New
New
Year 11
Edexcel B

Top-down strategies to reduce global inequalities

I can describe the advantages and disadvantages of top-down strategies used to reduce global inequalities.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel B

Top-down strategies to reduce global inequalities

I can describe the advantages and disadvantages of top-down strategies used to reduce global inequalities.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Top-down and bottom-up strategies to reduce global inequalities differ in scale, aims, funding and technology.
  2. Strategies such as foreign direct investment contribute to globalisation, but some countries benefit more than others.
  3. Foreign direct investment by TNCs can lead to large-scale, economic change; but profits leak and jobs may be short-term.
  4. Loans from IGOs for large infrastructure projects can deliver technological solutions, but also risk debt problems.

Keywords

  • Transnational corporation - TNCs are firms that own or control productive operations in more than one country

  • Intergovernmental organisation - IGOs are established by a treaty or agreement between countries pursuing a common goal, e.g. World Bank

  • Globalisation - the increased interconnectedness of the world, economically, politically and culturally

Common misconception

The 'global shift' of manufacturing industries from developed to emerging and/or developing countries was a one-off movement of jobs.

TNCs continue to seek locations with the lowest wages, meaning the loss of manufacturing jobs from emerging countries is possible; so some of the benefits of FDI may only be short-term.


To help you plan your year 11 geography lesson on: Top-down strategies to reduce global inequalities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The case study of an emerging country will provide further opportunities to explore why some countries have benefited more than others from globalisation.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does 'economic development' mean?

A country's population growth
Correct answer: Growth of a country's wealth and improved living standards
Increase in military spending
Improvement in weather conditions

Q2.
What is a key goal of international aid?

To increase tourism
To reduce population growth
Correct answer: To support development and recovery
To promote global sports

Q3.
What is bilateral aid?

Aid given by charities to local groups
Correct answer: Aid given directly from one country to another
Aid provided by the UN
Emergency disaster aid

Q4.
Which of these is a cause of global inequality?

Equal access to education
Correct answer: Colonial history
Balanced trade relationships
Similar levels of investment

Q5.
What does globalisation lead to?

Correct answer: Greater interconnectedness of countries through trade and culture
Decreased migration and travel
Isolated economies
Local-only economies

Q6.
Which is most likely to reduce the development gap?

Increasing imports from HICs
Limiting trade
Relying on cash crops only
Correct answer: Investing in education and healthcare

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is a transnational corporation (TNC)?

A small local business in an LIC
Correct answer: A company that operates in more than one country
A branch of a country's government
A non-profit charity

Q2.
What is an intergovernmental organisation (IGO)?

A business trading between countries
A local charity group
Correct answer: An organisation made up of different countries working towards common goals
A development bank run by an individual country

Q3.
What do NGOs often focus on?

High-level investment
Correct answer: Social aims such as education, health, and reducing poverty
Running national governments
Controlling trade between countries

Q4.
Which of the following best describes the purpose of international aid?

It is only provided after natural disasters
It only supports emergency services
Correct answer: It can be used for both short-term relief and long-term development
It must come directly from governments