CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Economics: DevelopmentWhy do different people have different notions of development? Explain with examples.

Different people have different notions of development because life situations and aspirations of people are different. What may be development for one person may not be development for the other. It may even be destructive for the other. For example, the developmental goal of a boy from a rich urban family would be to get admission into a premier college and have freedom of lifestyle. On the other hand, the developmental goal of a girl from a rich urban family might be to get as much freedom as her brother and be able to pursue her career abroad. Another classic example is the construction of a dam. For industrialists and urban dwellers, a dam means generation of cheap and abundant electricity and regular water supply for factories and households. However, for the tribals and indigenous people living in that submergence area, the construction of a dam means displacement from their ancestral lands, loss of their livelihood, submergence of their homes and cultural disruption. Thus, the idea of development is completely relative, subjective, and depends entirely on the socio-economic status, needs, and current life situation of the individual or group concerned.