An examination of the literature on development reveals two perspectives on the issue. The first one is a subjective presentation of development while the second one is an objective understanding of development. The subjective view of development is evaluative. It considers development as a process of realizing certain goals or values such as improved health and housing, better nutrition, greater communication networks, improved transportation and increased command over resources.
On the other hand, the objective perception of development is empirical. It regards development as an almost quantifiable issue that can be verified. For example, ‘more developed’ and ‘less developed’ countries can be comparatively studied, and the empirical differences between them can be used to illustrate the meaning of development. Furthermore, comparative development assessments generally focus on variations in per capita income, percentage of the population living in rural and urban areas, percentage of workers in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy, the literacy rate, the mortality and fertility rates, and so forth. Besides socio-economic measurement variables, there are sociological measurement variables as division of labor, social differentiation, rationalization of values, and modernization of outlook; and political measurement variables as mobilization and participation, which are all associated with the development of societies.
Even though there is some degree of difference in the evaluative and empirical depictions of development, nevertheless there is a certain degree of similarity between them. This indicates an inherent relationship between the various aspects of development. For example, when the per capita income of a country reaches a certain high level, a majority of the population would be living in urban areas and would be working in non-agricultural occupations; social differentiation would be greater, the value orientation would be more rational; and political participation as well as social mobilization would be high (empirical characteristics). There would be also features like a high rate of literacy, low rates of mortality and fertility, more employment opportunities, greater satisfaction of basic needs, improved infrastructure and so on (evaluative characteristics).
Therefore, we can comfidently assert that development is a holistic process having a multitude of interrelated components. In upcoming entries, I will discuss development in terms of three of its constituents: the economic aspect of development (which is purely economical), the welfare side of development (that combines mainly the human and social elements of development), and the socio-structural component of development (which tends to focus mostly on the sociological and political dimensions of development).