Third World at the Crossroads

(Hardback)

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Written by a distinguished group of Third World and American scholars, this book investigates the political, economic, cultural and religious dynamics of the Third World. The volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, employing analytical tools drawn from political science, history, economics and sociology.The papers included serve to facilitate a new understanding of the complex nature of the Third World nationalism, explore critical issues facing the Third World such as widespread hunger in africa and the mounting debt crisis, and offer new perspectives on the role of religion and ethenticiy in Thrid World politics. In his introduction, Sheikh R.Ali sets the context for the papers that follow. He notes that the new nations of the Third World cannot be the political and economical equals of the developed nations Thus, aware of their weaknesses, the overriding concern of Third World leaders is to preserve themselves from foreign encroachment. The 14 subsequent papers define, explain and analyze the myriad issues and problems that today confront policy-makers in both the Third World and developed nations.

Reviews

Useful . . . are J. Bitzes's essay on misperceptions of Third World religions by foreign policy elites and citizens, and Z. Husain's excellent analysis of Islamic revivalists, which show how US ignorance of Third World cultures and religions has contributed to foreign policy failures. Also well done are chapters on Africa by A. Conteh (on hunger), P. Agbese (the Nigerian agricultural crisis), and R. Clute (on the Southern African Development Coordination Council). Other insightful contributors include A. Kazak on the Gulf States' economic vulnerability, M. Muller on vocational training for India's women, J. Gordon on African Americans and US foreign policy in Africa, T. Lobe on the downward spiral of Nicaragua's revolutionary movement, and M. Sills on ethnocide. Excellent index and bibliography. Appropriate for academic libraries collecting comprehensively on Third World affairs.-Choice
"Useful . . . are J. Bitzes's essay on misperceptions of Third World religions by foreign policy elites and citizens, and Z. Husain's excellent analysis of Islamic revivalists, which show how US ignorance of Third World cultures and religions has contributed to foreign policy failures. Also well done are chapters on Africa by A. Conteh (on hunger), P. Agbese (the Nigerian agricultural crisis), and R. Clute (on the Southern African Development Coordination Council). Other insightful contributors include A. Kazak on the Gulf States' economic vulnerability, M. Muller on vocational training for India's women, J. Gordon on African Americans and US foreign policy in Africa, T. Lobe on the downward spiral of Nicaragua's revolutionary movement, and M. Sills on ethnocide. Excellent index and bibliography. Appropriate for academic libraries collecting comprehensively on Third World affairs."-Choice

Author Bio

SHEIKH R. ALI is Professor of Political Science at North Carolina Central University. His previous books include Saudia Arabia and Oil Diplomacy (Praeger 1986) and Oil Turmoil, and Islam in the Middle East (Praeger, 1986), Southern Africa: An American Enigma (Praeger, 1987).