, HED4805 ASSIGNMENT 2
ANSWERS
DUE DATE 26 JUNE 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Meaning of the expression “Global North and Global South” (10)
The concepts Global North and Global South are widely used in education, sociology,
history, and development studies to describe global inequalities in power, knowledge
production, and economic development, rather than strictly referring to geographical
location. These terms reflect historical and structural relationships shaped largely by
colonialism, industrialisation, and contemporary global capitalism.
The Global North refers to countries that are generally economically developed,
industrialised, and politically dominant within global systems of knowledge and governance.
These countries are mainly located in Europe, North America, and parts of East Asia. In the
context of academic production, the Global North controls a significant proportion of
scholarly publishing, research funding, and theoretical frameworks that shape global
knowledge systems (Seroto, Davids & Wolhuter, 2020). The extract demonstrates this
dominance by showing how countries such as Germany, the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, and Belgium consistently appear as leading contributors to educational
research outputs. This dominance reflects what Santos (2014) describes as epistemic
control, where certain regions define what counts as legitimate knowledge while others are
positioned as objects of study rather than producers of theory.
The Global South refers to countries that are historically marginalised within global
systems, often located in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. These countries share
histories of colonisation, economic dependency, and exclusion from dominant knowledge
production systems. The Global South is characterised by limited representation in global
ANSWERS
DUE DATE 26 JUNE 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Meaning of the expression “Global North and Global South” (10)
The concepts Global North and Global South are widely used in education, sociology,
history, and development studies to describe global inequalities in power, knowledge
production, and economic development, rather than strictly referring to geographical
location. These terms reflect historical and structural relationships shaped largely by
colonialism, industrialisation, and contemporary global capitalism.
The Global North refers to countries that are generally economically developed,
industrialised, and politically dominant within global systems of knowledge and governance.
These countries are mainly located in Europe, North America, and parts of East Asia. In the
context of academic production, the Global North controls a significant proportion of
scholarly publishing, research funding, and theoretical frameworks that shape global
knowledge systems (Seroto, Davids & Wolhuter, 2020). The extract demonstrates this
dominance by showing how countries such as Germany, the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, and Belgium consistently appear as leading contributors to educational
research outputs. This dominance reflects what Santos (2014) describes as epistemic
control, where certain regions define what counts as legitimate knowledge while others are
positioned as objects of study rather than producers of theory.
The Global South refers to countries that are historically marginalised within global
systems, often located in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. These countries share
histories of colonisation, economic dependency, and exclusion from dominant knowledge
production systems. The Global South is characterised by limited representation in global
