Technological Development and the Third WorldTECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE THIRD WORLD I wonder if people in Third World countries know that they are considered the "Third World?" Do they use that term in reference to themselves? Do they have any perception of the comparison, judgment and prejudice contained in that statement? I like to think they don't. In the film about the Ladacks that we saw in class, it was said that they didn't have a word for poverty. No such word even existed in their language. But this happened before. It was before the invasion of other cultures, and it was before they had anything to deal with. And in comparison they saw that, materially, they had less. And with that knowledge, they believed that they, as a people, were inferior. In this essay I will examine third world communities and the relationship between technological development and environmental degradation. I will first consider how development occurred in the South and why it occurred the way it did. From there, I will show how these development methods have continued to cause widespread environmental damage and their effect on local people. DEVELOPMENT: "WESTERN" STYLE When I refer to "environment", I mean not only the habitat in which humans, plants and animals live, but also the physical, emotional and psychological attitudes that they embrace in their daily existence .Development, according to my definition, will consequently refer to the technological progress of a community as well as the improvement of the status of humans and other species. This is my definition, and the one others use frequently now. However, the model I will examine first is the theory of development based on the economic-political system. "A typical Western (read: economic) definition of development would be 'an ambiguous term for a multidimensional process involving material, social, and organizational changes, accelerated economic growth, [and] the reduction of absolute poverty and inequality.'" ( 1) The main emphasis in this statement is the phrase “economic growth”. In Europe and North America, development policy has focused on the economic aspect of producing surplus and obtaining capital. Because of... middle of the paper... we have to adopt some new behaviors. Our current development model shows some obvious flaws and it is clear that it is the impact of technology that causes environmental damage. But technology isn't the only guilty factor. It is the influence of technology combined with human greed that has presented these complex human and environmental problems. Laws that control pollution of the environment must be applied and followed equally in all countries. With the knowledge that we now own global chaos that is at our fingertips, we have no excuse but to do so. The hypocrisy that exists between systems must also be stopped. Considering not only ourselves, but also the lives of others in danger is essential to the continuation of our species as a whole. Our fortunate position in a developed nation does not give us the right to create a hierarchy according to which our existence is more important than the life of another. Perhaps, the only way we will combat any of these problems is through education. It will take more than a few dedicated people to change the world, but with the influence of many, anything is possible.