GE 319 - The Contemporary World: Global Divides Lesson 1 PDF

## GE 319 - The Contemporary World ### Lesson 1 ### Global Divides: The North and the South #### Learning Outcomes - Define the term "Global South" - Differentiate the Global South from the Third World - Differentiate between regionalization and globalization - Identify the factors leading to a g...

## GE 319 - The Contemporary World ### Lesson 1 ### Global Divides: The North and the South #### Learning Outcomes - Define the term "Global South" - Differentiate the Global South from the Third World - Differentiate between regionalization and globalization - Identify the factors leading to a greater integration of the Asian region - Analyze how different Asian states confront the challenges of globalization and regionalization #### Time Frame: 1 Week #### Overview Many international agencies or global organizations like the UN have called attention to the disparities in access to the information society. But will the global divide and new technology allow postindustrial societies to reinforce their lead over the developing world? While the world is broadly demarcated geographically and demarcated through continental divisions, it is imperative to note that there exist other delineations anchored on developmental patterns, wealth distribution and emerging economic situations. This is the primordial consideration when one seeks to better understand the concepts that harbor on other factors. These factors or parameters so to speak, are underlying the Global North and South divide. But as we shall see later, even cultural and historical dimensions actually contributed to the existence of the concept. At this point, however, it is important to highlight some activities and later describe the definitions of the term in order to gain a better understanding of the term. #### Activity (Let's Get Started!) What does the concept of 'the global divide' actually mean and entail, seen from a citizen perspective? When you ground this question in the lived experience of cultural globalization, the global divide becomes lived experience of inclusion or exclusion, representation and participation. Beyond material conditions expressed as a technology-focused digital divide, the global divides, in relation to media, are cultural, social and symbolic divides: lived experiences of lack of recognition or lack of identification, misrepresentation or lack of representation, and also lack of participation in processes of media and cultural production. Spend 3-5 minutes checking about the following photos. Think about how different life is in the UK and in poorer countries like the ones shown in the continent of Africa. The document then shows a photo of several buildings in England, which has been omitted here. ## Africa The document then presents four photos, which have been omitted here, of the following scenes: - Public Transportation - Health Care - Water collection - Education ## Abstraction (Let's Explore!) The North-South divide can be related to an economic division between richer and poorer countries. This explains the reason why it is considered to be more of a socio political and economic classification. The Global North is generally viewed to be the more affluent and economically stable countries and generally includes the United States of America, Canada, the member nations of the G8 (Group of 8), the four permanent members of the UN Security Council. This also includes countries that lie below the equator namely Australia and New Zealand. The Global South, on the other hand includes most nations located in Africa, Latin America, and the developing parts of Asia with the exception of Japan. It can be argued that the division goes beyond merely geographical since not all states found north of the equator belong to the Global North and in the same manner, not all states that lie south of the equator form part of the Global South. One attempt to produce an objective classification uses the UNDP's Human Development Index to differentiate. In brief, the Global North consists of those 64 countries which have a high HDI (most of which are located north of the 30th northern parallel), while the remaining 133 countries belong to the Global South. The document then shows a map of the G8 countries, which has been omitted here. **In effect, Rigs (2007) makes it clear that this is not a strict geographical categorization of the world but one based on economic inequalities which happen to have some cartographic coherence. It also emphasizes that both North and South are, together, drawn into global processes rather than existing as separate slices of the world. However, for purposes of identifying which countries are included in the list, the Global North includes Australia, Canada, Israel, Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and all of Europe (including Russia). The Global South includes Asia (with the exception of Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), Central America, South America, Mexico, Africa, and the Middle East (with the exception of Israel).** The document then shows a picture of the Earth being held by two people, one representing the Global North and the other representing the Global South. This photo has been omitted here. ## The Global North We could find in the North the More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) in the world. Some countries which lay in the North part of the divide are Canada, United States, Greenland, and Russia. They are considered the "richer" and more stable countries. **Why the countries in the North are considered MEDC?