, QUESTION
Critically discuss the concept of development theory and explain if it serves the
interests of the global North or South.
ANSWER
The post-World War II era saw a rise in the importance of the subject of development
as an ideal, an ideology, and an area of study. Disagreements about what defines
development—economic growth, gender parity, racial equality, wealth equality, or
happiness—have dominated the discussion. As a more open and value-free
replacement for "Third World" and other potentially "valuing" phrases like developing
countries, the term as used by governmental and developmental organizations was
initially adopted. The Global South's nations are typically still under the effects of
colonialism or have recently started their industrialization processes. Scholars have
also asked whether development is an end in itself or a means to an end, and if the
latter, what that end should be and how it can be achieved. Other considerations
include who and what is responsible for underdevelopment, and what roles historical
legacies of colonial subjugation and new forms of control play in explaining the
underdevelopment of certain countries, especially in non-Western countries, or the
Global South.
The idea of the global north and south, sometimes known as the north-south split in
a global context, refers to a collection of nations that have similar socioeconomic and
political traits. The phrase "Global South" is frequently used to refer to parts of Latin
America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It is a member of a family of terms, including
"Third World" and "Periphery," that refer to areas outside of Europe and North
America; the majority (though not all) of these nations have low incomes and are
frequently marginalized in politics or culture on one side of the divide, with the
nations of the Global North on the other (often equated with developed countries). As
a result, the phrase does not always apply to a geographical south; for instance, the
majority of the Global South is located.
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