Education, Poverty, and Inequality (Making of the Modern World: 1945 to the Present Series)

Since the End of World War II, the world has transformed in profound, far-reaching ways. The dismantling of European empires after the war led to decolonization, and the realignment of WWII allies led to conflict between superpowers. As the Cold War heated up, two ideologies-capitalism and communism-shaped daily life and international affairs. And as it wound down, a tidal wave of globalization paved new avenues for growth but wrought even new sources of conflict-between wealthier and poorer nations, between the Global South and the Global North. The Making of the Modern World: 1945 to the Present offers students an accessible guide to these transformations. In a compelling narrative style, the human story of our planet's most recent history comes to life. This volume, Education, Poverty, and Inequality, explores economic hardship in the aftermath of World War II, the challenges facing newly independent nations in terms of poverty, inequality, and development, and how the major powers in the Cold War approached social welfare policy. It also examines how the nations of the developing world have grown in strength even as they have struggled with nagging development issues. The United Nations, including its Millennium Development Goals, also takes center stage, as does the effect of globalization on people's livelihoods and economic prospects.