Quality Of Life Evaluation Geography IA PDF

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Quality Of Life Evaluation Geography IA...

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A. Introduction A term that is quintessential to this investigation is quality of life, which is exactly what the study will measure. Quality of life deals with the satisfaction of an individual of his or her own life. This study will use the Human Development Index, (along with 2 other models) to measure this, which considers health, education and living standards.

The Philippines, which is currently in the late expanding phase of the Demographic Transition Model (a visual representation of population trends as countries become more developed), show characteristics typical of countries in that state, such as high crude birth rates (24.62 births per 1000 people), low crude death rates (4.95 deaths per 1000 people) and a naturally increasing population. As a developing country, the Philippines sees an overwhelming amount of people moving from rural areas to urban cities, which can be understood more plainly with Lee’s Migration Model. The aim of this investigation is to elucidate the differing standards of living in an urban area, such as Pagsanjan compared to a rural area, like Magdalena. By using numerous methods such as interviews, bipolar analysis, land use maps, photographs, and by also considering the HDI, the investigation will examine the extent that the citizens of Pagsanjan enjoy a higher quality of life than the citizens of Magdalena. It is probable that the citizens in Pagsanjan generally have a much higher standard of living than those in Magdalena, because with urbanization comes a higher chance of employment, more readily available facilities that all make great contributions to better livelihoods. Demographic Transition Model:

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Map Of The Area In Which The Study Was Conducted.

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Lee’s Migration Model B. Equipment and Methodology Method

Equiptment

How It Works

Justification

Survey/Interview

Pencil, Paper

Interviews will be conducted by asking people in certain sections questions about demographics, family income, and number of people in one household.

This interview gives valuable information concerning things that directly affect standard of living of people in the area, providing qualitative data as well as quantitative data.

Bipolar Analysis

Bipolar Analysis Chart

This method evaluates things like flora, fauna, street cleanliness, road safety, exterior building appearances, on an opinionated basis, however it is supported by photographic evidence.

The bipolar analysis chart is a useful source for evaluating the surrounding environment and considers all four points of the sustainability compass: well being, nature, economy and society.

Land Use Map

Pencil, Paper,.

Land use maps function with a simple key to represent the numerous types of

This type of data as it reveals the facilities that are available to the citizens, such as 4

Photographs

Phone Camera

land in the area. The road is mapped out on the paper, and the symbols are put on the land to mark their use, such as arable land, transportation, residency, etc.

hospitals, transportation facilities, and restaurants, which are all indicative of the citizens well being and quality of life.

Take photos that provide evidence for the citizens quality of life.

This study calls for the use of photographs to support the evidence, as a visual representation of the area and it’s contents would help guide readers better their understanding of Pagsanjan and Magdalena.

C. Data Results Figure 1: Bipolar Analysis Magdalena Street Cleanliness Safety Of Pedestrians Crossing Streets Exterior Appearance Of Buildings Litter Air Quality Noise Pollution Flora Fauna Traffic Congestion

Pagsanjan 4

3

4

4

3 2 5

2 3 1

4 5 3 3

4 3 2 4

Figure 2: Family Income Per Week Per Zone Magdalena Zone 1

Pagsanjan

Zone 2

2823 5078

7653 3142

Zone 3

3976

17645

5

Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6

2135 6919 10115

4161 8272 8772

Zone 7

2600

3341

Figure 3: Mean Years Of Schooling Pagsanjan Zone 1

Magdalena 8

4

Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5

8 11.75 12 11.8

11 9.52 12 10

Zone 6 Zone 7

6.8 10

11.9 9

Figure 4: Total Fertility Magdalena Zone 1

Pagsanjan

Zone 2

1.8 2.5

2.2 2.6

Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6

1.9 2 3.5 3

2.3 2.7 1.9 2.2

Zone 7

2

3

Figure 5: Average Connection To Community Per Zone out of 10 Magdalena Zone 1

Pagsanjan

Zone 2 Zone 3

8.6 7.6 7.6

8 7 7

Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7

9 9 7.7 7.7

8 5.9 8 7.6

Figure 6: Average Happiness Per Zone Pagsanjan Zone 1 Zone 2

Magdalena 8.5 9.1

9.4 8.8

6

Zone 3

7.8

9.5

Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7

8.1 7.9 7.9 8.7

9 9.2 9.6 8

D. Data Presentation Figure 1: Comparative Bipolar Analysis Of Magdalena and Pagsanjan [1 being the worst, 5 being the best]

In general, the bipolar analysis, which considers the nature, society and well being aspects of the compass shows that Magdalena has scored higher than Pagsanjan in a majority of the categories, particularly exceeding Pagsanjan in the categories of air quality, flora, and street cleanliness. The wide variety and abundance of flora and fauna gives way to better air quality, and is indicative of better health (reduced risk of pollution related diseases) and a better connection to nature. Figure 2: Family Income

