Words associated with the Third World are rarely subject to analysis and definition. Yet many of these terms are loaded with assumptions and cultural attitudes. As a result, discussion of the Third World can be bogged down in bias, prejudice - and Western self-interest.
In this pioneering reference work, the first to focus attention on this complex vocabulary, Kofi Buenor Hadjor offers a critical guide to the controversies. Drawing on many disciplines, including economics, politics, sociology, anthropology and women's studies, he describes the crucial individuals, movements, ideologies and institutions. More politically charged words - Modernization and Neo-Colonialism, Aid, Terms of Trade and Appropriate Technology - are explained in brief, incisive essays. For major topics, there are references for further reading.