Approaches for measuring development

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Sociology - Politics, Majorities, Minorities, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, course: Development Planning, language: English, abstract: The world development is a very difficult term to define. The reason is that it has different meanings to different groups and classes of people at different locations and time periods. In common usage development describes a process through which the potentialities of an object or organism are released until it reaches its natural, complete full-fledged form. Development in this sense is seen as a means to an end and must affect the majority and not a few people. Development is therefore not a cluster of benefits "e;given to the people in need but rather a process by which populace/society acquire greater master over its own destiny. The document brings to light the various conceptualizations of development and move further to address some of the approaches used for measuring the rate of development in both developed and developing countries. These approaches are built on the indicators which are underpinned by the various ideology and meanings people holds about development.