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Development and Inequality

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why are some countries so much richer than others, and how do physical, historical and economic factors combine?

Explain the physical, historical, economic and political causes of inequality between countries and assess their relative importance
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on global inequality. The physical, historical, economic and political causes of development gaps between countries, how they interact, and how to weigh their relative importance.
9 min answer →

Why do sharp inequalities persist inside countries, even wealthy ones, and how do we measure them?

Explain the causes and patterns of inequality within countries and how it is measured, including spatial and social dimensions
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on within-country inequality. Income and spatial inequality, core-periphery and rural-urban patterns, social inequalities, measurement with the Gini coefficient, and why inequality persists.
9 min answer →

What do we mean by development, and how can something so multidimensional be measured fairly?

Explain the meaning of development and evaluate the economic, social and composite indicators used to measure it
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on measuring development. The shift from economic to multidimensional definitions, single and composite indicators including GDP per capita and the HDI, and the limits of each measure.
9 min answer →

What works to reduce inequality between and within countries, and how do top-down and bottom-up strategies compare?

Compare top-down and bottom-up strategies to reduce inequality between and within countries and evaluate their effectiveness
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on reducing inequality. Top-down national and international strategies, bottom-up grassroots approaches, redistribution and the Sustainable Development Goals, and how to judge what works.
9 min answer →

Can aid and trade narrow the development gap, or do they sometimes entrench it?

Evaluate the roles of aid, trade, investment and debt in promoting or hindering development
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on aid and trade. Types of aid and their effectiveness, the trade-versus-aid debate, foreign direct investment and remittances, the burden of debt, and how each can help or hinder development.
10 min answer →

How have geographers explained why some countries develop faster than others, and how convincing are these theories?

Compare modernisation, dependency and other theories of development and evaluate their explanatory power
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on development theory. Modernisation (Rostow), dependency and world-systems thinking, and neoliberal and people-centred approaches, with an evaluation of how well each explains uneven development.
10 min answer →