Third World

ASSIGNMENT 2

TITLE: The following three concepts describe how the world has been divided according to the levels of development: Explain their meanings and identify their characteristics.

* Third World / South

* North (West/ First World)

* Development

Table of Contents

PAGE

1. Introduction 2

2. Cold War 2

3. North (West / First World) & characteristics 2

4. Third World / South & characteristics 3

5. Development 3

6. Conclusion 3

7. Bibliography 4

The idea of categorising countries by their economic and development status began during the Cold War with the classification of East and West. Out of this paradigm of development surged the division of the First World (West) and the Second World (East) and the less developed countries constituting the Third World. The First World became the North and the Third World became the South, not a geographical classification. Being categorised as the North implied development as opposed to belonging to the South which implied lack thereof. The North became synonymous with economic development and industrialisation while the south represented previously colonised countries which are in need of help in the form of international agendas. The Cold War Meanings and characteristics of North, South and development are identified and discussed in detail in following paragraphs.

According to Regan et al 2006:29, the World War II reshaped the politics and ideologies of the world. After it ended, the world split into two blocs, communism and capitalism which resulted in the cold war. The Cold War by virtue of its name was a primarily ideological struggle between the first and second worlds, more specifically the US and the Soviet Union. Hence, the idea of development arose in a specific post war context where the US emerged by far the most powerful economy in the world. The three interrelated factors, US dominance, the...