Cambridge IGCSE Development Studies
Focusing on issues of particular relevance to less economically developed countries, the Cambridge IGCSE Development Studies syllabus looks at the changes in society that encourage or hamper human development. By emphasising the interaction between economic, geographical, social and political processes, learners gain a greater awareness of the local, regional and national issues that affect development. As a result, learners will become more informed about their own local context, and can participate positively in the shaping of their own society.
Aims of the Syllabus
The aims are to-
1.Enable candidates to analyse development both as a concept and in practice within the socio-economic, political and resource contexts of a given society
2. Give candidates an understanding of development terminology, and make them aware of crucial global issues
3. Develop candidates’ understanding of the ways in which social, economic, political and environmental systems relate to each other
4. Give candidates the analytical skills that they need for understanding development
5. Develop candidates’ ability to study and assess different development strategies and experiences critically
6. Give candidates an understanding of both the prospects for development and the constraints upon it, and show them how to recognise the value of the resource potential of their own environment
7. Develop candidates’ understanding of the interrelationship of development at local, national, regional and international levels
8. Give candidates an understanding of development issues so that they can work towards ending poverty, exploitation and environmental destruction
9. Develop candidates’ self-awareness and their understanding of the attitudes, values and beliefs of others, and encourage them to have respect for human rights.
Syllabus
Poverty and development
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Understand the concepts of poverty and development
• Define poverty
• Define the concepts of development, economic development and sustainable development
• Understand both the negative and positive aspects of developments
• Understand the Millennium Development Goals, their targets and indicators for monitoring progress and to take into account any reviews by the United Nations of the Millennium Development Goals -
Measure levels of poverty and development
• Measure levels of poverty and development using different indicators such as: GNP and GDP per person, GNI, HDI, life expectancy, health data, education data, use of energy resources per person, production, employment and employment structure (primary, secondary, tertiary employment) and female participation
• Explain why indicators vary and why some are more useful than others
• Explain why some aspects of development are difficult or impossible to measure, such as justice and freedom. -
Identify patterns of development and characteristics of countries at
different levels of development
• Describe the broad global patterns of development
• Describe the characteristics of countries at different levels of development: for example, low, middle and high income countries, Newly Industrialised Countries/Economies (NICs/NIEs), industrialised/non-industrialised countries -
Analyse social and health issues in relation to poverty and development
• Understand the concept of basic needs for human life such as: enough food, clean water, housing, health care, education
• Understand the importance of education in improving living standards
• Describe and analyse social and health issues facing low and middle income countries: nutrition, clean water supply, good sanitation, health and medical care, disease and the spread of HIV/AIDS and other pandemics
• Understand the basic developmental needs of low income and middle income countries
• Recognise the role of women in development
• Understand how traditional lifestyles, in equality, discrimination, deprivation and ethnic/cultural issues affect development and the alleviation of poverty
• Discuss the reasons for and possible strategies to reduce inequality, discrimination and deprivation -
Describe, explain and analyse how political issues affect poverty and development
• Understand the concept of human rights
• Understand the roles of the different institutions of government and the functions of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary
• Recognise that political systems control the distribution of resources
• Understand how different political systems operate: capitalist; socialist; mixed economies; democracies; dictatorships
• Explain how political actions can promote or restrict development
• Understand the need to combat corruption
• Understand the need for international co-operation to solve global issues
Industrial development, trade and globalisation
-
Understand the concept of industrialisation and the processes of production
• Describe the characteristics of employment in the formal and informal sectors
• Understand the meaning of industrialisation and explain why it is regarded as a major contributor to the development process
• Explain the need for an educated/skilled workforce for industrialisation to occur
• Describe the factors of production: land, labour, capital, enterprise
• Understand the terms: inputs, processes, outputs of production
• Describe the types of technology (simple, intermediate, complex) and explain, using examples, when and where they are appropriate
• Explain economies of scale
• Describe labour- and capital-intensive methods of production
• Describe the sectors of production in a national economy
(agriculture, industry and services/primary, secondary and tertiary), and
(a) Illustrate the linkages between the sectors
(b) Identify how goods and services are used (for home use, for exchange within a country and for export) and illustrate with examples
• Appreciate the role of consumers in promoting sustainable development -
Understand the growth and role of world trade
• Understand the terms: import, export, balance of trade; terms of trade and their relationship to development
