Global Divides: The North & The South (Latin America) PDF

Global Divides: The North & The South (Focus on Latin America)  The North-South divide in the contemporary world refers to the socio- economic and political disparities between the more developed countries of the "Global North" (primarily Western Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia...

Global Divides: The North & The South (Focus on Latin America)  The North-South divide in the contemporary world refers to the socio- economic and political disparities between the more developed countries of the "Global North" (primarily Western Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia) and the less developed or developing nations of the "Global South" (mainly in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia). 1. Disparities 2. Historical and Colonial Legacy 3. Globalization and Economic Dependence 4. Access to Resources and Services 5. Environmental Inequalities THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE IS VIEWED AS A POLITICAL AND SOCIO- ECONOMIC DIVISION. THE GLOBAL NORTH TYPICALLY INCLUDES THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, WESTERN EUROPE, DEVELOPED PARTS OF ASIA (LIKE THE FOUR ASIAN TIGERS—HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, AND TAIWAN), JAPAN, BRUNEI, ISRAEL, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND. IN CONTRAST, THE GLOBAL SOUTH GENERALLY CONSISTS OF AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, AND DEVELOPING ASIA, INCLUDING THE MIDDLE EAST. THE NORTH HOUSES ALL G8 MEMBERS AND FOUR OF THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THE GLOBAL SOUTH OFTEN ALIGNS WITH THE THIRD WORLD, WHILE THE GLOBAL NORTH INCLUDES THE WEST, THE FIRST WORLD, AND MUCH OF THE SECOND WORLD. KEY DIFFERENCES INCLUDE THE NORTH BEING RICHER AND MORE DEVELOPED, WHILE THE SOUTH IS POORER AND LESS DEVELOPED. ABOUT 95% OF THE NORTH HAS SUFFICIENT FOOD AND SHELTER, WHILE THE SOUTH LACKS TECHNOLOGY, POLITICAL STABILITY, AND HAS ECONOMIES RELIANT ON PRIMARY PRODUCT EXPORTS. ECONOMICALLY, THE NORTH, WITH ONE-QUARTER OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION, CONTROLS FOUR-FIFTHS OF GLOBAL INCOME AND 90% OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, WHILE THE SOUTH, WITH THREE-QUARTERS OF THE POPULATION, CONTROLS JUST ONE-FIFTH OF THE WORLD'S INCOME. MEMBERSHIP IN THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE IS CONSIDERED FLEXIBLE, AS COUNTRIES THAT BECOME ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED MAY JOIN THE GLOBAL NORTH, REGARDLESS OF LOCATION. CONVERSELY, COUNTRIES THAT ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS DEVELOPED ARE EFFECTIVELY PART OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH. HOWEVER, SOME SCHOLARS CHALLENGE THIS DIVIDE, ARGUING IT INCREASINGLY MISREPRESENTS REALITY. THE TERM 'GLOBAL SOUTH' THE "SOUTH" IN THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE GLOBAL SOUTH TO AVOID CONFUSION WITH THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. THE TERM FIRST APPEARED IN 1969, WHEN AMERICAN WRITER CARL OGLESBY ARGUED THAT CENTURIES OF DOMINANCE OVER THE GLOBAL SOUTH HAD CREATED AN INTOLERABLE SOCIAL ORDER. THE CONCEPT GAINED TRACTION THROUGHOUT THE LATE 20TH CENTURY, TAKING ON VARIOUS INTERCONNECTED MEANINGS. IN POSTCOLONIAL AND TRANSNATIONAL STUDIES, THE GLOBAL SOUTH REFERS TO REGIONS LIKE AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN ASIA, OFTEN SYNONYMOUS WITH TERMS LIKE "THIRD WORLD" OR "DEVELOPING COUNTRIES." IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE POORER REGIONS WITHIN WEALTHY NORTHERN COUNTRIES. THE TERM ENCOMPASSES MORE THAN A METAPHOR FOR UNDERDEVELOPED NATIONS, HIGHLIGHTING THESE