1. Development and the Third World Some Introductory Concepts and Definitions

2. What is the Third World?  Great awareness of contrasts in living standards  Originated after WWII as a political category implying ‘positive neutralism’ in Cold War context  Talk broadly about ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ countries  Less affluent countries also referred to as: ‘backward’, ‘underdeveloped’, ‘less developed or developing’  More recently terms used such as: ‘South’, and ‘2/3rds World’

3. ‘Development Worlds’  1 st World: largely Western industrial and market economies  2 nd World : planned economies-former East European countries but now shrinking rapidly  3 rd World: poor or developing economies  4 th World: the very poorest economies where little development progress has occurred

4. How to Identify the Third World?  2003 World Bank scheme based on per capita income (Per Capita Gross National Income) (www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/ countryclass.html) www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/  Low Income: < $735  Lower Middle Income: $736-$2935  UpperMiddle Income: $2,936 - $9,075  High Income: >$9,075

5. http://www.worldbank.org/data/maps/maps.htm

7. Other Measures of Underdevelopment  But income is only one measure used to indicate levels of development-others are:  Literacy- Education Levels especially beyond Elementary School  Agriculture- Arable Land, Average Daily Caloric Intake and more generally Diet  Health- Lifespan (< 50 years), Access to Medical Care, Delivery of Family Planning Services

8. Other Measures of Underdevelopment  Access to basic services such as potable water and electricity  Land- Owning, rather than renting, sufficient land to provide for an average sized family  Availability of Employment beyond minimal services occupations

16. Historical Perspectives on the Third World  1945-1955: Period of western disconcern- little interest in problem of underdevelopment; developed nations preoccupied with their own reconstruction and growing East-West-Cold War  1955-1965: Period of optimism and high expectations; 3 rd World was object of intense attention; primary belief-poor countries were lagging and with outside assistance they would catch up; various aid schemes conceived

17. Historical Perspectives on the Third World cont’d  1965-1975: period of growing skepticism; widespread disillusion with realization that development more complex than previously realized  1975-1990: period of pessimism and re- evaluation; growing frustration brought on by worldwide economic crisis (increased energy costs, high inflation, massive unemployment, economic stagnation, growing indebtedness; expansion of deregulation, PVOs, NGOs; decline in demand for raw materials from 3 rd World

18. Contemporary Situation  Strong impact of globalization at all levels (nation, region, village and family) especially significance of firms searching for cheap labor  Democratization: empowerment and participation movements  Liberalization: deregulation and privatization  Women and gender roles in development scrutinized and emphasized