Foreign Aid and Poverty Analysis

The idea that helping poor countries with foreign aid can lead to a positive cycle of development and growth, where increased investment and productivity lead to higher incomes, fueling further investment and progress.

The belief that foreign aid can effectively alleviate poverty by providing resources for essential investments in developing countries, creating a path towards self-sufficiency.

The argument that foreign aid hinders development by making nations reliant on external assistance, undermining local institutions, and fostering corruption.

The idea that markets are capable of driving growth and solving problems in developing countries, and that government intervention through aid can be counterproductive and unnecessary.

The belief that poverty is not a permanent trap, but a result of factors that can be overcome through individual and collective effort, with minimal reliance on external assistance.

A situation where a country experiences a persistent lack of development due to factors such as lack of infrastructure, weak institutions and limited access to education and healthcare.

The use of anecdotal evidence, often compelling but not representative, to support a particular argument about the effectiveness of foreign aid, making it challenging to draw definitive conclusions.

The difficulty in definitively proving or disproving the effectiveness of foreign aid due to limitations in data availability, complexity of factors influencing development, and the lack of a clear controlled experiment.

A research method where individuals or communities are randomly assigned to different programs or versions of the same program.

The effect of a treatment or intervention on a group of individuals, as determined by comparing them to a control group.

A series of experiments that test the same program or intervention in different locations or with different variations.

The process of evaluating the reliability and generalizability of research findings.

The process of identifying and testing different potential explanations for observed outcomes.

A non-profit organization focused on using randomized control trials to evaluate development interventions.

The process of sharing research findings and best practices with policymakers and practitioners.

The belief that significant progress against poverty can be achieved through a series of well-designed, tested, and implemented interventions.

The idea that poverty is primarily defined by a lack of food and is solved by increasing food access.

A significant event that captured global attention and sparked large-scale humanitarian aid efforts.

An event that illustrates how poverty and hunger are strongly connected in the public perception.

The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) focused on reducing poverty and hunger as key global issues.

A method used to define poverty by establishing the minimum income needed for purchasing essential needs, including food.

The belief that providing food assistance is a central approach to combating poverty.

The belief that increasing the quantity of food readily available is the key to addressing hunger.

The incorrect assumption that the primary solution to fighting poverty is simply increasing food availability.

The idea that good nutrition contributes to overall prosperity. It was a significant factor historically and may still be relevant in some situations today.

The notion that food scarcity can lead to extreme measures, like the persecution of 'witches' during times of famine, in order to preserve resources for those deemed more productive.

A period in European history (mid-16th to 1800s) marked by frequent crop failures and colder temperatures, leading to food shortages and social unrest.

A model that suggests that sacrificing some individuals in a time of scarcity can benefit the rest by ensuring enough resources for those who are more productive.

The difference in death rates between boys and girls in Indian households during droughts. Young girls were more susceptible to death due to limited resources.

The belief that some individuals have supernatural powers, often associated with misfortune or misfortune during times of famine, leading to scapegoating and violence.

The idea that in most parts of the world today, food scarcity is not a major factor driving poverty. While occasional disasters like famines do occur, overall resource abundance is relatively high.

The idea that while food scarcity is a serious issue in certain contexts (like natural disasters or famines), it is not a major contributor to ongoing poverty in most parts of the world.

The belief that people choose food based on taste and not necessarily on its nutritional value or price.

The author's argument that people, especially the poor, prioritize taste over nutritional value when making food choices.

The author's observation that even the poorest people prefer flavorful food, even if it's less healthy, over bland options, highlighting a human preference for taste.

The author's use of George Orwell's observation about the diet of poor British workers to illustrate that people often choose less healthy but more flavorful foods, despite knowing healthier options exist.

The idea that people with less money are even more likely to choose less healthy but flavorful foods because they lack the resources to afford a varied and nutritious diet.

The author's belief that the economic circumstances of individuals can significantly influence their food choices, suggesting a relationship between poverty and dietary habits.

The author uses an example of the potato to illustrate the role of taste preference in shaping food choices, highlighting the importance of making food appealing to gain acceptance.

A classic French dish, essentially a shepherd's pie, that was created to promote consumption of potatoes.

The realization that poor people may prioritize spending their limited resources on other things, like social events, rather than solely on food.

The practice of spending a significant amount of money on funerals, often above what the family can afford, due to societal pressures and expectations.

The tradition of elaborate funerals for the elderly in South Africa, driven by cultural norms and the desire to honor the deceased.

The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on funeral spending in South Africa, leading families to spend more despite limited means.

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) advocating for regulation of the funeral industry to protect families from excessive spending.

The financial burden of lavish funerals on poor families, often leading to reduced food spending and other hardships.

The potential for more expensive funerals to lead to negative consequences like school dropouts and long-term economic hardship.

The King of Swaziland's attempt to curb excessive funeral spending by banning lavish ceremonies and imposing penalties.