Alfred Sauvy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Sauvy
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Alfred Sauvy in 1983.
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| Born | 31 October 1898 |
| Died | 30 October 1990 |
| Resting place | Montalba-le-Château  |
| Occupation | Professor |
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Alfred Sauvy (born October 31, 1898 – died October 30, 1990) was a French expert who studied populations, human societies, and economic history. He is most famous for creating the term "Third World" (or "Tiers Monde" in French). He used this term to describe countries that did not take sides with either the Communist Soviet Union or the Capitalist NATO group during the Cold War.
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Who Was Alfred Sauvy?
Alfred Sauvy was born in 1898 in a small town called Villeneuve-de-la-Raho in France. His family grew grapes for wine. He went to a very good school called the École Polytechnique.
After finishing school, he worked for the French government's statistics office until 1937. He also advised the Minister of Finance, Paul Reynaud, on economic matters right before World War II started in 1939.
After the war, a famous leader named Charles de Gaulle offered him a big job. But Sauvy chose instead to focus on studying populations, which is called demography.
From 1940 to 1959, he taught at a school in Paris and became a professor at the Collège de France. He also became the director of the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED). At the same time, he represented France at the United Nations for statistics and population issues.
Sauvy was also a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He wrote articles for a major French newspaper, Le Monde, until he passed away in October 1990.
Sauvy's Big Ideas
Alfred Sauvy had some interesting ideas about how populations grow and how countries develop.
Population Growth
In 1949, Sauvy wrote that he thought "overpopulation" was often a "false problem." He believed that instead of trying to control how many people were born globally, countries should be looked at one by one. He suggested checking if a country truly lacked enough resources to support more people. He worried that if we didn't do this, some countries might end up with too few people, even if they could support many more.
The "Third World" Term
Alfred Sauvy is most famous for coining the term "Third World." He first used it in an article published in a French magazine called L'Observateur on August 14, 1952.
He wrote that the "Third World," which was often ignored and treated unfairly, wanted to become important, just like the "Third Estate" in France's history.
Sauvy got the idea for "Third World" from the "Third Estate." The Third Estate was the common people in France before the French Revolution. They were not the nobles or the clergy, but they made up most of the population and wanted more power. Sauvy used this comparison to show that the "Third World" countries, though often overlooked, also wanted their place in the world.
His Books
Alfred Sauvy wrote many books about population, economics, and society. Here are a few of them:
- 1958 From Malthus to Mao-Tsé-Toung
- 1977 Cost and Value of Human Life
- 1980 The Machine and Unemployment: Technical Progress and Employment
- 1984 Black Work and Tomorrow's Economy (This refers to undeclared or informal work)
- 1985 From Rumor to History
- 1990 The Earth and Men: The World Where It's Going, The World Where It Comes From
His Legacy
Alfred Sauvy's ideas and work are still remembered today.
- The Prix Alfred Sauvy (Alfred Sauvy Prize) is given out every year. It honors new business projects and social companies in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of France.
- There are streets named after him in several French towns, including Pollestres, Rivesaltes, and Villemolaque.
See also
In Spanish: Alfred Sauvy para niños