** The countries are considered MEDC because of the stability that their economy generally have a better standard of living and quality of life. Aspects which may show this is how long the country's life expectancy is, education levels, if there are doctors available (medicine) and how developed their technology is. For instance the United States, an MEDC, has a life expectancy of 79 years for women and 77 years for men. However in Somalia a LEDC the life expectancy is 51 years for women and 48 years for men. The distribution of education and health care is also a factor. For example, Canada has free universal healthcare and free secondary education, which leads a better quality of life for Canadians. Where as in many parts of Africa-a continent filled with LEDC-has little education and hardly no health care. These are just some of the many factors which separate the MEDC from the LEDC (Guttal, 2016). ## The Global South The area below the North-South Divide is what is known as the South/developing, or "Poor side". These countries are known as developing countries, meaning the GDP, HDI and general standard of living within these countries are considered inferior to that of countries in the "North". Some examples of these countries include Somalia, Vietnam, Haiti and India. **Why countries in the South are considered LEDCs?** The countries in the south may be considered LEDCs due to a number of reasons, among them including an unstable government and a poor economy. In addition, countries that are considered to be an LEDC contain citizens who have a poor standard of living and quality of life. Some characteristics of countries in this region may include low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and low Human Development Index (HDI). Some LEDCs have skewed HDis due to a relatively high GDP and an exceptionally low standard of living. An example of these types of countries is Indonesia. ## Why is the South at such a disadvantage? Of the many possible reasons for the south's woes, the one factor that stands out is colonization. When the countries that are considered MEDCs are listed down it becomes apparent that most of these countries were, at some point in history imperialists. From the 13th century on, most countries that were powerful have stayed powerful, such as France and the United Kingdom. And therefore, most countries that were inferior have stayed inferior. However, like any aspect in history, there is always an exception, as the United States, a former British colony, has developed into the most powerful country in the world (Guttal, 2016). ### First, Second and Third Worlds The term Global North Global South first emerged in 1996. However, since the end of the Cold War, many commentators have employed the North-South label northern hemisphere (the North) and poorer, developing countries located mainly to draw a dichotomy between wealthy, developed countries primarily located in the hears policymakers and practitioners use phrases like "the North-South divide" or "the gap between North and South" to summarize complex political and economic in the southern hemisphere (the South). In UN circles and elsewhere, one frequently tensions on a range of issues. The term was also fashioned out of the categorization which included mainly the First, Second and Third World distinctions. This was by and large, influenced by the Cold War era between the USA and USSR. This was conveniently drawn upon political ideologies and alliances with the US and much of the Western world who preached for Democracy and Capitalism tagged as the First World. The Communist bloc led by USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) / Russia, China and other states who employed Marxist principles are deemed to be part of the Second World. While the Third World corresponds to the non-aligned states, the underdeveloped nations and states that have unstable political and economic conditions. The "Third World", a term that had been coined by the French scholar Alfred Sauvy in 1952 to distinguish the formerly colonized and presently neo-colonized societies of Asia, Africa and Latin America from the modernized "first" world of capitalism and the modernizing "second" world of socialism. By the 1960s, "Third World" would become a central political slogan for the radical left. The term in its origins had suggested that societies of the Third World, embarking on the long path to modernity, had one of two paths to follow, the capitalist or the socialist. (Dirlick, 2007). The document then shows a map of First, Second and Third World countries, which has been omitted here. ## In effect, the term "Third World" was coined by states hoping to navigate between the two poles of the Cold War, and ultimately gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement. These countries were generally less economically developed than their First - and Second-World counterparts. Thus, as Riggs (2007) pointed out some interchangeable terms that characterize the Third World - The Less-developed World, the Majority World, the Non-Western World, the Poor World and the Undeveloped World, all beaming with hues of economic dilemma and lack of development. The document then shows a map with coloured sections representing Advanced Economies, In Transition, Less Developed, and Least Developed. This map has been omitted here. **It can be noticed that Third World countries are mostly from Africa, Asia and Latin America** This underdevelopment at times, is being traced back to the historical events that led to the Colonial patterns of exploitation of the Developed World in the 15th-18h centuries as well as the modern clouts of Neo Capitalism in which much of First World producer states. The next term used was Developing world to refer to states that are previously categorised as part of the Third World who found themselves the necessity and the means to grapple with the economic realities at the demise of the Cold war era. The challenge for many Third world states this time came in the form of ensuring that national development