COUNTRIES' SHARED HISTORIES OF COLONIALISM, NEO- IMPERIALISM, AND UNEQUAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES, LEADING TO DISPARITIES IN LIVING STANDARDS AND LIFE EXPECTANCY. JOHN COMAROFF, IN HIS BOOK THEORY FROM THE SOUTH, FURTHER CLARIFIES THAT WHILE THE GLOBAL SOUTH MAY SUPERFICIALLY DENOTE THE LOWER HALF OF THE PLANET, IT PRIMARILY REFERS TO FORMERLY COLONIZED REGIONS. EUROPEAN IMPERIAL POWERS DISCOVERED, CONQUERED THROUGH VIOLENCE, AND EXPLOITED REGIONS FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL GAIN, CONSIDERING THEM PART OF THEIR OVERSEAS POSSESSIONS. IN SOME CASES, THE TERM GLOBAL SOUTH IS USED AS A FLEXIBLE, RHETORICAL EXPRESSION OF "OTHERNESS" COMPARED TO EURO-AMERICA. IN OTHER CONTEXTS, IT TAKES ON A MORE CONCRETE MEANING, SUCH AS THE FORMATION OF BRICS (BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA, AND SOUTH AFRICA), OR IN FINANCE, WHERE IT REPRESENTS REGIONS WITH LOW, UNSTABLE CREDIT RATINGS. GEOPOLITICALLY, THE GLOBAL SOUTH REFERS TO EX-CENTRIC LOCATIONS, EXTERNAL TO HISTORICAL CENTERS OF POWER, AND THESE REGIONS ARE NOW SEEN AS FRONTIERS OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM AND AS INDICATORS OF FUTURE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS FOR EURO-AMERICA. THE GLOBAL SOUTH VERSUS THE THIRD WORLD OVER 50 YEARS AGO, DURING THE COLD WAR, COUNTRIES WERE CLASSIFIED BASED ON THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE AMERICAN WEST OR THE RUSSIAN EAST, DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN WESTERN CAPITALISM AND SOVIET SOCIALISM. THE UNITED STATES, WESTERN EUROPE, AND THEIR ALLIES WERE LABELED AS FIRST WORLD, WHILE THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA, AND THEIR ALLIES BECAME KNOWN AS THE SECOND WORLD. THIS DIVIDE LEFT OUT MANY POORER NATIONS, ESPECIALLY FORMER COLONIES, WHICH WERE LABELED AS THE THIRD WORLD. FRENCH DEMOGRAPHER ALFRED SAUVY COINED THE TERM THIRD WORLD IN 1952 TO DESCRIBE THESE COUNTRIES. OVER TIME, "THIRD WORLD" BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH IMPOVERISHED NATIONS. HOWEVER, THIS CLASSIFICATION IS NOW OUTDATED, OFFENSIVE, AND IRRELEVANT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION. TODAY, COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA, WHICH DON’T FIT INTO THE PREVIOUS CATEGORIES, CHALLENGE THE OLD MODEL. MODERN CLASSIFICATION NOW FOLLOWS THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE, WHICH BETTER REFLECTS GLOBAL ECONOMIC REALITIES. ALTHOUGH THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES GENERALLY ALIGN WITH THE GLOBAL SOUTH, SOME SCHOLARS NOTE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE TWO. WHILE THE THIRD WORLD TRADITIONALLY REFERRED TO ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NATION-STATES DURING THE COLD WAR, THE TERM GLOBAL SOUTH DESCRIBES REGIONS AND PEOPLES NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY CONTEMPORARY CAPITALIST GLOBALIZATION. THE GLOBAL SOUTH IS SEEN AS A MORE POSITIVE TERM, AVOIDING THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH THIRD WORLD AND FOSTERING HOPE FOR A FAIRER WORLD ORDER WHERE THE NORTH TREATS THE SOUTH MORE EQUITABLY. IT IS ALSO VIEWED AS POLITICALLY EMPOWERING, CARRYING MORE WEIGHT THAN "THIRD WORLD" OR "DEVELOPING WORLD" IN RESISTING HEGEMONIC FORCES. IT IS PERCEIVED AS LESS HIERARCHICAL AND LESS TIED TO AN EVOLUTIONARY VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT. THE TERMS NORTH AND SOUTH SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED TOO LITERALLY AS A GEOGRAPHICAL DIVIDE BUT RATHER IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBAL CAPITALISM. ALTHOUGH THE DIVIDE OFTEN RELATES TO ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RICH AND