Which important factors have been different between India and industrial countries throughout the twentieth century?
1. In the lower range of incomes found in India, income is a rather good measure of the consumption necessary for human survival. In turn, the material part of consumption is human taking of Earth resources. The low average incomes in India are relative to the low per capita taking of Earth resources, a low taking limited by the amounts of Earth resources available. The low per capita taking of Earth resources and the low incomes of India and Kerala (compared to industrialized countries) have been constant throughout the twentieth century time frame.
2. An important belief system motivating the drive to control Earth resources in the West has been individualism. Within India, human behavior is directed by a contrary philosophy so traditional in the ancient culture of India that we have found it necessary to invent a name for it, familialism. This second factor has been a constant difference of India (and of Kerala within India) and the industrialized countries throughout the twentieth century.
3. A third important India versus West difference is tempo. Many western observers feel stifled and frustrated by the slow momentum of change within India. Think of three tempos: the tempo of culture, the tempo of government, and the tempo of business. The momentum in the West is pulling ahead of government into the faster pace of business. In India the momentum is pulling away from culture into the faster pace of government. The lead change agent in the West is business, while the lead agent in India is government.
The first difference, limited Earth resources per capita, is forecast to become the general condition world wide in the twenty first century. The second difference, familialism, is basic to the descriptions of the India families and Kerala families. The similarity of these background factors in Kerala and India allows us to search for other differences between India and Kerala.
Given that low income is a constant within India and Kerala within India, we ask, How is high well-being achieved in Kerala? This question incorrectly implies that we can find a full answer in Kerala. India is very much involved---our next question should read, Why does India have low well-being while Kerala has high well-being?
In order to place the concept
of high well-being in Kerala and low well-being in India firmly in mind,
look at the several well-being measures of Kerala compared with India.
Life Expectancy Infant Mortality Rate Total Fertility Rate
An even broader perspective
on these well-being measures is available in the comparative well-being
data of other nations.
Education offers an additional well-being comparison.
Significantly, Kerala stands out on each well-being measure while India tends to blend in with its neighbors..