International Relations Vertical

The term Global South was coined for the first time in 1969. However, the phrase didn’t take off until the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. Prior to that time developing nations, those that had not yet reached full industrialization, were more frequently referred to as the Third World. This term was coined in an attempt to draw a comparison between the bourgeoisie, the clergy, and the nobility—the three historical estates in France. The developed countries were referred to as the First World, socialist countries ruled by the Soviet Union, and developing countries, many of which were still under colonial rule at the time, as the Third World. Peter Worsley, a sociologist, popularized the term in 1964 with his book “The Third World: A Vital New Force in International Affairs” which contributed to the term’s global popularization. Despite Worsley’s optimistic perception of this Third World, the term came to represent nations plagued by instability and poverty.

The term Global South describes a number of nations that are occasionally referred to as developing or underdeveloped. While not all of these nations are in the Southern Hemisphere, the majority are in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Compared to countries in the Global North, which are wealthier nations and are primarily found in North America and Europe, the Global South countries are generally poorer, have higher rates of income inequality, suffer from lower life expectancies, and have harsher living conditions. The developing world’s south, which comprises parts of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, has living conditions that are a result of the complex interaction of historical, economic, political, social, and environmental factors. Many countries in this region of the world were subjected to colonialism. Centuries of colonial rule resulted in resource exploitation, economic distortion, and social structure disruption in many countries of the Global South. These countries are still affected by the colonial past. More developed countries frequently take advantage of the economies of the Global South countries. Unfair trade practices, unequal resource distribution, and debt loads that impede economic growth are a few examples of this. Governance problems, political instability, and corruption affect many countries in the Global South. This may make it more difficult to make policies that are effective and to allocate resources fairly. Moreover, internal conflicts and civil wars have the potential to upend social structures, uproot populations, destroy infrastructure, and worsen living conditions. In the south of the globe, income inequality is frequently very high. Most people live in poverty which is an outcome of the concentration of wealth and resources in the hands of a small number of people. Discrimination is prevalent in the region and this results into certain groups having less access to opportunities and resources primary reason being discrimination based on factors such as caste, ethnicity, race, and gender. The consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changes in agricultural patterns, disproportionately affect many countries in the developing world. This leads to food insecurity, displacement and higher vulnerability. In certain Global South nations, inadequate infrastructure for healthcare and education results in poor health outcomes and constrained economic prospects. Global trade and economic policies, which are frequently controlled by powerful countries, might not always be in the best interests of the Global South. This may hinder self-sufficiency and extend dependency. Highlighting the fact that roads, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure deficiency can obstruct economic growth and the accessibility of basic necessities and not to ignore, the digital divide is a result of differences in access to information and technology, which restricts opportunities for economic and educational growth. In order to bring about change the terrible living conditions in the Global South, both domestic and foreign stakeholders must work together in a comprehensive effort. 

The phrase global south is not geographical. The two largest countries in the Global South, China and India, are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere. Instead, it corresponds to an interplay of political, geopolitical, and economic parallels at the national level. Undoubtedly, the most notable illustration of how colonial rule and imperialism affected the majority of the Global South’s countries is found in African nations. The term provides them with an entirely new viewpoint on what dependency theorists define as the relationship between the center and the edges in the global political economy or, to put it simply, the relationship between the West and the rest of the world. Moreover, the Global South is not economically helpless, despite the impression given by phrases like “third world” and underdeveloped to the contrary. Since the year 2000, the World Bank has noted a change in the distribution of wealth. This also highlights how the World Bank is trying to challenge a lot of the accepted beliefs about where the richest people in the world are emerging through this shift in wealth. According to the projections by 2030, three of the world’s top four economies will be China, India, the United States, and Indonesia and among the four, three will from Global South. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, or popularly known as the BRICS, have already overtaken the G7 club in the Global North in terms of GDP and purchasing power. Moreover, Beijing is currently home to a larger number of billionaires than New York City. The shift in economic circumstances has brought along rising political visibility. The countries of the Global South are becoming more influential on the international scene; examples of this include Brazil’s efforts to push a peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine and China’s efforts to mediate a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Undoubtedly, the Global South is demonstrating political and economic strength that the developing countries and the “Third World” had never possessed.  The world order needs to be restructured due to the major disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and recent geopolitical conflicts. The frequent hits of debt, COVID, and conflict encouraged this crisis that had been building up slowly and steadily. Thus, the current attempt should be aimed at achieving a broader and democratic form to be successful in goal achievement. Due to various factors like size, subsidies, technology, human capital, and strategic decisions, the countries in the region were primarily restricted to the role of consumers instead of producers. The developing and underdeveloped nations of Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Oceania are collectively referred to as the Global South. The contribution from the global south countries was very often used as input supply in abundance for manufacturing processes in the up north. They frequently found themselves burdened with unmanageable debts resulting from not so transparent initiatives. The world now requires multiple centers for production and not just consumption only. Developing nations must increase their level of independence. Focusing on self-independence will minimize and to some extent restrict their exposure to economic meltdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic served as an acute example of the dangers associated with relying on others for basic necessities for survival. There is an evident power shift in the world, it is now more Asia centric and with that an opportunity for the developing countries.

Source

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4. (2023, Jul 3). “The Global South is on the rise – but what exactly is the Global South?”. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-global-south-is-on-the-rise-but-what-exactly-is-the-global-south-207959