Standards of Living (P. 210-216)

1. Standards of Living (P. 210-216) • Standard of Living: a relative measure, comparing nation to nation on the basis of life expectancy, literacy rates, and national gross domestic product (income). • Canada is considered one of the finest nations in the world due to its high standards of living • Indicators are the tools used by geographers to “compare and contrast” societies or nations, these include: • Life Expectancy– Life span a person can expect to have • Literacy Rates – level at which a group of people is able to read and write effectively • Gross Domestic Product – wealth of a country, measured against that of another

2. United Nations Human Development Index • This is a tool that measures a countries average achievement in three areas: • A long healthy life, based on life expectancy at birth • Knowledge measured by literacy rates • Per capita GDP (economic measurement of group) • What is development? • Some people argue that development is strictly economic in nature, however, there are other factors that should be considered; these include: • Social, cultural, political, health, education, housing, security, and the protection of human rights

3. How does development occur? • From Traditional to Developed Economies: • Occurs in fairly predictable pattern. Industry develops and technological improvements occur. Traditional economies transform into developing economies which transform into developed economies • Development Factors: • From Great Britain to the United States and Canada, development began in the 1800s from traditional to developed economies • This is often an easy task if a country has an abundance of natural resources, a free and fair political system, high rates of literacy, and an open attitude towards change • Other end of the spectrum; African and Asian countries that did not begin this transformation until 1950s have found it difficult to catch up • Other factors that inhibit development: former colonial status, high government debt, past and present conflict, and political corruption.

4. Key points to make note of: • The Growing Gap between the Rich and the Poor • Canada, the USA, Britain, France, and Australia = more unequal distribution of wealth, compared to Norway, Sweden, Japan, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, & Luxembourg • Consequences of this Economic Disparity • Poverty = shortage, deficit, or lack of personal resources. • Prevents individuals from having some of life’s basic necessities (regular food, shelter, and clothing) • Pay attention to Causes of Poverty (P. 215), and the “interconnectedness” of it… • Falling into poverty can lead to the poverty trap; this is a cycle that individuals fall into and have a hard time getting out of • Main causes: persons with limited personal resources, low-income levels, low literacy rates, and poor health conditions • It can lead to a vicious cycle that can last for years, if not forever…

5. Development of Foreign Aid Agencies • International Monetary Fund (IMF) • 1944; created for a world that had just endured the Great Depression and WWII • Was geared towards promoting and facilitating the expansion and balanced growth of international trade • The World Bank: • 1944; created to help rebuild the economies of nations who had been devastated by WWII • Poured money and resources into Europe • Now turned interest towards de-colonizing countries of the developing world (Latin America, Asia, and Africa)

6. Changing Patterns (P. 217-221) • *Disclaimer: not a “human geography” rooted section per say, but more or less sociology… Deals with human activity in groups, so you can see why it “fits” • Children and Women around the World: • Improved standards of living in past century has improved, not always in parity, but “better than what once was” • Laws passed to protect children from abuse, women’s rights are enshrined within the constitution, nonetheless when looking at world poverty rates = women outnumber men, and children find themselves within unjust and unfair child labour situations • SEE: UNICEF’s FIVE KEY PRIORITIES FOR CHILDREN • Child protection, immunization, early childhood, HIV/Aids, & Girls education

7. Women’s rights & lack there of… • Women’s movement initially began late in the 19th century, not to truly pick up momentum again until the 1960s • Issues faced: • Wage disparity (not paid to do the same job as men) • Physical rights (sex trade & rape w/ little or no consequence) • Legal rights (denied) • Status of Rights today… • Vary drastically from country to country…