Activity 1.5: extension activity – wellbeing analysis of a developing nation
Introduction
In this extension activity students can extend their understanding of the spatial pattern of global wellbeing and its causative factors.
Resources
Students can further explore resources used in earlier activities.
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Activity stepsShow details
- Ask students what is meant by gross domestic product (GDP). Ask them to consider how the GDP could be related to a country's wellbeing.
- Explain that for a long time the output of a country in terms of its GDP was held to be the measure of that country's development and, by inference, the measure of that country's wellbeing.
- It is now recognised that wellbeing is reflected in many dimensions and that using GDP as a single measure of wellbeing has serious limitations. Wellbeing has a 'quality of life' dimension, which, regardless of GDP, can vary between individuals, socio-economic groups, gender and generations within the one nation.
- Present students with the following scenario.
- A local newspaper has published an article rating the wellbeing of nations based purely upon their economic performance in the past five years.
- Drawing on their previous research, students write an opinion piece giving examples of countries where this single measure does not match the wellbeing of its citizens and arguing the case for what they believe is important in measuring wellbeing. The opinion piece can be either a media article or a letter to the newspaper of about 250 words in length.