A WORLD OF REGIONS: GLOBAL DIVIDES: THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH
(FOCUS ON LATIN AMERICA)
The learning objectives are:
1. Define the term “Global South.”
2. Differentiate the Global South from the Third World.
3. Analyze how a new idea of global relations came from Latin American experiences.
Regionalism is a political process characterized by economic policy cooperation and
coordination among countrie (Claudio, 2018)
Regiolization is the concentration of economic flow within region thereby binding together
the region’s economy.
The world is divided according to socio-economic and political aspects between the wealthy
developed countries known as the “North” and the poorer developing countries or the
“South”. Even though most of the North is in the Northern Hemisphere, it is not purely
about location. Some countries in the same hemisphere might not be “developed.” This gap
is now also called the development gap, focusing on the difference between rich and poor
countries.
The Global North generally includes Western countries and the First World, plus much of
the Second World. It is home to the G8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United
Kingdom, United States, and the European Union), and also includes the EU’s outermost
regions, Australia, New Zealand, and developed parts of Asia (the “Four Asian Tigers”:
Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea). The North has one-quarter of the
world’s population but takes in four-fifths of the world’s income and holds 90% of the
manufacturing industries.
The Global South covers Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. These countries belong to the
Third World and the Periphery, mostly outside Europe and North America. Three-fourths of the
world’s population lives in the South, but they only access one-fifth of the world’s income, often
facing low income and marginalization.
The Brandt Line, proposed by Willy Brandt in the 1980s, showed a divide between wealthier
countries (above the line) and poorer ones (below). But this idea is no longer seen as fully
accurate, since some strong economies today lie below that line.
Global South vs The Third Term
The term Global South emerged partly to help Southern Hemisphere countries work
together on political, economic, social, environmental, cultural, and technical issues—called
South-South Cooperation (SSC). It is a political and economic term aiming for worldwide
economic changes that benefit Global South countries and build more solidarity among
disadvantaged groups.
Global South” was first used in 1969 in modern politics and became more common in the
second half of the 20th century.
Alfred Sauvy (1898–1990), a French demographer and economist, coined “the Third World”
in 1952, comparing it to the Third Estate in the French Revolution. This term separated
poorer countries from the wealthy First World and the Second World (communist states).
In the 1970s, developing countries grew, and developed countries relied on the Third World for
energy because of falling US oil reserves. This increased the Third World’s economic power. Over
time, “North” and “South” replaced “East” and “West.” The Global South merged with the Third
World to avoid the idea that the Third World was only “very poor.”
Third World countries face poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment. They mostly
produce agrarian and mineral raw materials for industrialized nations. They belong to the
Global South but still have a chance to develop.
Global Relations in Latin America
Latin America, like Africa, does not have a very large population but has abundant natural
resources. This made it a target for large-scale exploitation by Europe and the United States.
Countries in Latin America were under Spain or Portugal during the colonial era. The
capitalist system exploited local peasants, and big landowners treated workers brutally.
Mines were also exploited by developed countries. In the 20th century, peasants moved
from the countryside to the cities, creating “modernization poverty” in Latin America.
Shanty towns or favelas appeared. Many people lived in urban areas, and fascist
dictatorships took power, removing some rights like voting. Police could arrest and torture
opponents of the government. This extreme exploitation in Latin America was worse than in
many other places, and some countries still suffer from its effects.
Even before today’s globalization, Latin America had already faced heavy globalization,
leading to exploitation and abuse. Danilo Antón (1998) described “Different waves of
globalization in Latin America.
1. The first wave was military, from the 15th to 16th centuries.
2. The second wave was economic, in the 19th century. Spanish and Portuguese
colonies provided raw materials for European industrial needs. Resources were
exploited, but diseases were reduced, and communication and transportation were
improved.
3. The third wave was cultural, driven by technological changes. Communication
became easier, air travel spread, and diseases like AIDS/HIV appeared.
Though the third wave was already present in the 20th century, the second wave still
continued. Both waves affected many countries. While the third wave had good effects, it
also caused harm. Large-scale export of raw materials raised income but hurt the
environment. Native crops were replaced by plants demanded by importers, causing soil
erosion. Expanding aquaculture also lowered water quality.
Still, Latin America’s national cultures remain. They are valuable to their regions, but many
people and communities have no political control over their futures. Weak state capacity
and more access to information might create new opportunities. According to Antón (1998),
these new globalization tools could lead to global survival and social renewal.
