Gender relations, migration and culture affect development by shaping people’s opportunities, resources, political influence and well-being. Each factor can promote or obstruct development, depending on how power is distributed and whose interests development policies serve.
How the Social Factors Affect Development
In IB Global Politics, development is contested. It can include economic growth, capabilities, equality, political participation and environmental sustainability.
| Social factor | Mechanism and example |
|---|---|
| Gender relations | Gender norms influence access to education, employment, healthcare, property and political power. In Rwanda, quotas contributed to women holding 61.3 percent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies in 2018. Representation, however, does not guarantee equal outcomes. |
| Migration | Migration can transfer labour, skills and remittances. Remittances equalled one-quarter of Nepal’s gross domestic product in 2023, supporting spending on education and healthcare. However, outward migration can produce skills shortages, family separation and dependence on foreign labour markets. |
| Culture | Values, identities and knowledge systems influence how development is defined and implemented. Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution incorporated the Indigenous principle of sumak kawsay, or good living, and recognized rights of nature. However, oil extraction in Yasuní showed conflict among Indigenous and environmental values, state revenue and economic growth. |
These factors interact through power and interdependence. Migrant women may face disadvantages based on gender, citizenship and employment status. Development policies gain legitimacy when affected communities participate in decisions.
A common misconception is that culture always obstructs development. Culture is not fixed: it may restrict opportunities, but can provide knowledge, solidarity and alternative models of sustainable development.
Exam Technique
For both SL and HL, this belongs to the thematic study of development and sustainability. In a Paper 2 response, define development as contested, explain positive and negative effects, use contemporary cases, and evaluate which factor matters most in a stated context rather than treating any factor as universally decisive.