Abstract
The Second World category was propagated by the West during the Cold War period in order to draw attention to the ideological differences between the capitalist West (First World) and the communist countries of the USSR and China and their associated spheres of influence. The implied uniformity of the Second World region disguised marked regional variation with respect to the functioning of the socialist model, as well as broader cultural characteristics. The shared experience of socialism remains a common feature uniting former socialist countries within Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU). Nevertheless, China’s more pragmatic economic policy since the late 1970s combined with the revolutions in CEE and the USSR during the late twentieth century and the progressive enlargement of the European Union (EU) ensure that the Second World category has limited contemporary relevance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Second Edition |
| Publisher | Elsevier Korea |
| Pages | 113-118 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780081022955 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780081022962 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- BRIC economies
- Central and Eastern Europe
- CMEA (Council of Mutual Economic Assistance)
- Cold War
- Communism
- Emerging markets
- European Union
- Former Soviet Union
- Iron Curtain
- PRC (People’s Republic of China)
- USSR
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences