In this era of rapid globalization, increasing poverty and inequality are among our most urgent problems, leading not only to unspeakable misery but also providing fertile fields for anger, despair, and violence. In Southern Exposure, Barbara Thomas-Slayter examines the changes brought about by globalization from the perspective of ordinary people in the Global South, such as small farmers in Kenya, coca growers in Bolivia, or garment workers in Bangladesh, highlighting both the diversity of their experience and common themes. Using an issues-based approach and keeping questions of gender and culture to the fore, Thomas-Slayter establishes a context of fragile states, economic vulnerability, struggles over resources and identity, and growing human rights concerns in an increasingly inter-connected and inequitable world. She explores key political and economic challenges facing Southern countries as they engage with the global system and identifies critical issues that will shape twenty-first century developments including the continuing spread of AIDS, the intense pressures for migration within and across national boundaries, food security, and the relationships among population growth, scarce resources, and environmental degradation. The final chapter identifies key voices from the South which are grappling with the emerging choices that face our world in the coming decades. This book will become a widely adopted introductory text on development issues for undergraduate students, and the many case studies will provide general readers with a fascinating overview of the world as experienced from the Global South.