Outline FOUR indicators of development and describe their relevance as

indicators of development in the Caribbean

(Q. 3 2007)

The concept of development at was traditionally analyzed primarily from the

point of economics but in recent times with the emphasis of human well-being
mandated to the world, the issue of sustainable development came into being. This
can be considered as having both economic and non-material elements and the
introduction of the HDI as a coefficient of development. There are several indicators
of development and these would fall into the categories of material or non-material.
The four indicators that will be evaluated are education, literacy, modern
knowledge, social equity (the place of women in society), mortality rates/ life
expectancy and environmental factors. It must be noted that each one of these will
have both positive and negative attributes as they apply to a Caribbean reality
In the Caribbean it is fortunate that we have gained status such as caste and
race, and social moulds in terms of what a man or woman can eventually be in
terms of profession and career. Education and literacy is commonly regarded as a
means of social mobility and economic success whereby an individual can overcome
obstacles that are associated with his position in society from birth therefore the
concept of empowerment through education. Modern knowledge correlates with
education not as a separate factor but as an aspect of the educational emphasis
that prepares the student for the modern world of work and region building. As an
indicator of development, education stands out as a success story because it has
achieved not only a place in governmental planning of society but also a place in
peoples value system that shows a higher order level of understanding relating to
upward movement and development. It is fortunate that the Caribbean
governments acknowledge that every person has the potential to succeed whether
in formal education or skills and training. This investment in peoples intellect can
be seen in the growing numbers of high school and university graduates every year
from UWI or other foreign universities based in the region. Coupled with this there is
a growing tendency by the regional governments to promote education through
scholarships and educational funding. Such policies such as GATE programmes in
Trinidad are characteristic of what is happening regionally. Indeed this would reflect
positively upon development as the growth of skill and professional ability expands
a nations and a regions potential to grow and develop. In addition to the
development of human resources there is potential for industrial and economic
growth as the region will have the skills and not have to outsource and hire foreign
experts which aids development too as employment in professional capacities will
be given to local people enhancing their quality of life. This can be seen in the
industrial and energy sector in Trinidad where the workforce is primarily local in
origin.
Social justice issues in terms of social equity and the place of women in society
is also advancing. Perhaps the modern girl would not recognize anything unfamiliar
about her situation, but from a historical perspective, women were seriously
underprivileged in terms of what they could aspire to become as career options. As

an indicator of development relevant to the Caribbean situation, one needs look no

further than the UWI to acknowledge the growing population of women to excel at
education and career opportunities. Indeed in the past few decades, women in the
region have attained eminent positions even as heads of state in the Caribbean.
This reflects positively as an indicator of the development of Caribbean peoples
values, outlook and acceptance of the modern trend of women in the workplace and
holding powerful position. From a purely economic point, women in the workforce
expands the number of persons capable of work in the productive sector , thus more
people paying taxes, more people spending on goods and services and more people
enjoying a decent quality of life due to economic empowerment. From the
standpoint of equity, women are now enjoying an improved condition and this lends
itself to improved social justice in society with the inclusion and empowerment of
minorities. All round, womens improved place and socio-economic recognition in
the Caribbean does bring empowerment and does reflect development.
Mortality rates and life expectancy figures are important demographic indicators
of development, but it also directly relates to the quality of life in a country.
Mortality rates apply to the deaths of infants within a short period of life, and life
expectancy relates to the estimated age of people upon death. Both of these would
reflect the level of development of a region because they both engage the issue of
health and medical services. In the Caribbean the infant mortality rate is low in
comparison to other developing regions and the life expectancy is ever increasing
not only because people have less laborious jobs but also due to peoples ability to
access medical attention. As an indicator of development this bodes well since
peoples quality of life, disease free and healthy improves. To the Caribbean this is
extremely important and relevant since planning and arrangements need to be
made for an increasingly aged population.
Environmental issues are perhaps most significant to the issue of sustainable
development but perhaps the most ignored on a Caribbean developmental agenda.
The sustainable development argument is that regardless of the quantity of money
that a region may have, once the environment is depraved, the quality of life of the
people is also depraved. Many islands of the Caribbean have never had a legacy of
environmental conservation and this is evident today in the practices of the people,
whether it is negative farming practices that lead to flooding, or dumping that
degrades the groundwater supply, the Caribbean is far behind in consideration of
advances made by other regions. In some islands however, because of the tourism
thrust there is a greater attention to eco-friendly management practices. It is fair to
say that the environment is only now coming into focus but only because of foreign
intervention and not because Caribbean people care for their environment. Issues
such as global warming, beach erosion, flooding and increased severity of weather
are all implications of how people deal with their environment and these are little
reflected in policies that come out of regional heads of state conferences or
legislation to protect the environment on a national basis. More needs to be done
and this must reach all levels of society, legislation and education and from the
primary school anti-littering lessons to strict fines and even jail terms for
environmentally hazardous industrial practices. From the point of relevance to

Caribbean society the issues of environmental conservation and consciousness are

lacking.
From the discussion above it is clear that in some ways the Caribbean is in an
advanced stage of development or at least is in the process of developing in some
territories. Some areas have attained positive growth and response from the people
of the Caribbean while others are seen as unimportant whether due to a traditional
mindset or lack of formal policies that regulates development.