Global South
May be referred to as “Global South” or the “third world”. It is referred to countries who are developing, underdeveloped, or less developed. Includes all of Africa, almost all of the Americas south of the United States, and most of South and Southeast Asia. 3/5 of people on Earth live in these areas. Is that fair?
A little about these countries...
What makes a country qualify to be called “Global South” ?
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The Basics: Rich vs poor |
Sovereignty, authority, power
Weakness
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political/economic change
Political Dynamics
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Citizens, society, the state
- Poverty. People do not have power when all they make is an average of $4 a day. Many cannot afford education to get themselves higher in society.
- Health. There is about 1 doctor to every 25,000 people which makes it difficult to get proper health care. Lack of safe drinking water is the common-and avoidable-cause of death of more than forty thousand children daily. Many suffer from HIV an estimated 40 million people are infected worldwide most of these people are from the global south.
- Gender. Men are the dominant species. Women are paid less compared to men. Women do back breaking chores for free because they do not have a choice. There are more uneducated women than men,
- Environmental Threats. Pollution, unsanitary and crowded conditions. The population is growing at a rate of about 2.5 per year. Lack of economic and resource response from the government.
- Political Life. The Global South revolves around religious, ethnic, linguistic, and other “Communities”.
political institutions
public policy
- Foreign Aid. Because the Global South cannot develop on their own they receive help from foreign aid. Multinational corporations (MNCs) offer help in a form of aid, creating jobs and other indirect economic benefits. Developed in 1950 when the British government agreed to aid China. Although there is often debates on what the money is used for.
- Exploitation. Multinational corporations (MNCs) headquarter in the South to take advantage of cheap workers, fast, production, and raw materials. In recent years, many corporations have adopted policies that guarantee proper wages, protection of the environment, and helping build infrastructure. United States is the leading country in the number of multinational corporations.
- Bretton Woods Organizations. International Monetary Fund (IMF) created to stabilize international monetary flows but collapsed in the early 1970s. World bank is the largest organization that makes loans and direct grants to developing countries. World Trade Organization (WTO) is the newest organization which granted free trade and resolve commercial disputes among member states.