Human Development

Development as widening people’s choices: Mahbub-ul-Haq and Amartya Sen, the four pillars, the four approaches, and how the Human Development Index is worked out.

Key ideas

Mahbub-ul-Haq saw human development as enlarging people’s choices and improving their lives; Amartya Sen saw development as an increase in freedom.
Its three key areas are a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living.
The four pillars are equity (equal access), sustainability (the same opportunities for every generation), productivity (better health and skills) and empowerment (the power to choose).
Approaches: income, welfare (people as passive recipients), basic needs (six needs, from the ILO) and capability (building health, education and resources).
The UNDP has published the Human Development Report every year since 1990.
The HDI measures attainments but says nothing about how they are shared among people.

Remember

HDI indicators	health: life expectancy at birth; knowledge: adult literacy and gross enrolment ratio; resources: purchasing power
HDI	(health index + education index + income index) ÷ 3 (each weight one-third)
HDI range	0 to 1: nearer 1 is higher human development
Enrolment or literacy rate	number enrolled (or literate) ÷ total × 100
Six basic needs	health, education, food, water supply, sanitation, housing

Watch out

Adding the three indices without dividing by 3.
Swapping Haq (introduced the HDI) and Sen (development as freedom, capability).
Mixing up equity (equal access) and empowerment (power to choose).

Worked example

Suppose a district has 8,400 adults, of whom 6,720 can read and write, and 6,100 school-age children, of whom 5,917 are enrolled. (a) Find the adult literacy rate. (b) Find the enrolment ratio. (c) Which pillar of human development do equal chances of schooling for all show?

Working: ÷ 8,400 × 100; ÷ 6,100 × 100

Answer: (a) 80% (b) 97% (c) equity