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Grade 8 Better life index

Last updated over 5 years ago
16 questions
'Quality of life index is a composite criterion consisting of certain selected social indicators to measure the standard of living (welfare) of the people'. National income and per capita income as the indicators of development have many limitations.

How is the Better Life Index for men and women calculated? The BLI for men and women is calculated with the same methodology than the baseline BLI, that refers to country average values. The BLI for men and women include the same 24 indicators than the country average BLI.

Surveys, in particular, are used to measure life satisfaction and happiness. Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, people on average across the OECD gave it a 6.5.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 37 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
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Click here for a video of an explanation of the OECD Better Life Index.

Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries. Move your cursor over the petals to see the bar graphs which illustrate the ranking for each better life index

Record the name of the country with the highest rank for the following topics (increase each of the following topics to the maximum to find out the answers – remember to reset before you move onto the next topic):

a. work-life balance b. income c. safety d. health (4)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.

Record the name of the country with the lowest rank for the following topics (increase each of the following topics to the maximum to find out the answers – remember to reset before you move onto the next topic):

a. housing b. life satisfaction c. education d. work-life balance. (4)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Compare your index.

If you set all the indices (topics) to maximum (+), which country is ranked 1? (1)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.

Create your own Better Life Index

a. Rank the topics according to how important each is to you (Use the slide rule to rank the topics) b. Justify your ranking. Why do you think some of the topics are more important than others?

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Click on Gender difference
Set the Work-Life balance index to maximum (+)
Which country has the greatest gender (Male/Female) difference? (1)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Ensure you are on Gender differences
Set the Housing index to maximum (+)
How many countries have no gender differences for this index? (move your cursor over each of the petals) (1)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Ensure you are on Gender differences
Set the Life Satisfaction index to maximum (+)
Which countries have the greatest gender difference for this index? (move your cursor over each of the petals) [name the highest ranked two] (2)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Ensure you are on Gender differences
In how many of the indices (topics) do women rank above men? (move cursor over each of the petals) (1)

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Go to the Home Page.
Click on countries and then select South Africa.
(a) What is the reason behind the high income inequality in SA?
(b) What % of South Africans between the ages of 16-64 are employed?
(c) What % of South Africans have a matric?
(d) What is the average South Africans happiness index rating?
(e) How much lower is this than the average OECD rating? (5)

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Click here and investigate how altering the topics in the Better Life Index can change the ranking of the OECD countries.
Compare and contrast the Better Life Index between South Africa and USA.
[click on Topics, then click on housing, then scroll down for SA]. Read the information under key findings and compare and contrast three facts (amount spent on housing, average number of rooms shared, % of indoor flushing toilets) on housing in SA with housing in USA. [Write a fact on housing in SA and then compare that with a fact on housing in USA] (6)

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Go to the Home Page.
Click on countries and then select South Africa. (Scroll down to Better Policies for Better Lives)
(a) What is the name of the policy SA has adopted to improve the lives of South Africans? (1)
(b) What does the inclusive engagement process entail to involve citizens? (8)

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Go to the Home Page.
Click on Responses. Click on the country bubbles to see what matters most to a country.

(a) What matters most in SA? (1)
(b) What matters least in SA? (1)

2

Go to the Home Page.
Click on Responses. Click on the country bubbles to see what matters most to a country.
(a) What matters most in USA? (1)
(b) What matters least in USA? (1)

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Go to the Home Page.
Click on Responses. Click on the country bubbles to see what matters most to a country.
(a) Which Southern African country rates jobs as the number 1 index? (1)
(b) Which Southern African country rates housing as the number 1 index? (1)
(c) How many Southern African countries rate Education as the number 1 index? (1)
(d) Which index is rated last by most Southern African countries?
(e) Which country in Southern Africa has a different number 1 index compared to the other countries? (1)
(f) What is the number 1 index ranking for European countries? (6)

8

Go to the Home Page and scroll down.
Click on Getting skills right: Skills for job indicators.
Read page 52
Provide examples of (a) content skills (b) process skills (c) complex problem solving skills and social skills. (7)

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Go to the Home Page and scroll down.
Click on Getting skills right: Skills for job indicators.
Refer to table 3.3 (page 53).

List 3 critical surplus skills in SA.