Socialism

Abstract

Abstract This entry offers a general overview of the role played by socialism in the postcolonial world. Socialism is a pivotal ideological ingredient in Asian and African countries’ struggles for independence from colonial power after World War II. In such a context, socialism is not implied in an orthodox way with respect to Marxian theory, but much more as a vague nostrum against imperialism. The entry emphasizes the fundamental connection between this use of socialism and those countries which decided to situate themselves in a third position with respect to the dichotomous geopolitical space shaped by the Cold War, the so‐called not‐aligned countries. In this perspective, it provides a broad outline of the phenomena of Arab and African socialism, and their connection with pan‐Arabism and pan‐Africanism. The last part of the entry is dedicated to Latin America, referring to the Cuban Revolution and the Chilean approach to socialism, as well as to the new versions of socialism embodied by the governments of the so‐called “pink tide.”