spurred by Globalization and higher economic integration can be attained. Thus, the term developing states came to be associated with industrialization attempts by many Asian economies once dubbed as "Asian Tigers" or the NIC's (Newly Industrialized Countries) like Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. The term "Developing world" has been widely used in the 80s. **In 1983 the Brandt report was published by a commission chaired by the former German Chancellor Willy Brandt. This report identified a North/South line (or Brandt line), and thus popularized another term, namely "The South". The South is a geographical convenience based on the fact that most of the Poor World lies south of latitude 30° North. There were exceptions, most notably Australia and New Zealand but nonetheless it worked for many people: scholars, politicians and the media. Critics, however, objected to the fact that once again it hid from view the political and economic processes and historical inheritances that rendered these southern countries poor in the first place** The document then shows a map, which has been omitted here, that illustrates the Brandt model, represented by the red North-South line dividing the world into a Rich North and a Poor South. ### Breaking point and Outlooks of the Divide As underdeveloped countries become more visible, they are frequently referred to under the collective label the "Global South". Despite the advantages this designation offers as a synthesizing term, many scholars and writers of Globalization consider it ambiguous because it uses a simple geographical criteria to describe a complex social situation which distinguishes poor countries from the wealthiest. It should be clear here that the implied North-South dichotomy has never been as geographically fixed as the labels imply. For example, Australia and New Zealand have always been regarded as southern outliers of the North. Some of the richest countries in the world (with a high GDP per capita) are classified as part of the Global South. Yet the model still rests exclusively on a "latidunal" division. The world has changed considerably since the time when the North-South relationship was articulated, although the terms continue to be used today as they were then. A few decades ago, the South was associated with starvation, malnutrition, poverty, epidemics, low educational levels, political authoritarianism and dictatorships. Today, although hunger and poverty continue to exist in many South countries, the numbers of wealthy and extremely wealthy people are rising rapidly. Many South countries-especially in Latin America and Asia - contribute large numbers of well- educated, competent professionals to the global workforce. However, the fact remains that inequality and inequity remain inherent and almost foundational characteristics of the North South divide. Inequality is not a surface phenomenon that can be rectified by diverting cash here and there, but a deep structural defect that diminishes individual and collective potential for many, and shapes power relations within and among societies. It exists as a differentiating set of factors both, across and within the countries of the North and South, prompting many to refer to conditions of wealth, power, poverty and inequality as a South in the North and a North in the South. While such theorizing may seek to challenge the traditional global North-South divide, it still uses the labels of North and South to denote more or less the same conditions as in the original conceptualization (Guttal, 2016). Despite improvements in social-economic indicators, and increases in wealth accumulation and capital and investment flows among many countries of the South, there continue to be significant differences between North and South countries in living conditions, consumption levels and patterns, social and economic structures, access to services and resources, and political power in supranational global governance. Systems and institutions of global economic and financial governance continue to be dominated by the North despite attempts by developing countries to secure greater power (Guttal, 2016). In addition, Magallanes (2012) also mentioned that the term Global South omits a critical core of dynamic variables that characterize different kinds of countries, especially historical, economic, social, cultural, and political variables, among others. It is these factors that might explain the reality of these countries as a product of a societal process, and the type and origin of the differences among them. The term Global South, as pointed out, is normally used to mean countries conflicts, mass displacements of refugees, hunger, and disease. But it is important that are faced with social, political and economic challenges for instance poverty environmental degradation, human and civil rights abuses, ethnic and regional to look at the historical, political and even cultural contexts of these countries why they are considered poor. For instance, the strict Hindu tradition of many people in the Indian subcontinent and their veneration of the cow as sacred prevent them from having a supposed successful livestock industry which could in turn be very vital in improving their economic lot. It should be added also that the term Global south rids itself of the negative political and economic labeling that Third World had before as it is generally seen to be more apolitical. Thus, it is considered to be more neutral and sits well within the platform that Globalization seeks to induce. Furthermore, it can also be surmised that with the rapidly changing patterns of development coupled with massive technological revolution, ease of travel and migration and interconnectedness of commerce and trade brought forth by trade liberalization, the terms may also change