POL201 Lecture 1: Emergence and End of the Third World (Fall 2024) PDF

THE CREATION OF THE THREE WORLDS OF DEVELOPMENT 1 LECTURE 1  The concept of development is highly controversial ‘contested, … complex, and ambiguous’ The idea of development and it is ideologically driven...

THE CREATION OF THE THREE WORLDS OF DEVELOPMENT 1 LECTURE 1  The concept of development is highly controversial ‘contested, … complex, and ambiguous’ The idea of development and it is ideologically driven and is associated THE CONCEPT with the West and western discourse (the AND idea of progress, reason universal MEANING OF modernity, industrialization and DEVELOPMEN Yet, many agree that ‘development’ capitalism. T encompasses ‘change’ in a variety of aspects of the human condition, probably meaning a “Good Change” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-4V 3HR696k (On poverty and wealth) 2 3 THE MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT T H E T H R E E W O R L D S D U R I N G T H E C O L D -WA R E R A 4  TH E F I R S T W OR L D G8 – North America, Western Europe, and Japan, Australia, New Zealand Share liberal democracy and capitalism Political stability at least since 1945 High degree industrialization and urbanization Relatively better redistribution of wealth Large middle class, modern and large cities and highly educated population 5  T H E S E C ON D W OR LD  Former Socialist countries including the USSR, Eastern Europe, Cuba, North Korea, and some countries in Africa  Centralized and command economy  Vanguard party without political pluralism  Some degree industrialization  Underwent radical transformation since 1989  Some countries went up and other others struggle in their transition to liberal democracy and market economy.  Only North Korea and Cuba could claim loyalty to socialist identity/ideology 6  TRUMAN’S POINT 4 SPEECH “We must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas. More than half of the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery. Their food is inadequate, they are victims of disease. Their economic life is primitive and stagnant. Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to them and more prosperous areas. For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and the skill to relieve the suffering of these people… our imponderable resources in the technical knowledge are constantly growing and are inexhaustible… the old imperialism-exploitation for foreign profit-has no place in our plans.” Inaugural address, President Harry S. Truman, 20 January 1949 (inaugural addresses of the Presidents of the United State, 1989)  DEFINITION –THIRD WORLD “The Third World countries are defined as a group of countries which have colonial history, are in the process of developing economically and socially from a status characterized by low incomes, dependence on agriculture, weakness in trading relations, social deprivation for large segments of society and restricted political and civil liberties”(B. Smith) The above definition is based on the idea of development it is ideologically driven and associated with the West and Western discourse 8  THE THIRD WORLD/‘DEVELOPING WORLD’ The Third world stands for all countries of the South except Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Developing countries are not at the same level of socio-economic development. Third World is a residual category invented by Eurocentric division of the globe into three of worlds of development It was coined in the context of the cold war (bipolar conflict, 1945-1990) It corresponded with decolonization and the emergence of new nation-states, the advent of globalization and technological revolution which made the world smaller place after WWII. 9  WHAT IS THE DEVELOPING WORLD? Third world is a nebulous concept regrouping all countries of the global south, small, big, rich and poor a rich diversity of human experience and social organization; a vast variety of political organizations; dual society: signs of material wealth coexist with poverty and basic survival. a vast variety of political organizations;  THE CONCEPT AND MEANING OF THE THIRD WORLD Third World is a residual category invented by Eurocentric division of the globe into three of worlds of development It was coined in the context of the cold war (bipolar conflict, 1945-1990) It corresponded with decolonization and the emergence of new nation-states, the advent of globalization and technological revolution which made the world smaller place after WWII. 11  THE CONCEPT AND MEANING OF THE THIRD WORLD “ThirdWorld” was invented by Eurocentric division of the globe into three worlds of development and often loaded with negative meanings and implications Alfred Sauvy (1952) coined the concept by borrowing from “tiers etat” (The Third estate). Sauvy used the concept to draw a parallel with pre- revolutionary France which referred to the bottom layers of the social pyramid, beneath the clergy and the nobility. Sauvy used it in the context of the cold war (bipolar conflict, 1945-1990) It corresponded with decolonization and the emergence of new nation-states, the advent of globalization and technological revolution which made the world smaller place after WWII. 12  THIRD WORLD - DIVERSITY Large countries – China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico Oil Rich/OPEC countries- Arab states, Nigeria, Venezuela NICs/Tigers – Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea Landlocked states - Bolivia, Paraguay, Botswana, Chad, Zambia, Nepal, Bhutan …… Small Island States – Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean –huge diversity here! 13  COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THIRD WORLD Political Independence  With exception of few countries, Third world countries experienced colonialism at some stage of their history.  