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To Shine Bright Like a Diamond: How Botswana Overcame The Resource Curse and its Implications on Population Health

Pettersson, Gemma LU (2024) UTVK03 20241
Sociology
Abstract (Swedish)
Botswana is known as the ‘Diamond of Africa’ due to its unique success in avoiding the resource curse, the paradox where resource-rich developing countries experience poor economic and social outcomes while trapped in a cycle of underdevelopment. Despite the consequences of the resource curse, such as higher corruption and conflict, impacting development as a whole, much of the existing literature defines the success of avoiding the resource curse through predominantly economic indicators. This has led to a gap in the literature regarding the social indicators of success. This thesis has a two-pronged aim; to explore the key factors that influenced Botswana’s success through a systematic literature of the discourse, and to bridge the... (More)
Botswana is known as the ‘Diamond of Africa’ due to its unique success in avoiding the resource curse, the paradox where resource-rich developing countries experience poor economic and social outcomes while trapped in a cycle of underdevelopment. Despite the consequences of the resource curse, such as higher corruption and conflict, impacting development as a whole, much of the existing literature defines the success of avoiding the resource curse through predominantly economic indicators. This has led to a gap in the literature regarding the social indicators of success. This thesis has a two-pronged aim; to explore the key factors that influenced Botswana’s success through a systematic literature of the discourse, and to bridge the literature gap by including positive health outcomes in the discussion - namely to use life expectancy at birth as an indicator of success, too. By emphasizing a more interdisciplinary approach, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of what shapes and indicates development in resource-rich countries, and opens the door for wider discussion on the resource curse without the bias of a solely economic viewpoint. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Pettersson, Gemma LU
supervisor
organization
course
UTVK03 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
The resource curse, Postcolonialism, Colonial legacies, Botswana, Life expectancy
language
English
id
9174696
date added to LUP
2024-09-16 09:20:57
date last changed
2024-09-16 09:20:57
@misc{9174696,
  abstract     = {{Botswana is known as the ‘Diamond of Africa’ due to its unique success in avoiding the resource curse, the paradox where resource-rich developing countries experience poor economic and social outcomes while trapped in a cycle of underdevelopment. Despite the consequences of the resource curse, such as higher corruption and conflict, impacting development as a whole, much of the existing literature defines the success of avoiding the resource curse through predominantly economic indicators. This has led to a gap in the literature regarding the social indicators of success. This thesis has a two-pronged aim; to explore the key factors that influenced Botswana’s success through a systematic literature of the discourse, and to bridge the literature gap by including positive health outcomes in the discussion - namely to use life expectancy at birth as an indicator of success, too. By emphasizing a more interdisciplinary approach, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of what shapes and indicates development in resource-rich countries, and opens the door for wider discussion on the resource curse without the bias of a solely economic viewpoint.}},
  author       = {{Pettersson, Gemma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{To Shine Bright Like a Diamond: How Botswana Overcame The Resource Curse and its Implications on Population Health}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}