Intro – Identification of a country ranked low on the United Nations Human Development Index, I have chosen Central African Republic (200 words)
Part One – Detailed identification and discussion of the key economic, social and environmental issues facing this country and key quality of life issues facing its citizens (550 words)
Part Two – Framework critique – Explanations of poverty experienced in this country including modernisation framework (500 words)
Part Three – Drawing on the United Nations Declarations of Human Rights and the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, discuss the role of social work if it is to pursue its aim of social justice (500 words)
Conclusion – 200 words

Further help:

PART ONE
Select one country ranked ‘Low Human Development’ on the United Nations Human Development Index (Central African Republic was chosen). Discuss the key economic, social and environmental issues facing this country and key quality of life issues facing its citizens.
Task:
– Use the relevant UN websites to identify and select a country that is listed as ‘low human development’ (remember, it will be easier to find information on some countries than on others – so consider this before you finalise your choice)
– Use UN and other sources (eg journal articles, reports, websites of international development organisations etc) to find information and build your understanding of the various issues relating to poverty in your chosen country
– In selecting these resources, you should also begin thinking about the different ways that poverty is being understood and explained within them (this will then link to Part 2)

PART TWO
Using one framework presented in this subject (selected between moderisation, mainstream and critical), describe and explain the poverty experienced in this country.
Task:
– Choose one of the frameworks (or explanations/approaches) of poverty and development that have been identified in the subject. These are different ways of understanding and explaining why countries experience poverty, and what the best responses to these issues are. They are essentially different explanatory frameworks
– The 3 main frameworks that have been identified are:
• Modernisation
• Mainstream
• Critical
– You then need to use this framework to describe and explain the experience of poverty in your chosen country. EG:
• How is global poverty understood through this approach?
• What are the main causes?
• What aspects of poverty are focussed on most? Why?
• What is missing from this explanation?
• What kinds of responses to poverty are advocated?

PART THREE
Referring to the United Nations Declarations of Human Rights and the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, discuss the role of social work if it is to pursue its aim of social justice.
Task:
• Refer to the relevant international human rights covenants (Declaration of Human Rights, and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
• This will require you to identify key aspects of these documents that you believe are important in understanding global poverty from a human rights perspective
• How does poverty deny human rights; how can human rights prevent or alleviate poverty?
• Consider social work’s commitment to human rights and social justice
• What do the AASW Code of Ethics and the International Federation of Social Workers say about human rights and social justice?
• What does this suggest about the role of social work in an international context?
• How can social work make a contribution to addressing issues relating to global poverty?

This is the information used to describe the framework I chose to incorporate –
Modernisation framework:
– Also sometimes referred to as an ‘historical’ or ‘traditional’ approach
– Dominant approach to global poverty and development from 1950’s to late 1990’s
– Focussed on ‘modernising’ poorer countries by making them model themselves on the rich, developed countries
– This involved embracing capitalism as dominant economic system, focussing on economic growth and globalisation
– Involved large scale development projects and an increase in foreign ‘investment’ in poorer countries
– Poorer countries were often forced into loaning huge sums of money at high interest rates in order to fund development projects. This lead to a significant issue with global debt, which in turn forced countries to adopt ‘structural adjustment’ measures in order to meet debt repayment agreements with foreign governments and international banks
– Also focussed on challenging what were regarded as ‘backward’ cultural practices in poorer countries. People encouraged to become more ‘Western’ in their thinking