• Examine the ways developing countries can improve their balance of trade, Special Economic Zones
• Understand the terms: neo-colonialism, dependency and fair trade, and their relationship to development
• Describe and explain the growth and changes in the pattern of world trade since 1950, particularly the past 20 years
• Explain the importance of trade and how it benefits countries at different levels of development
• Understand free trade zones and World Trade Agreements
• Appreciate the need for and the impacts of fair trade -
Understand the function and impact of foreign investment on development
• Describe the role of aid agencies and charities in development
• Understand the term aid effectiveness
• Understand the role of the IMF, World Bank and regional development banks (such as Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank) in promoting development
• Explain the causes and impacts of national debt and the benefits of debt relief
• Describe the role of foreign direct investment and multinational (transnational) companies in the development process
• Evaluate the impact of multinational companies on development -
Understand the process of globalisation and evaluate its impacts
• Understand the term globalisation and have an awareness of its advantages and disadvantages
• Appreciate the role of telecommunications and transportation services in globalisation
• Describe the development, advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing (such as clothing and electronics manufacturing, call centres, computer programming)
• Assess the impact of outsourcing as a means to development
• Assess the impacts of travel and tourism as a means of development -
Understand different approaches to development
• Describe and evaluate different approaches to development at a variety of scales: for example, grass roots’ development, rural development programmes, exploitation of resources, industrialisation (foreign investment, joint ventures, public versus private funding, etc.), state, formal and informal developments
• Understand the importance of the earth’s natural resources to all development
Population and development
-
Understand the reasons for and impact of population change
• Define the terms population density, over population, population growth, crude birth rate, crude death rate, natural increase, infant mortality, immigration, emigration
• Understand the reasons for changes in population growth rates. Positive reasons (improved sanitation, access to clean water, education, government policies, etc.) and negative reasons (HIV/AIDS, other pandemics, drought, war, etc.) to be considered
• Understand the impact of changes in the crude birth and death rates on the population structure and growth rate
• Understand the impact of changes in population structure and size on development -
Understand the nature, causes and impacts of urbanisation
• Explain how development leads to urbanisation
• Describe the effects of urbanisation on both rural and urban areas
• Describe and evaluate possible solutions to the problems resulting from urbanisation, including problems in both urban areas (shanty towns/squatter settlements) and rural areas -
Understand the reasons for and impacts of international migration
• Define the terms immigration, emigration, forced migration, voluntary migration, refugee, asylum seeker, economic migrant
• Understand the causes of international migration
• Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of migration on low and middle income countries and their development
• Investigate ways of managing international migration -
Investigate the implications of rapid population growth on a country or area and analyse strategies for dealing with the issue
• Undertake a case study of a country or area where rapid population growth is, or has been, an issue
• Evaluate programmes designed to overcome population issues
Environment and development
-
Develop an understanding and appreciation of the nature of rural development
• Describe the nature of traditional societies; the use and ownership of land, division of labour and types of tools; social and cultural activities and dependence on the local environment; the impact of colonialism, development of peasant farming/ subsistence farming and cash cropping
• Describe and illustrate examples of commercial farming: tools and technology, development of monoculture and large-scale projects, plantations
• Describe and evaluate selected rural development schemes and strategies, and evaluate the problems involved in their implementation: loans and credit schemes and small-scale rural projects; farmers’ co-operatives; resettlement schemes; integrated rural development and the mobilisation of rural population; grass roots’ development; appropriate farming methods -
Recognise the growth and importance of a world market for agricultural products
• Understand the impact of population growth and changing demand on food supplies
• Describe the ways in which agriculture can be modernised to increase output: pesticides, fertilisers, irrigation, land reform, plant breeding, GM crops, hydroponics, animal breeding and production programmes
• Examine the impact of transport, preserving and freezing on the world market for agricultural products
• Evaluate agricultural systems in terms of cash crop production (such as rice, cotton, flowers, coffee and ranching) versus growth of staple foods for local population -
Understand the impacts of changes in agriculture and investigate strategies to ensure sustainable development
• Understand the causes and impacts of the flight from the land (see urbanisation)
• Understand the causes and impacts of land degradation, soil erosion, pesticide and nitrate pollution
• Consider the sustainability of modern farming systems and of organic farming as a type of sustainable development -
Examine the reasons for land-use pressure and methods of land conservation
• Increasing population leading to deforestation or forced use of marginal land leading to desertification
• Impact of rapid urbanisation and industrial development
• Increasing demand for land for utilities (water supply, power supply, etc.)
