Human "Development" Within the U.S. is Decieving

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a ranking of countries by level of human ‘development’ – or in other words, standard of living. It compares life expectancy, literacy/education, and GDP per capita worldwide. According to the United Nations Environmental Program, the HDI “is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests.” On a global scale, economic development is not the only factor considered when measuring human development, yet there remains a strong correlation between high rankings on the HDI and developed nations in the Western world. Compared to other countries around the world, the United States has a high HDI ranking (15^th in the world at .950) and people generally have access to the necessary resources in order to reflect high “development.” But the HDI of individual states varies significantly.



Human Development Index, Global Comparison of Nations


Through Environmental Justice, we have learned that minority groups within the U.S. are not necessarily reaching this standard of personal development that has been identified for the nation of the whole. Environmental racism, devaluing of place-based knowledge, non-point sources of pollution and toxicity, and general suppression of poverty-stricken groups are all factors that contribute to unequal “development” distribution amongst U.S. citizens. So, does the high level of human development in the United States truly depict individuals reaching their “full potential”?

If we examine the three factors contributing to the HDI, it is apparent that injustices (environmental and otherwise) in the U.S. are fueling an inaccurate representation of the true human development level. Life expectancy is shortened by general disparate impacts of pollution and toxicity concentrated in low-income communities, not to mention the lack of available health care to those groups for general well-being. In my opinion, it is a misconception that the United States has the technology and modernization to keep its entire population healthy – especially when the social systems in place do not support implementation of available resources for all citizens. Secondly, literacy levels and education availability is not equitable. For minority groups, reaching high levels of education is made more difficult by societal prejudices and general unavailability of those resources in certain areas. Granted, any person living within the U.S. is likely to have more education opportunities than a citizen of a Third World nation – but often non-English speakers are put at a significant disadvantage. We are truly a nation of immigrants, yet barriers are in place to ensure that children who speak English as a second language are limited. Lastly, the huge gap between class groups in the U.S. leads to an unequal measurement of human development. The relatively small upper-class holds more wealth than the vast middle- and lower-classes, and this leads to a surprising level of poverty within a nation that is so highly ranked. The U.S. has rates of income inequality that are typical for countries in the developing world.



Human Development Index, United States Comparison



We can examine Human Development by state for insight into the discrepancy between our “score” as a nation, and the real conditions for groups facing injustices. The American Human Development report gives insight into regional patterns of development in the U.S., and when individually compared to other nations around the world, the results are shocking. Many states rank highly, with 14 states above .957, and are amongst countries such as Japan (.956), Sweden (.958), and Canada (.967). However, some states line up with countries that reflect lower development: North Carolina and South Korea have a similar ranking (.927), as does Georgia and Israel (.928). Even lower on the list are states like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama which are comparable to nations like Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Ecuador. It is no coincidence that Southern states have the highest levels of poverty coupled with the highest numbers of minority groups, such as African Americans. Lack of available health care, infrastructure, and education (compounded by environmental injustices) has created a low “development” ranking within individual states which misrepresents the nation’s success as a whole.

For more specific rankings of nations and states, as well as further discussion, see the following blog site: http://mapscroll.blogspot.com/2009/05/human-development-index-by-state.html