There’s a First World and a Third World, but what about a Second World? The Soviet Bloc countries once made up the Second World, but these terms are becoming increasingly irrelevant. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Second World”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Ellen Johnson. I’m calling from Coospey, North Bend, Oregon.
Well, welcome to the show, Ellen. How are you doing?
I’m doing great, thank you. How are you?
Just fab, thanks.
What’s going on?
We travel a bit, and it occurred to me that we talk about the third world. And I think I’ve read that the developed countries can be considered the first world. So I asked a few people recently on a trip, where’s the second world? And so that’s my question to you. Nobody knows.
Well, we have had the term second world for a while, but you’re right. Few people use it anymore. First world and second world were actually around longer than the term third world.
Oh.
The first world and second world terms came up right after World War II. It was first used by the UN, and the first world denoted what you’re suggesting, the industrialized capitalistic societies in North America and Western Europe and Australia and Japan. And the second world was the communist bloc, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. And then in 1952, I believe it was, a French demographer proposed that there should be a term for the rest of the world because that didn’t encompass everybody. And so he proposed a term that translates as third world. And all those distinctions are blurring anyway. They’re not all that useful. The word that I would use is deprecated. All three of these terms are now deprecated, which means they are no longer used in the sciences where they once appeared. So you won’t find them in social sciences or demography because third world has become a pejorative. The second world, it doesn’t exist because the Soviet bloc countries aren’t really a thing anymore. And the first world to describe it as a unit these days is probably a mistake because it’s very fractured.
Yeah. I mean, originally Brazil was third world, and it’s booming these days.
Yeah, the brick nations.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay.
So there you go, second world, the former Soviet bloc.
Yeah. Nobody knew that, that’s for sure.
Oh, you guys are so helpful.
Oh, we try.
Yeah, you did great.
Yeah, sure. Thanks for calling. Thanks for listening. Glad to hear from you.
Read the word. Thanks.
Take care now.
Happy travels.
You too. Bye-bye.
Bye.
Oh, I’d love to travel.
Where are you going to go next, Martha?
You know, I’d love to go to London.
You know what I’m going to do?
What?
I think I’m going to go to Washington, D.C. And go to all the museums.
Oh.
If they’re open.
Take the kit?
Yeah.
No, go by myself.
Yes, I’ll take the kit.
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