The Global South Lesson 1.3 PDF

THE GLOBAL SOUTH Lesson 1.3 1 LESSON OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: 1. discuss the ever-changing concept of the global south; 2. Identify countries which are commonly associated with the Global South; and 3. Survey the political and economic condit...

THE GLOBAL SOUTH Lesson 1.3 1 LESSON OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: 1. discuss the ever-changing concept of the global south; 2. Identify countries which are commonly associated with the Global South; and 3. Survey the political and economic conditions in the contemporary Latin America. 2 GLOBAL NORTH May refer to countries that are geographically in the northern hemisphere or to countries that are developed GLOBAL SOUTH May refer to countries that are geographically in the southern hemisphere or to countries that are developing 3 INTRODUCTION “The global south, therefore, continues to be imagined and re-imagined by those who dominate it even as movements from below reshape these constructions through resistance.” – Lisandro Claudio, “Locating the Global South” 4 Defining Global North and Global South The rise and evolution of a capitalist society have created disparities in various spheres of life―social, political, cultural, and economic. In literatures on globalization and development, the term Global North is used to refer to countries that are economically developed, while the term Global South is used to pertain to countries that are economically struggling (odeh, 2010) 5  While in common frame of reference in such a stratification is economic, there are broad indicators that distinguish economies as either global north or global south: “politics, technology, wealth, and demography” (odeh,2010, p. 340) Information Global North Global South Country America Philippines Population 345,426,571 119,106,224 Gross National Product 7,194.919 USD 125.370 USD Gross Domestic Product 29 trillion U.S. dollars 465.130 USD Human Development Index 0.921 0.71 6 7  Global South countries are generally oppressed and deprived in terms of human development, having higher birth and death rates and perceived to be economically dependent on the countries in the Global North, not with standing the reality that most of the Global South countries are also rich in both natural and human resources. 8 Is the Philippines a country in the Global South? 9  But what really is Global South? Where is it? Is it a place? Is it a state of being? In his article, “Locating the Global South,” Claudio(2014) discussed the nuances of construing the Global South. He suggests that “there is no uniform Global South”(p.4 of 16) as the concept is construed both objectively and subjectively, and thus begging for “academic analysis” to articulate it. His vivid examples on how we might see and experience globalization in our daily lives, from the lens of diverging opinions about globalization, emphasized how “globalization creates both affluence and poverty” and how “poverty is also being globalized.” 10 Claudio (2014) argued that, amidst these complex views on globalization, looking at state and interstate inequalities is essential in understanding the global south. He provided three contentions: “Decolonization process produces states.” Problems of globalization can be discussed and solved at the state level. “Transnational phenomena” are arguably outcomes of state politics. He, however, forewarned that some might object against his frameworks for the following reasons, which he also discussed in detail: Some inequalities cannot be explained by state politics. Not all colonial territories are states. Globalization challenges “geographically bound conceptions of poverty and inequality.” 11 The Rise of the Global South: The Latin America Experience Many of the countries in the world are referred to as countries in the Global South. Among the countries commonly associated with the term are the countries in Latin America (Dados & Connel, 2012) Latin America can be construed geographically as a group of countries in South America which share the same language and culture. These socio-cultural characteristics are linked with their common colonizer, Portugal and Spain. Historically, countries in this part of the world have manifested a colorful political scene, characterized by massive and forceful resistance from the grassroots. Across time as well, countries in the Latin Americas have been plagued by poverty and economic instability. 12  Sawe (2018) noted that Latin America comprises 13 percent of the earth’s land surface area. The following are some of the major countries, which are generally cordial with one another. Country Capital Land area (km²) Brazil Brasilia 8,515,767 Mexico Mexico City 1,972.550 Colombia Bogotá 1,141,748 Argentina Buenos Aires 2,780,400 Peru Lima 1,285,216 13 Economic Conditions in Latin Americas There are two major trade organizations in the Latin Americas, Pacific Alliance and Mercosur. Alianza de Pacifico Mercosur Also “Pacific Alliance” Also “The Southern Common Market” Founders: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Founders: Chile, Colombia, Uruguay Mexico and Peru Subsequent members: Venezuela and Nature: Inclusive integration Bolivia process Nature: Regional integration process Goal: participatory integration Goal: common space for business generation and investment opportunities for free mobility and trade, through “competitive integration of inclusive and equitable economic national economies into the international development, “platform of market” political articulation, economic and commercial integration and projection to the world, with emphasis on the Asia Pacific region.” 14  In 2016, Morgan Stanley economists articulated that Latin America plays a role in the accelerating global economy in the following year. Brazil and Argentina managed to stand up from economic turmoil. This is despite Mexico facing difficulties due to the conflict with US’ policy at that time. Economists highlighted that politics and policy choices remain significant in determining economic growth in the area. 15 THANK YOU!