Key Idea: This topic is about what these words really mean — because they are contested. Development is more than money; sustainability asks whether it can last; and poverty and inequality are not the same thing. The meaning you choose shapes your whole argument.
🔑 The four contested terms
| Term | Narrow meaning | Deeper meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Development | economic growth (GDP) | a better life across many dimensions (health, education, freedom) — human development |
| Sustainability | protecting the environment | development that lasts — environmental, social AND economic |
| Poverty | low income | lack of opportunities, resources, health, voice (multidimensional) |
| Inequality | some are poor | unfair GAPS between people/groups in income, power and rights |
📚 The four micros at a glance
What each micro adds
- 3.1.1 Development — More than GDP: a better life across health, education, income and freedom. Measured by HDI, not just money.
- 3.1.2 Sustainability — Development that lasts — meeting today's needs without wrecking the future. Environmental, social and economic.
- 3.1.3 Poverty — Not just low income — a lack of opportunities, health, education and voice. Absolute vs relative poverty.
- 3.1.4 Inequality — The unfair GAPS between people and groups — income, wealth, power, rights. A country can grow yet stay unequal.
⚖️ The debates that come up
- GDP grows the economy
- But can leave people behind
- Judge: real development is human + shared
- Growth can cut poverty
- Yet widen inequality
- Judge: tackle both, not just one
- Growth can wreck the environment
- Sustainability = make it last
- Judge: green, just development
Discuss the view that development means more than economic growth.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
The 15-mark markband (Paper 2)
Bands 1–6
Mostly descriptive; perspectives <strong>not identified</strong>.
avoid
Bands 7–9
Clear knowledge, but perspectives <strong>identified, not explored</strong>.
7–9
Bands 10–12
Well-supported argument; perspectives <strong>explored</strong>.
10–12
Bands 13–15
Balanced, compelling; perspectives <strong>explored AND evaluated</strong>.
13–15
Important: Treating 'development' as just GDP/money. Examiners reward students who show it is <strong>contested and multidimensional</strong> — human development, sustainability, and the gap between poverty and inequality. Always define the term and pick the deeper meaning.
Answer in your head first, then tap to reveal.
Why is development more than GDP? Because it includes health, education, freedom and sustainability — a better life across many dimensions, not just a bigger economy. The HDI captures this beyond GDP.
What is sustainability? Development that lasts — meeting today's needs without wrecking the future — across environmental, social and economic dimensions.
What is the difference between poverty and inequality? Poverty is a lack of opportunities, resources and voice (not just low income); inequality is the unfair GAP between people and groups. A country can cut poverty yet stay unequal.
Can a country grow and still fail to develop? Yes — if growth is captured by a few, leaves health and education poor, widens inequality or wrecks the environment, so people's lives do not really improve.
What is a balanced view of development? Development means more than growth — it is human, shared and sustainable improvement — but growth is usually a necessary means to it.
Exam tips
- Always DEFINE the contested term and pick the deeper meaning.
- Development = human + sustainable, not just GDP.
- Poverty ≠ inequality — know the difference.
- Use HDI, not just GDP, to measure development.
- Judge: human, shared, sustainable development.