POOR STATES, THERE IS HOPE THAT THE INCREASING USE OF GLOBAL SOUTH MAY EMPOWER REGIONS HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED BY GLOBAL INEQUALITIES. Disparities - The North, which includes countries like the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, and Australia, enjoys high standards of living, industrialization, advanced technology, and robust economies. By contrast, the South, which encompasses regions such as Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, struggles with poverty, low industrial capacity, and economic underdevelopment. Many countries in the Global South depend on agriculture or raw material exports, making their economies vulnerable to global market fluctuations. Historical and Colonial Legacy - The divide can be traced back to the colonial period, when European powers dominated much of the Global South, extracting resources, labor, and wealth. After gaining independence, many Southern nations faced significant challenges in building stable, diversified economies. The colonial legacy continues to affect the South today, as former colonies often rely on Northern countries for trade, investment, and development assistance. Globalization and Economic Dependence - While globalization has interconnected the North and South more closely, it has also intensified existing inequalities. Global trade and investment flows are often skewed in favor of Northern countries, which control the majority of multinational corporations and set the terms of international trade agreements. Developing countries in the South are frequently left in subordinate positions within global supply chains, reliant on exporting cheap raw materials while importing expensive finished goods. Access to Resources and Services - One of the most visible aspects of the North-South divide is the disparity in access to essential services like healthcare, education, clean water, and infrastructure. Northern countries generally provide higher standards of living for their citizens, while many Southern nations struggle with inadequate healthcare systems, poor educational opportunities, and limited access to technology. These inequalities contribute to significant differences in life expectancy, literacy rates, and overall quality of life. Environmental Inequalities - The North-South divide is also evident in environmental issues. Many countries in the South bear the brunt of environmental degradation and climate change, even though the North has historically contributed more to global pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Rising sea levels, deforestation, and extreme weather events disproportionately affect the Global South, where governments often lack the resources to implement effective mitigation or adaptation strategies. THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL INEQUALITIES OF THE MODERN ERA. IT REFLECTS DEEP-SEATED ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL DISPARITIES THAT ARE ROOTED IN HISTORICAL INJUSTICES AND PERPETUATED BY CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL SYSTEMS. WHILE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN SOME AREAS, THE DIVIDE CONTINUES TO SHAPE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND GLOBAL JUSTICE EFFORTS. ADDRESSING THIS DIVIDE REQUIRES COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL COOPERATION, MORE EQUITABLE TRADE PRACTICES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, AND STRONGER VOICES FOR SOUTHERN COUNTRIES IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES. GLOBAL SOUTH VS. THIRD WORLD: THE TERM "GLOBAL SOUTH" HAS REPLACED "THIRD WORLD" TO AVOID THE NEGATIVE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE