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From North‐South to ‘Global’ South? An Investigation of a Changing ‘South’ Using Airline Flows between Cities, 1970–2005
Author(s) -
Taylor Peter J.,
Derudder Ben,
García Cándida Gago,
Witlox Frank
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2009.00216.x
Subject(s) - geography , global south , globalization , economic geography , latin americans , politics , depiction , south asia , regional geography , geographical distance , global city , economy , human geography , regional science , political science , sociology , ethnology , demography , economics , archaeology , population , linguistics , philosophy , law
Using a city‐centred approach to development issues, this article critiques the recent concept of ‘Global South’. With its provenance from the ‘South’ half of the 1970s ‘North‐South divide’, the concept recognizes the transformations of the world economy since the 1970s, latterly known as globalization, by adding the adjective ‘global’ but leaves the geography undisturbed: the map of ‘South’ in ‘Global South’ is the same as in the North‐South divide. The limitation of this static geography in dynamic times is explored using relational geographies based upon airline flights and passengers between cities. Flight patterns for 1970, 1991 and 2005 are used to show the prime finding that contrasts a dense Pacific Asian network with airline patterns in the rest of the ‘South’. In addition, there appears to be bifurcation of the ‘South’ with Latin America having less inter‐regional South‐South links than other regions. Specific origin/destination data for 2001 provide a cross‐sectional depiction of the details of this South geography and confirm the very large flows into, through and out of Pacific Asia. These results are interpreted using Jacobs’ work on economic change and moral syndromes. We conclude that ‘Global South’ is a geographical chaotic conception, which has possible implications for its major sponsor, the United Nations Development Programme, wedded to an old political geography while ‘real, existing’ economic development proceeds regardless.