If we read the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), we will find that development is linked to the action of developing or to the consequences of this action. It is necessary, therefore, to trace the meaning of the verb develop: it is about increasing, enlarging, extending, enlarging or increasing some characteristic of something physical (concrete) or intellectual (abstract).
For example: «The economic development of this country is surprising: in just three decades it has positioned itself as an industrial power», «I like your idea, but I think it needs a little more development», «The filming had a rough development, since several actors suffered injuries while recording the action scenes».
Economic development is associated with progress. See Abbreviation Finder for acronyms related to Development.
Development also refers to the definition and elucidation of a theory; to exhibit or discuss in a broad manner certain themes or issues; to carry out calculation tasks indicated in an expression with analytical characteristics; to find the terms that form a series or a function; or, simply, to happen, occur or take place.
Development as progress
When the concept of development is applied to a community of human beings, it refers to progress in the social, economic, political or cultural sense .
The United Nations Development Program, whose acronym is UNDP, is the body that is dedicated to developing the measurement known as the Human Development Index (HDI). This statistic, which serves as an indicator of the state of a society, takes into account factors such as healthy life expectancy from the moment of birth, the level of literacy of the adult population and enrollment in schools, and the economic wealth that is reflected in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Concept in economics
Economic development is understood as a process where the conditions of goods and services are in a growing state and within the reach of all the social groups that make up the community. A society where there is good economic development has characteristics of economic and social integration and would have fewer people living on the margins.
To achieve economic development, countries are guided by the principles set forth by the UN, where macroeconomic measures are reaffirmed as long as they are developed in pursuit of better production that improves the living conditions of societies. Within these measures, special attention is given to human development, which not only encompasses economic needs, but also intellectual and cultural ones. For this reason, a developing country should offer better training to its citizens and a guide so that the skills acquired from said training can be taken to work experience, carrying out an efficient activity in the economic, social, cultural and political spheres.
The concepts that are closely related to economic development are: increase in real per capita income and increase in real per capita productivity in all the economic branches that are affected.
Child development begins at birth and continues until the person reaches maturity.
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is that which allows an improvement in present living conditions without putting the resources of future generations at risk. That is to say, an adequate use of the resources that are available, satisfying the needs of the inhabitants but without squeezing the maximum of natural assets.
For sustainable development to exist, three fundamental elements are needed: a society, an environment and an economy.
The three areas must coexist harmoniously and the overvaluation of any of them could be a cause of disaster; For example, if we consider that money is the most important thing in life and to achieve it we are capable of exhausting every last natural resource, such a mismatch will be generated that we will lose as a society. Sustainable development affirms that nature is a means but that it is necessary to respect certain limits in order not to make mistakes that could cost the lives of future generations. The fundamental thing in sustainable development is the absolute harmony between humanity and nature.
The notion linked to the city
Metropolitan development is the resounding growth of cities, becoming centers of mass concentration. This type of development is very positive because while it is booming, it brings many advantages such as increased job opportunities, improved communication between people and new options for leisure and entertainment.
However, when this development is not carefully analyzed and the necessary forecasts are made, drastic consequences can arise that put the economic and social stability of the community at risk.
Child development
The name of child development is given to the process that each human being lives until reaching maturity. It includes a series of physical, psychological and cultural changes that are distributed in the different stages of life, from birth to the moment in which the individual leaves childhood. Within each society there are conditions that are considered characteristic of all the children of that society in a stage of development.
In child development, both the physical and psychological aspects are inseparable from the process, they are closely related and can affect each other.
The importance of a plan
Finally, it is necessary to clarify that in order to achieve any type of development, there must be a development plan, a series of steps that must be carried out properly so that comparisons can be made and whether the objectives have been achieved or not.
For example, to know if a child has developed properly, it is necessary to take into account the different theories and analyze what differences exist between what is expected of a child of the age of the study, and what actually is.
