Different Ways of Looking at the

World

Different Ways of Looking at the World

• Difficult to keep track of - social, political, economic characteristics of each country in the world

• ⁂ easier to group countries using common characteristics

• examples include:a) “First World”b) “Developing Nation”c) “North/South Split

Developed - Developing Countries

• Economic development used to group countries – not the only characteristic that determines development

• Popular because its simple• Criticism - imprecise - groups

too large• Not static - allows for countries

to move from undeveloped to developing

Developed and Developing

North - South

• Most developed nations located north of equator

• Most developing nations located south of the equator

• Some countries do not fit pattern - New Zealand, Argentina and Australia

• ⁂ terms Temperate and Tropical may be more accurate

North & South Split

First/Second/Third World

• 3 world model developed in 1950’s

• Based on development (economic) & on political alignment

• Countries like Cuba, China & Vietnam did not fit

• Had characteristics of 2nd World & some of 3rd world

First World - Third World

Five World • A compromise between accuracy and

simplicity• 3rd-5th Worlds describe developing

countries in different stages of development

• 2nd World countries disappeared (with fall of communism) - some moved to 1st world and others to 3rd-5th worlds

• No longer fits in a world increasingly influenced by the forces of globalization

Five Worlds

New Way of Grouping Countries

• Core/Periphery Country Classification

• Consider the degree to which each country is an active participant in a globalized world

Economic Development For Grouping Countries

• A community’s material wealth and trade

• Determined by such things as: per-captia GDP, ratio of cars to people, and per-capita electrical power capacity,

Social Characteristics For Grouping Countries

• Level of education, healthcare, life expectancy, and rate of infant mortality in a society

Political Characteristics For Grouping Countries

• Determined by whether country is democratic

• Level of corruption• Presence of functional and established

electoral system and rule of law• Freedom House rankings - measure

political rights and civil liberties• Rating 2-5 - considered free• Rating 6-10 - considered partly free• Rating 11-14 - considered not free

Globalized Core (Core)

• Countries that have contributed significantly to and benefited greatly from globalization

• Countries in this group are relatively wealthy, comfortable lifestyles, advanced economies

• Good healthcare, live in secure environment

• High degree of freedom, gov’ts are generally free of corruption

• Eg. Canada, US, Germany, Australia, UK

Measure of Global Involvement Canada Germany

Freedom House Rating 2 2

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000) 4.7 4.1

GDP per capita on a PPP basis (US$)

35 200 31 400

Visiting Tourists (% of population) 57.8 25.8

Oil Consumption (m3/person/year) 4.022 1.876

Human Development Index (HDI) 0.950 0.932

# of McDonalds Location (per million people)

35.2 13.2

Corruption-Perception Index (CPI) 8.5 8.0

Internet users (per 100 000) 60 966 42 702

Less Globalized Periphery (Periphery)

• Poorer than the “Core” countries• People have less personal security• Limited political freedom and civil liberties• Corruption is almost always a serious

problem• Eg. Bangladesh, Zambia, Congo, Kenya

In Between Countries

• Most countries are somewhere in between the core and periphery

• Makes more sense to divide the in between nations into 2 groups - lots of variation between these countries

Measure of Global Involvement

Canada Germany Bangladesh Zambia

Freedom House Rating 2 2 8 7

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000)

4.7 4.1 60.8 86.8

GDP per capita on a PPP basis (US$)

35 200 31 400 2200 1000

Visiting Tourists (% of population)

57.8 25.8 0.033 0.066

Oil Consumption (m3/person/year)

4.022 1.876 0.530 0.407

Human Development Index (HDI)

0.950 0.932 0.530 0.407

# of McDonalds Location (per million people)

35.2 13.2 0 0

Corruption-Perception Index (CPI)

8.5 8.0 2.0 2.6

Internet users (per 100 000)

60 966 42 702 208 2051

Countries in Between

• Countries like Poland & Malaysia are generally members of the Core but are not at the same level as countries like Canada & Germany

• Not as wealthy, gov’t not as democratic• As years pass becoming more like Canada

and Germany • ⁂ need to divide “Core” into 2 groups• Old Core and New Core

Countries in Between

• Periphery can be divided into 2 groups as well

• Iran and Philippines are more advanced than countries like Bangladesh and Zambia

• With continued economic, social & political growth - have potential to join Core in future

• These countries can be called Near-Core Periphery (Periphery)

Countries in Between

• Countries like Bangladesh & Zambia it will take longer for these countries to become fully functioning members of the global world

• These countries are part of the Far Periphery

Measure of Global Involvement

Malaysia Poland Iran Philippines

Freedom House Rating 8 2 12 6

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000)

17.2 7.2 40.3 22.8

GDP per capita on a PPP basis (US$)

12 700 14 100 8 900 5 000

Visiting Tourists (% of population)

64.4 39.9 2.4 2.6

Oil Consumption (m3/person/year)

1.224 0.672 1.276 0.222

Human Development Index (HDI)

0.805 0.862 0.746 0.763

# of McDonalds Location (per million people)

5.7 0.4 0 2.3

Corruption-Perception Index (CPI)

5.0 3.7 2.7 2.5

Internet users (per 10 000)

41 243 23 341 8096 5008

Grouping the World’s Nations

Grouping the World’s Nations