Individual life is an important concept in the field of international development, since it allows development to be analyzed on a measure broader than standard of living. Within development theory, however, there are varying ideas concerning what constitutes desirable change for a particular society, and the different ways that individual life is defined by institutions therefore shapes how these organizations work for its improvement as a whole. poverty defined as a lack of basic human needs, such as food, water, shelter, freedom, access to education, healthcare, or employment