• Give illustrations of increased well-being by reading some of the answers that the students gave in the answer sheets they filled out during the last meeting. Next, give examples of decreased well-being from the same answer sheets.
• Explain to the class that the concept of “development” extends beyond mere economic growth;
it includes various aspects of human development or welfare.
Development
• Ask a volunteer to read a description of human development according to Sen’s capabilities approach as articulated by Herrin (2005) below:
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Development is the sustained capacity to achieve a better life.
Better life, includes:
− length of life
− quality of life that people succeed in living Quality of life involves:
− capability to do
− capability to be
Underlying these capabilities is the freedom of choice (freedom “to do” and “to be”).
Hence development is also about expanding the range of choices.
Capability “to do” and “to be” includes:
a) to be free from premature death (reduced mortality) b) to be free from preventable illness (reduced morbidity) c) to be well-nourished (improved nutritional status)
d) to be able to communicate ideas and feelings (increased literacy) e) to be knowledgeable and skillful (increased education and training) f) to be free from physical harm (improved security)
g) to do productive and rewarding work (increased employment)
h) to enjoy nature in its pristine form (improved environmental protection)
i) to enjoy interaction with friends, family, and other members of the community (reduction of stigma related to certain diseases)
j) to migrate to take advantage of economic and social opportunities (productive migration) k) to bear and rear children (achievement of desired fertility)
• Lead the students to a discussion of how these capabilities are affected by the formation of human capital (health, nutrition, education, training, and migration). Emphasize that in order to achieve human development, human capital investments are imperative.
• Point out to the class that human development (the capability “to do” and “to be”) means developing human potential to the fullest extent. Thus, human capital formation is a prerequi-site for the full development of human potential.
• Show Diagram A to the class. Trace the effects of human capital formation on employment and earnings, and on the consumption and well-being of individuals and households. Note also that population influences well-being (or human development) because it affects productive resources, productivity and income, and the consumption of goods and services. Note further that the interactions between population, resources, productivity, and welfare are affected by the policy environment and the quality of institutions. Good governance and good policies facilitate positive influences that bring about well-being.
5. Ask the class to form five groups. Each group should select a moderator, a secretary, and a reporter from among its members. Each group will draw by lot a case/scenario that they will discuss, analyze, and report about.
The cases to be drawn by lot are as follows:
a) A population with high fertility and rapid population growth b) A population with declining fertility and slow population growth c) A population with high child dependency burden
d) A population with a high proportion of people in the working age
e) A population experiencing heavy out migration of professionals and skilled workers
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• Instruct the groups to trace the effect of their particular demographic scenario on people’s well -being (or human development) by tracing the concept map as illustrated in Diagram A.
• After giving the groups time to discuss and analyze their respective cases, ask the reporter of each group to present the result of their analysis to the class. Encourage further class discussion after each presentation.
The group analyses should give detailed elaboration on the following hypothesized relationships:
a) Higher fertility and rapid population growth would put a strain on resources including the formation of human capital. This would lead to lower productivity and income, which in turn results in reduced consumption of goods and services, and ultimately, reduced well-being.
b) Declining fertility and slower population growth would have the opposite effect of a) above, that is, low fertility and growth will allow for increased inputs in production, including improvements in human capital, which then lead to increased productivity and income, and the consumption of goods and services. Well-being is then increased.
c) The effect of high child dependency burden on well-being is mediated in the same way as in a) since high child dependency burden is the result of high fertility.
d) The effect of a high proportion of working-age population on well-being is similar to that of b) since declining fertility will cause the child dependency burden to decrease and the working-age population to swell, thus promoting employment and productivity and, subsequently, increased consumption and well-being. A caveat in this case however is that the right policies (for human capital formation and labor absorption/employment genera-tion) must already be in place.
e) Heavy out migration or emigration of professionals and skilled workers can have a dual effect on well-being. A negative effect may result if the exodus of professionals and skilled workers means depriving the population of a quality labor force (especially if these professionals are mainly responsible for human capital formation such as those in the medical and teaching professions). A positive effect may result if these migrant professionals and workers contribute to investments in human capital at the household and
macro levels through the remittances that they send. Whether the net effect is positive or negative has yet to be ascertained.
Closure
• On a sheet of paper, tell the students to write a paragraph about how their parents (or guardian) have invested in developing their human potentials. Tell them to express appreciation by describing what they have become now and hope to become in the future.
• End the session by having someone read Student Reader 7: The Parable of the Talents to the class. Give the students a minute to reflect on the reading.
• Distribute Student Readers 8 and 9 as reading assignments for the next meeting.
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: Population, Human Development, and PovertyL L L
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EARNINGA A A A
CTIVITIES Preparation• Review the lessons learned in the last meeting by asking the following questions:
How can improvements in human capital be achieved?