Latin America got independence in early 1900 (1808-1820)  There are still some islands (Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guinea) which are not yet sovereign  Independence came through constitutional negotiation or armed struggle  Numerous negative legacies of colonialism and imperialism reflected in artificial boundaries, poverty, political violence and dictatorship 14  COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THIRD WORLD 1) Poverty  The most important indicators of the commonalties is Poverty  Low per capita income  High unequal distribution of wealth although some have relatively more equitable income distribution  Poor infrastructure and limited modern technology  Low consumption of energy  Unemployment, substandard housing, poor health conditions and inadequate diet  Problems of landownership or government land ownership policies taxation and welfare programs 15 COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THIRD WORLD 2) Average incomes They are poor by international standards They are found in the low income and lower middleincome category 3) Industrialization Dependence on agriculture – low income and poverty More labor force is engaged in agriculture (60.5% compared to 14.4% in Developed countries The exception to this is The Asian Tigers 16  COMMON CHARACTERISTICS 4) Integration into the World economy High level of dependence on the export of a very small number of commodities (mono-culture) Primary commodity producers and dependence on agriculture Trade is generally conducted with the first world countries Developing countries produce 80% of global output and account for only 17% of the world trade. 17  COMMON CHARACTERISTICS 5) Social Well being Inequalities in social well-being, as indicated by health and education, are also found between urban and rural areas and between men and women Poverty in rural areas, malnutrition, lack of education, life expectancy and substandard housing Gender gap- women do worse than men in terms of health, nutrition, and education 6) Regime types Authoritarianism and soft state dictatorship of all types, military, neo-patrimonial, theocratic, transitional, democratic, liberal or communist, totalitarian 18  COMMON CHARACTERISTICS 7) Lack of National Integration Internal division along ethnic, religious and cultural lines due colonial arbitrary division of borders and peoples by European colonialism –(e.g. Africa) The absence of common and referent/core culture to unite people composing the nation 8)High population growth compared to the growth of the GNP Rapid urbanization and rule exodus beyond the capacity of cities to accommodate  The development of Shanty towns, slums and high unemployment, urban poverty and criminality, etc 19  L A B E L L I N G I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T, C O N T ’ D New label: Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs)— Emerging Markets. NIC status is determined by four criteria: 1. manufacturing contribute 30% of GDP; 2. manufactured goods are 50% of exports; 3. more people are employed in industry than agriculture; 4. per capita income of US$2,000 (as of 1991). New label: ‘Developing’ Still defined in opposition to ‘developed’ Classification is determined by GDP: per capita GDP as a ‘statistical illusion’  L A B E L L I N G I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T, CONT’D World Bank classification: Developing o low-income countries countries { o lower-middle income countries o upper-middle income countries o high-income countries o OECD high-income countries L A B E L L I N G I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T, C O N T ’ D. New label: Fourth World o poorest of the poor o ‘failed states’ o Aboriginal people societies Other labels: o two-thirds world o majority world o South/Global South Summary: Labels, words, talks about development tend to be ethnocentric, mask power relations, and create only the illusion of reform.  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX, RANKINGS  http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/composite/HDI  http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2018_human_development_st atistical_update.pdf  http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/ 23 N O N- A L I G N E D M OV E M E N T A N D T H E C O L D WA R Started in Bandung – 1955 Key figures: leaders of early, successful anti-colonial movements Nehru (India), Sukarno (Indonesia), and Nasser (Egypt) Committed to democracy, modernization, and peace In line with UN version of universalism India as early model Gandhi: non-violent resistance Political objective: the right of independent judgement, the struggle against imperialism and neo-colonialism, and the use of moderation in relations with all big powers 24  THE ORIGINS OF NAM The Non-Aligned Movement is a Movement of 115 members representing the interests and priorities of developing countries. The Movement has its origin in the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955. The meeting was convened upon the invitation of the Prime Ministers of Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia and Pakistan The conference brought together leaders of 29 states, from Africa and Asia, to discuss common concerns and to develop joint policies in international relations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJAt5F_6dEw (NAM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJAt5F_6dEw 25 N ON -A LIG N ED M OV E M E N T LE A D ER S AT T H E U N: 1 9 6 0 26  T H E P R OB LEM W I T H T H E TH I R D W OR D L I S M  The end of the second of the Cold War and the end of the three worlds  The stratification of the Third World over the last 50 years  The impact of globalization and its different impacts on the various parts of the former Third World  The term Third World has become pejorative associated with negative connotation- famine, abject poverty, bloody war, epidemic diseases  What term to use? Developing countries/world, the global south and the majority world? Least developed countries – diplomacy countries?  Debate whether it should be kept and abandoned? 27 THE END