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Development and the Third World

Development and the Third World. Some Introductory Concepts and Definitions. What is the Third World?. Great awareness of contrasts in living standards Originated after WWII as a political category implying ‘positive neutralism’ in Cold War context

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Development and the Third World

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  1. Development and the Third World Some Introductory Concepts and Definitions

  2. What is the Third World? • Great awareness of contrasts in living standards • Originated after WWII as a political category implying ‘positive neutralism’ in Cold War context • Talk broadly about ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ countries • Less affluent countries also referred to as: ‘backward’, ‘underdeveloped’ , ‘less developed or developing’ • More recently terms used such as: ‘South’, and ‘2/3rds World’

  3. ‘Development Worlds’ • 1st World: largely Western industrial and market economies • 2nd World : planned economies-former East European countries but now shrinking rapidly • 3rd World: poor or developing economies • 4thWorld: the very poorest economies where little development progress has occurred

  4. How to Identify the Third World? • 2003 World Bank scheme based on per capita income (Per Capita Gross National Income) (www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/ countryclass.html) • Low Income: < $735 • Lower Middle Income: $736-$2935 • UpperMiddle Income: $2,936 - $9,075 • High Income: >$9,075

  5. http://www.worldbank.org/data/maps/maps.htm

  6. Other Measures of Underdevelopment • But income is only one measure used to indicate levels of development-others are: • Literacy- Education Levels especially beyond Elementary School • Agriculture- Arable Land, Average Daily Caloric Intake and more generally Diet • Health- Lifespan (< 50 years), Access to Medical Care, Delivery of Family Planning Services

  7. Other Measures of Underdevelopment • Access to basic services such as potable water and electricity • Land- Owning, rather than renting, sufficient land to provide for an average sized family • Availability of Employment beyond minimal services occupations

  8. Historical Perspectives on the Third World • 1945-1955: Period of western disconcern-little interest in problem of underdevelopment; developed nations preoccupied with their own reconstruction and growing East-West-Cold War • 1955-1965: Period of optimism and high expectations; 3rd World was object of intense attention; primary belief-poor countries were lagging and with outside assistance they would catch up; various aid schemes conceived

  9. Historical Perspectives on the Third World cont’d • 1965-1975: period of growing skepticism; widespread disillusion with realization that development more complex than previously realized • 1975-1990: period of pessimism and re-evaluation; growing frustration brought on by worldwide economic crisis (increased energy costs, high inflation, massive unemployment, economic stagnation, growing indebtedness; expansion of deregulation, PVOs, NGOs; decline in demand for raw materials from 3rd World

  10. Contemporary Situation • Strong impact of globalization at all levels (nation, region, village and family) especially significance of firms searching for cheap labor • Democratization: empowerment and participation movements • Liberalization: deregulation and privatization • Women and gender roles in development scrutinized and emphasized

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