• Exploitation of land for mineral extraction
• Mass tourism as a source of foreign earnings, and growth of tourist resorts
• Evaluate conservation methods to preserve/conserve land and retain biodiversity: National Parks, Ecotourism, National Forests, Heritage Sites, Areas of Special Scientific Interest, protection of endangered species and CITES, etc. -
Understand the reasons for and impact of global environmental problems and investigate strategies to reduce them
• Understand the causes of deforestation of tropical forests and its effects on biodiversity and assess the different strategies to reduce this
• Understand the possible causes of climate change and its current and probable future impacts and evaluate possible strategies to limit climate change and its impacts
• Understand how acid rain occurs and the impact of acid rain on ecosystems and evaluate possible strategies to reduce acid rain and/or reduce its impacts
• Understand the causes of urban air pollution such as carbon monoxide, particulates, nitrogen and sulfur oxides. The impact of these pollutants and evaluation of strategies to reduce such impacts should also be studied
• Understand how water pollution from industrial production and sewage can be an environmental problem and evaluate strategies to reduce its impact
• Evaluate strategies to reduce waste sent to landfill sites -
Understand how natural disasters affect development
• Candidates should undertake a case study of a natural disaster and assess its impact on development. The study should also evaluate the ways in which government and NGOs dealt with the impacts of the disaster and draw conclusions as to their successes and/or failures. Alternative solutions to the impacts should be considered.
Objectives of Assessment
1. Knowledge with understanding
Candidates are expected to:
• Remember and choose relevant factual information
• Show knowledge and understanding of development terms and issues
• Show awareness of development strategies and give examples of how they have been applied
• Show an understanding of how social, economic, political and environmental processes interact.
2. Analysis and evaluation
Candidates are expected to:
• Present and interpret relevant data in written, statistical, diagrammatic, pictorial, cartographic and graphical form
• Analyse and evaluate information to:
(a) Recognise patterns and work out relationships
(b) Draw conclusions based on logical consideration of the evidence
• Analyse and evaluate alternative approaches to development problems.
3. Investigation and decision-making
Candidates are expected to:
• Extract relevant information from a range of sources
• Understand how a simple research exercise is planned and carried out
• Use their knowledge, understanding and skills, and a range of resources, to reach and justify informed decisions.
Grade Description
Students who score-
Grade A
• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of a wide range of development issues, terms, concepts and strategies
• Identify and assess local and national development needs and resources
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the issues that can restrict and promote development
• Show excellent skills of investigation, analysis, evaluation and decision-making
• Apply knowledge, understanding and skills in making reasoned and balanced judgements on development problems of a local, national and international character, with an excellent awareness of the different values and circumstances of the people concerned, and with an awareness of his or her own potential for participating in development.
Grade C
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of key development issues, terms, concepts and strategies
• Identify and describe local and national development needs and resources
• Demonstrate some understanding of the issues that restrict and promote development
• Show sound skills of investigation, analysis and decision-making
• Apply knowledge, understanding and skills in making judgements on development problems of a local, national and international character, appreciating to some extent the different values and some of the circumstances of the people concerned, and with an awareness of his or her own potential for participating in development.
Grade F
• Demonstrate an understanding at a limited level of key development issues, concepts and strategies
• Identify some local and national development needs and resources
• Demonstrate an ability to identify some factors that restrict or promote development
• Show basic skills of investigation and analysis
• Apply the basic knowledge, understanding and skills in discussing development problems of a local, national and international character, with a basic awareness that different value positions and circumstances can exist, and an awareness of his or her own potential for participating in development
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