Poverty in Nepal and Impacts on Childhood Development

Poverty situation in Nepal is very critical. Although it is blessed in terms of natural resources and a lot of development potential, it is one of the poorest countries in the whole world. Fulfilling just the basic needs like food and shelter is a major concern for many poor let alone some vital facilities like health services and education. While most poor do not even earn a dollar a day, the government efforts have been futile so far regarding the situation in past few years. According to World Bank Data Sheet (2007-2011), the per capita GDP of Nepal is US$ 619. The inflation rate is at double digits while the economic growth is not even half of it. These are just the examples and statistical facts; the reality is much more pathetic.

The main problem behind it is certainly the long standing political instability. The country is still recovering from a decade of armed conflict, and currently is in a transition to a new constitution. That is why, no significant improvement can be expected, until the new constitution is promulgated.

Poverty has direct impact on infant and childhood development. It is supported by the fact that infants who are introduced to new kinds of “objects and simulating activities” have better knowledge and abilities (Charles Stangor, Introduction to Psychology, p.167). Clearly, poor parents cannot provide diverse activities for their children. Similarly, physical development is equally vital, which is also hindered by the economic inability of the poor parents in managing proper food and care. Also, as the children become aware about the social comparison, at the age of 5 or 6 (Charles Stangor, Introduction to Psychology, p. 173), they might feel themselves inferior to the richer children, and thus, develop a pessimistic attitude towards themselves. These all factors show that poverty affects the infant and childhood development negatively.

There are many ways in which poverty can be alleviated in Nepal. Firstly, Nepal is historically famous for its mountains and natural beauty. Thus, tourism and mountaineering can be developed to increase both employment opportunities and foreign investment. Also, there is a huge potential in hydroelectricity, which is a renewable energy, and it is estimated that only 1% of the actual capacity is currently being generated. Even if just these sectors are developed, poverty can be reduced drastically.

References:

WorldBank.Org (2007-2011), GDP Per Capita (current US$), Accessed: September 25, 2012, http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD

Stangor, Charles (n.d.), Introduction to psychology, Growing and Development, p. 167 and 173. 

Research Methods and Threats to Validity

Research methods:

Research	Descriptive Research	Correlational Research	Experimental Research
Objectives:	To summarize the current situation of the subject of study.	To study the relationships among variables under study.	To study the influence of the independent variable(s) on the dependent variable.
Advantages:	·      Fully summarizes the current data. ·      Helps in developing ideas for further research.	·      Helps in testing whether the predicted relation between variables is valid or not. ·      Helps in testing relationships of interdependent real-life events.	·     Helps in determining relationship between an independent variable and dependent variable.
Disadvantages:	·      Relationships among the variables cannot be determined. ·      Violates ethical issues when the population is observed without informing.	·      We cannot draw conclusions about the set of independent and dependent variables i.e. when one variable causes other.	·     Handling many variables is difficult. ·     It is not cost-effective as well as time-effective.

Threat to research validity:

Threat to Validity	Explanation	How it affects accuracy?
Construct Validity	It deals with how well the values used in research evaluate the conceptual variables- the basic ideas behind the research.	It may not necessarily evaluate or represent the original conceptual variables.
Statistical Conclusion Validity	It deals with the level of accuracy of the researcher’s confidence about the absence of random error in data.	Statistical tests may not have been applied to check the validity of results or the results of the tests may be misinterpreted.
Internal Validity	It deals with how confidently the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables can be trusted.	A third variable, confounding variable, may have affected the participants’ response.
External Validity	It deals with how well the results of a research can be applied to a similar scenario.	The conclusion may have been made under circumstances that are not applicable to another.