Firstly, in order to address this title, the term 'Third World' must first be defined in terms of it's origin and meaning. The industrial revolution in the nineteenth century led to Western-Europe and the United States becoming increasingly technological, industrialised and urbanised. This brought rise to the concept of a divided world; those nations that were developed and those that were more 'primitive'. The emergence of this concept of development led way for theories (which were generally accepted at the time) such as the development of nations happens in a linear process, and that to the benefit of more developed countries this process should be encouraged. Since then terminology has altered from descriptions such as 'backward' to 'Underdeveloped' to the present use of the phrase LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country). The group of LEDC's in question have been also referred to as the 'South', from the commonly referred to Brandt Report (1980), or the Report of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues. This report stated that the 'rich developed' countries were located in the 'north', and that t

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Another one of the strongest criticisms of the concept of the 'Third World' is that since the creation of this theory, the Second World (communist) countries have fallen (with the exception of the socialist Chinese state), which places the use of both the concepts of the Second World and subsequently the Third world into question as to whether they are any longer worthwhile generalisations.

However despite these arguments, although definitive boundaries cannot be made around the 'Third World' due to the wide regional and national disparities, I beleive that the generalisation of these countries into the single body of the 'Third World' is still a worthwhile concept. While the 'Second World' may no longer be a relevant factor, there is still the large rift present between the two groups of the First and Third Worlds, and so reinforces the continuing relevance of this concept.

It is because of several reasons that the validity of the phrase 'The Third World' has been placed into question over the past decade. The previously mentioned growing differentiation and diversification within the Third World has lead to the use of the generalisation of the concept to be questioned. Also, the rejection of a 'linear path' to development means that different countries will strive towards development through different courses at different speeds, and should not be measured against how the 'West' First World developed, presuming

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