life has multiple aspects, some of which are subjective such as life satisfaction.
  • Development is a contested term often linked to a limited (Eurocentric), outdated view of economic progress.
  • Its definition has broadened over time to include human welfare, social and environmental justice.
  • The process of development is neither inevitable nor apolitical.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • quality of life: for individuals or the community, a measure of social and economic well-being
  • built environment: the parts of places in which we live that have been built by people, rather than exist in nature
  • life satisfaction: a subjective measure of happiness used to compare countries
  • development: the progress of a country in terms of wealth, use of technology and human welfare

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That a single image can help us to understand how quality of life is different in distant places.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

Quality of life has multiple aspects, some of which are subjective such as life satisfaction. Development is a contested term often linked to a limited (Eurocentric), outdated view of economic progress.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'quality of life'

for individuals or the community, a measure of social and economic well-being.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: That a single image can help us to understand how quality of life is different in distant places. Correction: While images can be of use they can not depict all aspects of life, moreover each image can only ever show a single place or group of people. Within any country there is a diversity of lived experience.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 Geography guide library.