RETHINKING THE THIRD WORLD: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN THE THIRD WORLD

Abstract

What do we mean with the term, the ‘Third World’? What has really changed in the Third World since the end of the Cold War and what are the major explanations of change? Have these changes also led to a change in the definition of the Third World in terms of either its boundaries or its major characteristics? Is the scope of the term limited with the experiences and conditions of the states? How have International Relation theories perceived the Third World? In an effort to outline answers and explanations with respect to these above-mentioned questions, this paper aims to analyze the relevance of the term, the ‘Third World’ in the aftermath of the Cold War. Analysis of the term in the post-Cold War Context is divided into three sections. Questioning the validity of talking about a single Third World, the first section addresses major areas of change in the Third World. In the second section, existence and expansion of Third World conditions within the territories of industrialized countries is examined. Finally, the last section focuses on how International Relations theories have perceived the Third World and an alternative approach to understand the relevance of underdeveloped/developing states within international politics

Keywords

• The Third World, Conceptualizing the Third World, International Relations Theory and the Third World

Kaynakça

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