1. If You Shouldn’t Call it Third World, What Should You Call It
If You Shouldn’t Call it Third World, What Should You Call It? Jing Wei NPR News

2. Reading Task:
1) Historically, when did the terms, first, second and third world come about?
2) Who is represented in the first, second, and third world?
3) What did the third world come to represent?
4) Why is the system out of date?
5) Why do people accept the label, developing, instead? Why do people still disagree with the label?
6) Why wouldn’t a term such as, global south, be a better alternative?
7) What are other terms groups have created? Do any of those work better?

3. Immanuel Wallerstein World Systems Theory
Theory of a global core, periphery and semiperiphery
Economic & political
Development occurred faster in global core due to exposure to new technologies
Core Periphery Model maps level of development
Underdeveloped countries (periphery) dependent on…
Developed countries (core)
Still exists and can be spatially examined

4. Polar Projection

6. Characteristics Core Periphery High GDP per capita
Tertiary sector or above
High literacy rates
Low CBRs
In-migration
Gender equality
Democratic
Colonizers
Low GDP per capita
Primary/secondary sector
Low literacy rates
High CBRs
Out-migration
Gender roles
Not democratic
Colonies/colonized
Core

7. Examples Core Periphery Countries Regions Countries Regions Peru
United States
U.K.
Belgium
Germany
France
Canada
Regions
North America
Western Europe
Countries
Peru
Democratic Republic of Congo
Yemen
North Korea
Afghanistan
Regions
Sub-Saharan Africa
Core

8. Semiperiphery
Wallerstein’s theory called for core, periphery & semiperiphery
Over time, the semiperiphery has grown, as the periphery has dwindled
Semiperiphery shares characteristics of both core & periphery
Countries: BRIC
Brazil
Russia
India
China
Others (MINTS)
Mexico
South Africa
Indonesia
Nigeria
Turkey

9. Excerpt from: TRANSNATIOANL CORPORATIONS, DEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT, AND STATE POLICY IN THE SEMIPERIPHERY
By Gary Gereffi, Duke University
Peter Evans, Brown University