List of tables. Introduction. State and Society. Democracy. Economic Growth and Development. Religion, Ethnicity and Identity. Human Rights. Women and Power. The Politics of the Natural Environment. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

Purposefully written for those coming to politics for the first time this new textbook provides an exploration and analysis of the most important contemporary politics issues of the Third World. It offers a different, deeper perspective to the standard texts in this field, encouraging an understanding of the concerns – and drawbacks – of the traditional approaches. This ensures that the reader can fully appreciate the breadth and nature of a range of pressing – and previously understated – issues: the striving for democracy; the political consequences of economic growth and development; the struggle of religious and ethnic minorities; women’s and human rights; and the politics of the natural environment. In doing so, the interaction of domestic and global factors affecting many aspects of Third World politics is highlighted and a new, qualitatively different set of concerns is identified resulting from recent international changes such as the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet bloc. To illustrate the importance of these throughout the Third World thematic chapters focus on five Third World regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, East and South East Asia; the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-saharan Africa. A comprehensive introductory chapter not only explains the structure of the book, defines terms and introduces the range of concepts and issues discussed but also compares, contrasts, explains and criticizes the range of traditional paradigms, setting out a theoretical framework for the book. Finally, a discussion of the decolonization process since 1945 and an examination of the characteristics of state-society relationships enables the reader to locate the contemporary period in historical perspective. Both an ideal introduction and invitation to further study, this volume is essential reading for beginning students studying a range of courses, including global politics, world politics, Third World politics, comparative politics, development studies and international relations. It will also be especially useful to those in the second year of their degrees, following a range of modular courses, such as Third World Politics.