LATTER. THE GLOBAL SOUTH IS OFTEN LINKED TO REGIONS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY GLOBALIZATION, BUT THE HOPE IS THAT A FAIRER GLOBAL ORDER MAY EMPOWER THESE AREAS DESPITE THEIR HISTORY OF DISADVANTAGE. Latin American Experiences and Global Relations: LATIN AMERICA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN MARGINALIZED ON THE GLOBAL STAGE, OFTEN SEEN AS A REGION THAT FOLLOWS EXTERNAL TRENDS FROM MORE DOMINANT AREAS LIKE EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES. THE CONCEPT OF "GLOBALIZING LATIN AMERICA" REFLECTS HOW DEEPLY THE REGION IS INTEGRATED INTO THE GLOBAL CAPITALIST SYSTEM BUT REMAINS ECONOMICALLY DEPENDENT, A PATTERN SEEN SINCE COLONIAL TIMES. Latin American Experiences and Global Relations: LATIN AMERICA HAS BEEN ENFORCED BY OUTSIDERS, SPECIFICALLY THE FRENCH IMPERIALISTS DURING THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. THE REGION IS NOW CALLED "GLOBALIZING LATIN AMERICA," THAT IS, AN AREA THAT IS BECOMING HUGELY INTEGRATED INTO THE NEW WORLD ORDER, ALTHOUGH UNFORTUNATELY STILL IN A VASTLY DEPENDENT WAY. THESE COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE SIMILAR ECONOMIES AND NEITHER HAVE THEY ADOPTED SIMILAR POLITICAL APPROACHES. THEY WERE POSITIVELY AFFECTED-AS WAS THE REST OF LATIN AMERICA-BY GLOBAL WAVES OF PROSPERITY, CRISIS, AND RECOVERY. CHILE, COLOMBIA AND PERU HAVE ADOPTED, STEP BY STEP, POLICIES OF 'LIBERALISATION INSPIRED BY WESTERN VIEWS. THE POPULATIONS OF BOLIVIA AND ECUADOR ARE SIGNIFICANTLY COMPRISED OF INDIGENOUS GROUPS. HISTORICALLY THOSE POPULATIONS WERE MARGINALISED WESTERN IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM OF THE "REST OF THE WORLD." LATIN AMERICA BRANDED AS "SOUTH" INDICATES THAT IT HAS HISTORIES OF COLONIAL OPPRESSION AS WELL AS ANTI- COLONIAL, POST-COLONIAL, AND DE-COLONIZING STRUGGLES. LATIN AMERICAN NATION IS THOUGHT TO BE A PLACE WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE UNDEREMPLOYED, UNDERPAID, UNDEREDUCATED, AND UNDER NOURISHED, AND WHERE RADICALIZATION AND AUTHORITARIANISM ARE THE DOMINANT PATTERNS OF PUBLIC LIFE. LATIN AMERICAN APPEARS AS A PLACE OF "UNFINISHED ASPIRATIONS Imperialism and Globalization in Latin America FRENCH AND WESTERN IMPERIALISM SHAPED LATIN AMERICA'S HISTORY, IMPOSING EXTERNAL MODELS OF GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT. ALTHOUGH GLOBALIZATION HAS BROUGHT SOME PROSPERITY TO COUNTRIES LIKE CHILE AND COLOMBIA, OTHERS, LIKE BOLIVIA AND ECUADOR, HAVE POPULATIONS MARGINALIZED DUE TO THEIR INDIGENOUS ROOTS. DEPENDENCY ON COMMODITIES LIKE OIL AND GAS IS A SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLE FOR DEVELOPMENT. GLOBALIZATION HAS NOT ONLY ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED LATIN AMERICA BUT ALSO SOCIALLY, AS IT STRUGGLES WITH UNEMPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATION INTO THE GLOBAL MARKET. THE REGION CONTINUES TO DEAL WITH ITS COLONIAL LEGACY, WHICH AFFECTS CULTURAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF LIFE. THE REGION IS OFTEN SEEN AS A PLACE OF "UNFINISHED ASPIRATIONS," WHERE PEOPLE ARE VIEWED AS UNDEREDUCATED AND UNDEREMPLOYED. THIS PERCEPTION IS TIED TO THE COLONIAL PAST AND ONGOING SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES SUCH AS AUTHORITARIANISM AND RADICALIZATION. MANY LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES SHARE COMMON TRAITS LIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONHOOD AND CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AGAINST WESTERN-CENTRIC NOTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT IMPOSED DURING COLONIALISM. THE CRITIQUE OF LATIN AMERICAN SUBMISSION TO EXTERNAL FORCES REMAINS RELEVANT IN MODERN GLOBAL DISCUSSIONS.