swiftly especially with respect to the states or countries categorized under it. The uneven development of the Global South since the term was coined has rendered the geography of the term even more complicated where it may have become an obstacle to understanding the contemporary global situation. Some of the societies covered by the term are the following: the People's Republic of China, India, Brazil, Turkey - have benefited from globalization to become more assertive in global relations - with the PRC aspiring to world leadership and hegemony (Dirlick, 2007). It can be seen also that the Global South has embarked on an unprecedented upward trajectory. Already, the output of the developing world's three leading economies (Brazil, China and India) is close to equaling the combined output of the longstanding industrial powers of the North - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Even smaller countries like Bangladesh, Chile, Ghana, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tunisia are experiencing rapid economic development. According to the 2013 UNDP Human Development Report, it is estimated that 80% of the world's middle-class population will be living in developing countries by 2030 (Mendez, 2015) As opined by Mendez (2015), there is this ongoing global transformation is a phenomenon known as "South-South cooperation". Once consigned to the margins, South-South cooperation is coming to occupy an important place in the changing theory and discourse of development. Originally bound up in the response of the developing countries to the destabilizing politics of the Cold War, South-South cooperation gave voice to aspirations for a development path untainted by ideological conflict, and to an acknowledgement that relations between developing countries should be a crucial means of achieving these aspirations. This forges a clearer path towards integration within states that are deemed to occupy the same position to emerge out of the label "South" and aspire to become a part of the "North". This is very feasible considering the assertion that the Global North and Global South divide is not entirely confined to strict geographical constructs. Thus, in effect, even states that are once labeled as part of the Global South may after some time become included as a state in the Global North depending on their future socio economic status. In fact, Jean Grugel (1990) enumerated the three factors that direct the economic development of states within the Global South. These are "elite behavior within and between nation states, integration and cooperation within 'geographic areas, and the resulting position of states and regions within the global world market and related political economic hierarchy. These essential aspects of developmental tendencies in the Global south are indeed essential if there are expected changes in the categorization of nation states in the future. The important thing that one has to consider is that the divide, as with any Global phenomenon is never static especially when the factors of technology, migration, increasing levels of literacy, employment, GDP increase and currency valuation increase come into play. In fact, it is increasingly hard to make an outright categorization that may be truly acceptable especially with the onslaught of global economic integration. The BRICS is a good example of this assertion. BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Originally the first four were grouped as "BRIC" (or "the BRICS"), before the induction of South Africa in 2010. Annually, they have discussions representing spheres of political and socio-economic coordination in which member countries have identified several business opportunities, economic complementarities, and areas of cooperation. Such cooperation is established on three levels or tracks of collaboration; first are the formal diplomatic engagement between the national governments. Second is engagement through government-affiliated institutions like state-owned enterprises and business councils. The third one is civil society and "people-to-people engagement (BRICS, 2018). The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs and all are members of G20. The Global South and the Global North represent an updated perspective on the post-1991 world, which distinguishes not between political systems or degrees of poverty, but between the victims and the benefactors of global capitalism. The document then shows a map of BRICS countries, which has been omitted here. **In effect, a contraction in the Global North - South divide is actually seen many economists as a result of international free trade and unhindered capital flows across countries which could definitely catapult development further in the South. After all, it has been made clear in the previous chapter that Globalization is not simply a process that can be narrated within a single construct. As Robertson (1993) defined it as a "compression of the world", the improvement in economic interdependence will contribute to the further "shrinking" of the world and is expected to shake even more the volatile Global North-South divide.** Closing or mitigating the divide has been a goal for many developmental initiatives. The United Nations has developed a program dedicated to narrowing the divide through its Millennium Development Goals aimed at Sustainable development. This includes improving education and health care, promoting gender equality, and ensuring environmental sustainability. In addition, the IMF, World Bank and other progressive Northern countries have embarked on developmental initiatives such as providing loans and grants to the Global south countries in order that these nation states may also attain development in the long run. This document concludes with an image that has been omitted here.