" The term 'Third World' arose during the Cold War..."
First coined during the Cold War, this term refers to countries that are not part of the capitalist First World or the communist Second World. It is used to describe the economic, political, and social conditions of former colonies and developing countries.
Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Decolonization: The process by which a territory that was once colonized achieves independence or sovereignty, either through negotiated agreements or through violent means.
Third World: A term that emerged during the Cold War to describe countries that were not aligned with either capitalist or socialist blocs; it is now commonly used to refer to economically disadvantaged and politically marginalized nations.
Imperialism: The political, economic, and cultural domination of one country or people over another, often involving the establishment of colonies or client states.
Globalization: The process of economic, political, and cultural integration across national borders, often with negative consequences for poor and vulnerable populations in the Third World.
Neo-colonialism: A form of indirect rule in which the dominant powers use economic, political, and cultural tools to maintain control over their former colonies or client states.
Structural adjustment: A set of economic policies implemented by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and IMF that require Third World countries to liberalize their economies, privatize state-owned enterprises, and reduce government spending.
Development: A complex and contested process of economic, social, and political transformation that seeks to alleviate poverty, promote growth, and increase human welfare in the Third World.
Postcolonial feminism: A critical approach that examines the intersection of gender, race, and class in the experiences of women in the Third World, challenging dominant Western feminist theories and practices.
Cultural imperialism: The imposition of Western cultural norms, values, and practices on Third World societies, often through the mass media and other forms of cultural production.
Environmental justice: The recognition of the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits across social groups and geographic regions, with a focus on marginalized communities in the Third World.
Resistance and social movements: The diverse range of efforts by Third World peoples to resist foreign domination, challenge oppressive social structures, and promote political and economic justice.
Dependency theory: A critical approach that views the Third World as structurally dependent on the Western capitalist system, which exploits its resources and labor while inhibiting its development.
Subaltern studies: An interdisciplinary field that focuses on the perspectives and experiences of marginalized and oppressed groups in the Third World, challenging dominant Western narratives of history and identity.
Postcolonial literature: A rich and diverse body of literary works by Third World authors that engage with themes of colonialism, resistance, hybridity, and cultural identity.
"The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Western European nations and their allies represented the 'First World'..."
"The Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, and their allies represented the 'Second World'..."
"This terminology provided a way of broadly categorizing the nations of the Earth into three groups based on political divisions."
"Strictly speaking, 'Third World' was a political, rather than an economic, grouping."
"Because many Third World countries were economically poor and non-industrialized, it became a stereotype to refer to developing countries as 'third world countries'."
"The Third World was normally seen to include many countries with colonial pasts in Africa, Latin America, Oceania, and Asia."
"It was also sometimes taken as synonymous with countries in the Non-Aligned Movement."
"In the dependency theory of thinkers like Raúl Prebisch, Walter Rodney, Theotônio dos Santos, and Andre Gunder Frank, the Third World has also been connected to the world-systemic economic division as 'periphery' countries dominated by the countries comprising the economic 'core'."
"Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term Third World has decreased in use."
"It is being replaced with terms such as developing countries, least developed countries or the Global South."
"The concept itself has become outdated as it no longer represents the current political or economic state of the world and as historically poor countries have transited different income stages."
"Some European democracies (Austria, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland) were neutral in the sense of not joining NATO, but were prosperous, never joined the Non-Aligned Movement, and seldom self-identified as part of the Third World."