SHEPHERDVILLE COLLEGE

(FORMERLY JESUS THE LOVING SHEPHERD CHRISTIAN COLLEGE)

MODULE ON
CONTEMPORARY
WORLD

TOPIC: A WORLD OF REGIONS

PREPARED BY:

LEE ANN O. DACER, LPT

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This Module uncovers the physical and imaginary divisions of the world in the age of
globalization. In Section 1: The Global Divides: The North and the South, the sharing of
ideas and experiences focuses on the concepts of the Global South and the Third World as
socioeconomic and political labels or categories. Section 2: Asian Regionalism deals with
the integration of the world’s biggest land mass and population.

At the end of the module, the students are expected to:

Instructions: Complete the organizational chart, by providing synonyms of the given

1.

7. 2.

6. 3.

5. 4.

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 Since the process of globalization is uneven, it follows that there is an imbalance in
the socio-economic and political categories of the world. The world is divided into north
and south, and first, second, and third.
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Europe, Australia, and America tend to see the big
difference between the ways of living in the Philippines and in Western countries. Some
of them come home as “one-day millionaires” giving out presents to their family, relatives,
neighbors, and friends. Although their incomes are relatively higher than if they work in
the Philippines, they realize that life is still tough
despite the remittances they send to their families
and the taxes that the country gains from these.
Furthermore, they cannot escape the reality that
their occasional vacations in the Philippines are
temporary because they would need to go back to
work in order to continue making a living in
another country. This is a reflection of the global
divide between the north and the south as
experienced by these Filipinos.
The term Global South is a metaphor for interstate inequality and a product of
Western imagination (Claudio, 2014). Historically, there had been divisions and labeling
among the different nations of the world. Countries that were colonized by the Spaniards
in the southern part of the American continent are collectively called Latin America. By
virtue of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, the newly discovered lands outside Europe were
divided into two—the West belonging to the Crown of Castile (now part of Spain) and the
East belonging to the Portuguese Empire. There is also a split based on labor—the core,
the semi-periphery, and the peripheries. From these divisions, the Global South refers to
the socio-economic and political divide primarily focused on the southern hemisphere of
the 1569-designed Mercatorian map. It consists of Africa, Latin America, and Asia
including the Middle East. These nation-states are deemed to be not aligned with nation-
states located in the northern hemisphere that adhere to fair labor practices, rights, free
trade, reduced tariffs, and policies on sustainable development. The Global South also
connotes developing countries as opposed to rich, industrialized, and wealthy nations. On
the contrary, the Global North is the home of all members of the Group of Eight (G8)—
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States of
America. Itis also the abode of the four powerful permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council. It also refers to the developed countries in Asia, Australia, and New
Zealand. As stated by Claudio (2014), the Global South “continues to be imagined and re-
imagined by those who dominate it even as movements from below reshape these
constructions through resistance.”
Although usually associated with developing nations, the Global South is also
found in developed countries. Economically poor families, underprivileged individuals,

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unfair labor practices, and suppression of human rights, and other violations of basic rights
in Europe, Australia, US, and Canada are the pieces of evidence that people from developed
countries also share similar experiences with people from developing countries.
Conversely, a trip to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Metro Manila by someone from Tupi,
South Cotabato—denoting high standard of living, availability of better transport system,
prevalence of banking and financial institutions, presence of big commercial
establishments, and centrality of the national government—is that person’s experience of
the “Global North.” The Global North, therefore, is also relatively experienced within the
geographical boundaries of the Global South.
By now, one Can Say that the terms Global South and Third World are conceptually
the same. They both refer to conditions usually found in developing countries. But the term
Third World is the antecedent of Global South (Claudio, 2014). Arguably, the term Third
World ceased to exist when the Cold War ended. Historically, the world was once
categorized based on the economic ideology of Western capitalism against the Soviet
Unions socialism. As formal economies, capitalism sustains consumer choice, private
property, and
economic freedom
while socialism is
characterized by
state control of the
means of
production,
distribution, and
exchange.
Capitalist
economies were
considered First
World and
socialist
economies were referred to as Second World. Those that did not belong to either types of
formal economies belong to the Third World. The term Third World was initially used to
refer to the former colonies of European countries. To illustrate, India was considered a
Third World country for it was a colony of the United Kingdom. According to this
categorization, the Philippines was Classified as Third World. Later, the category was used
to refer to countries that were neither capitalist nor socialist. Since many countries were
impoverished, the term was also used to refer to the poor world. These countries were
considered to be non-industrialized and newly industrialized. They lacked the standard
systems in banking, finance, and trade.
Hence, it is outdated to say that countries in Southeast Asia belong to the Third
World for the term has ended its usage after the Cold War. These countries may be
classified as the Global South though some of their citizens experience the Global North
within their territories.

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Instructions: Choose one city or town in the Philippines where you can observe or
experience the Global North and The Global South. List down specific scenarios below.

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

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Instructions: Search for a newspaper or magazine image that illustrates your answer to the
question: “Are the Global North and Global South dependent on one another?” Cut or print
the selected image then paste it below. Write a short explanation about it.

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References:
The Contemporary World, Tumuroh C. Brazalote & Ryan M. Leonardo, Published in 2019
by C& E Publishing, Inc.
Dacles, Darwin, Don M. & Maslang, Kenneth L. (2018), the Contemporary World.
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya: SMU Publishing House
Haywood, A. Politics. London: Palgrave Mcmillan. 2012.
The-Contemporary-World.pdf (ched.gov.ph)

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Images:
https://www.rappler.com/nation/guidelines-overseas-filipino-workers-eligible-dole-
coronavirus-cash-assistance

https://vesabarileva.medium.com/the-north-south-divide-of-countries-and-the-entire-world-
e656ba588c8b

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