The End of the Third World?

Abstract

This quotation is indicative of a conclusion frequently drawn by researchers and politicians. The Third World is in the process of disappearing, it is claimed. As a label for a radical idea that placed a political and economic alternative on the international agenda, the Third World has disappeared. Researchers from the more radical schools of thought (Harris, 1986), as well as those of a more traditional orientation, have joined in the chant proclaiming the end of the Third World (Rothstein, 1984, p. 155; Osterud, 1987, p. 214). The North-South dialogue has come to a standstill. Even though the Third World has modified its demands in several areas, the present North-South debate has produced very little of consequence. 'Efforts to bring about a new international economic order