Can someone define first world and third world, or if there's second world too?

Question

Please give examples of each. And why is it now politically incorrect to use "third world"?

Answer 1

First World - The term "First World" refers to countries that are capitalist democracies, that are technologically advanced, and whose citizens have a high standard of living. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, the United States, and most of the countries of Western Europe are examples of First World countries.

Second World - The term "Second World" is a phrase that was used to describe the Communist countries within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. Along with "First World" and "Third World", the term has been used to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. The term has largely fallen out of use because the countries to which it referred mostly abandoned Communism, and their mutual interests, after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The other two terms remain in widespread use.

Third World - "Third World" is a term first coined in 1952 by French demographer Alfred Sauvy on the model of Sieyès's declaration concerning the Third Estate during the French Revolution...... Today, however, the term is frequently used to denote nations with a low UN Human Development Index (HDI), independent of their political status (meaning that the PRC, Russia and Cuba, all of which were very strongly aligned during the Cold War, are often termed third world....... In general, Third World countries are not as industrialized or technologically advanced as OECD countries, and therefore in academia, the current term in use is "developing nation".....It remains, however, that more politically-correct terminology continues to imply a path of progressive industrialization and/or (economic) liberalization not far removed from the more plainly ideological "Third World".

Fourth World - The term Fourth World (as least developed countries) is sometimes used to describe the poorest Third World countries, those which lack industrial infrastructure and the means to build it.

Answer 2

The original idea behind first second and third world was political used to define ally's during the cold war.

First world countries were those countries alligned with the US.

Second World countries were those alligned with the former Soviet Union.

Third World countries were those that were not alligned with either.

Because of the economic developments that came about due to the allignments the first world countries became the wealthiest.

The second world countries did not fair as well.

Third world countries without having any strong or wealthy political allignments were generally left behind economically or left to have their resources taken by first and second world countries.

After tensions began to ease in the cold war this classification remained around but came to be known generally in terms of the economic status of the countries not politcal, even though it was their former politcal status that made their current economic ones.

The correct terms now, which are more accurate and factual economically are:

First World= Developed, Industrialized (US, UK etc)

Second World= Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) or Newly Developing (Portugual, some former Soviet Countries, India most of the newly emerging economies fall here)

Third World=Underdeveloped Countries or Least developed (mostly sub Saharan African and some of the Asia)

Answer 3

The first world wonders what type of setting to use at the dinner table. The second world wonders about the nutritional value of the food. The third world wonders if there is going to be any food at all.

Answer 4

In the 70s you had one superpower -the US and all its allies, another superpower -the USSR and all its allies so that leaves the 'third world', or the developing countries. Since there is no longer a Soviet Union, the term is an anachronistic misnomer yet people still use it just as they still refer to GMT though the observatory at Greenwich, England is no longer used to calculate the time.

PC? Can't help you -I care about what's FACTUALLY correct.

Answer 5

Terms used to describe the economics of a country. No second world countries but soon to be a 4th world country ...America!

Answer 6

The words are an anachronism from the chilly conflict, and hasn't been used formally because of the fact the Seventies. the 1st international is the equivalent of the stepped forward international. the 2d international grew to become into meant to imply the socialist block - sixteen years after the autumn of the Berlin all of them are nevertheless poorer than the West, yet are shifting up promptly. The 0.33 international is the arriving up international (even nonetheless quite a few are not coming up yet going backwards).