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[x axis: philippine pesos, y axis: zones] The general trend that is apparent in this graph is that the inhabitants of Pagsanjan have a higher average income than the inhabitants of Magdalena, with the exception being in zone 2 and zone 6 where those in Magdalena earn a marginally higher amount. The trend is apparent in zones 1, 4, 5, 7 and especially 3, as the zone 3 households earning the highest weekly income. Figure 3:

[x axis: years at school, y axis: zones] The mean years of schooling per household graph indicates that people in Pagsanjan are typically educated for longer than those in Magdalena. The range of years in school for Magdalena is quite large (from 4 years to 12), and the range of years in Pagsanjan smaller and more consistent (from 6.8 8

years to 12). In Zone 1 of Magdalena,

Figure 4:

[x axis: children per household, y axis: zones] This graph shows that family sizes are often smaller in Magdalena than in Pagsanjan, with the exception of zone 5, where the average total fertility in Magdalena greatly exceeds the average in Pagsanjan. Family size is a tried and true tool in determining development and quality of life, as larger families often indicate lack of access to family planning as well as having a harder time providing for themselves. Figure 5:

[x axis: 1 being the worst, 10 being the best, y axis: zones] In general, the inhabitants of Magdalena feel more connected to their community than those in Pagsanjan.

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Figure 6:

[x axis: philippine pesos, y axis: zones] This graph provides an overwhelming amount evidence that shows that the citizens of Magdalena are happier than those in Pagsanjan. Figure 7: Magdalena

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Figure 8: Pagsanjan

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Figure 9: Magdalena

Figure 10: Pagsanjan

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Figure 11: Land Use Map Of Pagsanjan

Figure 12: Land Use Map Of Magdalena 13

[Legend For Land Use]

E  . Data Analysis The data gathered elucidates that there are definitely ways that the inhabitants of Magdalena have a better quality of life than those in Pagsanjan, but there are also ways in which those in Pagsanjan are able to sustain a higher standard of living. Considering the sustainability 14

compass, Magdalena excels environmentally, as the bipolar analysis and photo annotations highlight. The wide variety of flora and high air quality is something rarely seen in an urban setting like Pagsanjan, and with this, the residents are able to connect with nature on a better level, as well as being less susceptible to airborne diseases, asthma, various lung diseases and even heart disease. Furthermore, with the water plan UWSSP in place, all citizens of Magdalena are ensured clean drinking water, which further helps reduce the risk of disease and is also a luxury that millions of people across the world cannot afford. This is relevant to the health section of the HDI. Moreover, happiness in the municipality is extremely high, with over 70% of the interviewees rating their personal happiness a 9 or a 10, whereas in Pagsanjan the most common answer was 7/10 . Economically, the data suggests that the Pagsanjan residents are earning more, though family sizes are generally larger. In a large urban city such as Pagsanjan with such a large tourism industry, higher weekly incomes can be expected, as well as numerous schools and universities in the area which results in easier access to education. This is integral to determining one’s quality of life as education paves the way for employment and in turn, a means to provide for ones self. Evaluating all the data collected from the methods, it is evident that a higher quality of life is not automatically confirmed depending on where one lives, as there are many positives and negatives to both places and consequently, standard of living fluctuates. F. Evaluation One of the stronger methods used in this investigation was the questionnaire. The interviews provided not only accurate, quantitative data that was quintessential to this investigation, but also qualitative data that provided useful insight into the interviewee’s lives. A serious issue that may have affected data was the language barrier, as it was sometimes difficult to translate things. The investigation may have been improved if there was more focus on qualitative data, as it often helped to ask questions outside of the questionnaire to get a grasping of their situations and opinions on migration. Photos were useful after the investigation to recall the area, and to provide evidence for the bipolar analysis, but it was difficult to capture photos that had the potential for multiple annotations. Similarly, the land use map was useful again to recall the area, but limited in it’s overall use for the investigation, and is not an integral part of evaluating quality of life. Lastly, the environmental bipolar analysis was useful for evaluating the areas from a different perspective from the other methods, and a bipolar analysis could be applied and used for many other sections. If this study was to be redone, having more than 1 bipolar analysis that examined another aspect of quality of life would be preferable to gather more data. G. Conclusion Despite initially believing that inhabitants of an urban area would have a much greater quality of life than those of a rural area, the outcomes of this investigation states otherwise. Those in Pagsanjan generally enjoy financial security and easier access to employment yet despite this, a vast majority of the interviewees in Magdalena would not consider moving, as they were content with the lives they led. The evaluation of data leads this investigation to conclude that while urban ization may seem promising, life in Pagsanjan is only better to a small extent, in terms of income 15

and access to education, however, life in Magdalena is exemplary in terms of well-being, society and nature. H. Bibliography

Human Development Index. N.d. Human Development Index. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. . Lee's Push Pull Theory . 2011. Migration. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. . Sustainability Compass. 2013. Sustainability At ISM . Web. 4 Apr. 2014. .

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