Talk:World-systems approach

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[edit] Literature

Shannon, Thomas R. "An intorduction to the World-System Perspective." Westview Press 1996. Bouldar, Colorado.

So, Alvin Y. "Social Change and Development: Modernization, Dependency, and World-System Theories." Sage Publications, Inc. 1990. Newbery Park, California.

[edit] World-Systems Theory?

The entry "world-systems theory" is a gross error. Wallerstein has written more than one article on why world-systems analysis is not a "theory" (singular) nor is "theory" (i.e. nomothetic abstraction). Ironically the writer of the current entry, to which I've made only a minor edit to replace the term "theory" with "analysis," even refers to one of Wallerstein's works titled, World-Systems Analysis. I don't know how to do it yet, but the entry should be changed to World-Systems Analysis, and an explanation as to why it's not theory ought to be included. Better yet, just buy Wallerstein's Introduction to World-Systems Analysis.

Elson E. Boles Saginaw Valley State University

[edit] World-Systems Theory?

Oops. I meant it should be changed FROM "World-Systems Theory TO "World-Systems Analysis." Elson

It may even be World-system analysis. See also Talk:World_System_Theory

--Henri 19:04, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Capitalized - why?

Any objections to moving this article to world system theory? As for theory vs. analysis, I'd leave it to sb familar with his theories to make the appopriate changes and move the article (be bold and so fix it...). You may need to register first, Elson.--Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus Talk 22:03, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

Is there a clear definition of what it is in this article? If so, I can't find it.128.239.147.95 16:15, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

just make the changes Elson - seems you have the necessary knowledge... --Boszko2 16:34, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
I strongly oppose leaving this entry as "world-systems theory" precisely because -- as practitioners argue, including the founder Immanuel Wallerstei -- it isn't a theory but a paradigm within which there are different theories. Elson 12-18-06
I support renaming but be aware there is already a page World-systems analysis which redirects here. There are also quite a few pages that link to World-systems theory, so the whole thing will take a bit of sorting out to get it properly tidied up. Good luck! Kahuzi 12:05, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] moved from history of international trade, Intangible 18:11, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

Marc Bloc once wrote: Il n'y a pas d'histoire de l'Europe, il y a une histoire du monde! (There is no history of Europe, there is a history of the world.) World-system theory was introduced during the 1970s by historians like Immanuel Wallerstein, Samir Amin, Giovanni Arrighi, Andre Gunder Frank as opposition to classic historical and economical views. Main goal of World-system theory is to show that one cannot limit history and especially economic history to arbitrary units like modern nation-states, empires like Byzantine Empire or even units like Western Europe instead we must look at world-systems which are historically formed and interconnected units.

[edit] Fernand Braudel

One of the precursors and an early application of this theory can be found in Fernand Braudel's La Méditerranée et le Monde Méditerranéen a l'époque de Philippe II which originally appeared in 1949 where he thinks of the Mediterranean as a center around which an economy-world formed. Later in Civilization and Capitalism, 15th–18th Centuries (1979) Braudel claims that there are long term cycles in capitalist economy which developed in Europe in 12th century. Cities and later nation-states follow each other subsequently as centers of these cycles. Venice in 13th to 15th century (1250-1510), Antwerpen in 16th (1500-1569), Amsterdam in 16th to 18th (1570-1733), London and England in 18th and 19th (1733-1896). The other source is Dependency theory first developed in the 1950s by Raul Prebisch.

[edit] Imannuel Wallerstein

Wallerstein locates the origin of the modern world-system in 16th century Western Europe and defines: "A world-system is a social system, one that has boundaries, structures, member groups, rules of legitimation, and coherence. Its life is made up of the conflicting forces which hold it together by tension and tear it apart as each group seeks eternally to remold it to its advantage. It has the characteristics of an organism, in that it has a life-span over which its characteristics change in some respects and remain stable in others. One can define its structures as being at different times strong or weak in terms of the internal logic of its functioning."

[edit] Andre Gunder Frank

Andre Gunder Frank goes even further and claims that there is really only one world system which includes Asia, Europe and Africa and claims that we can trace ongoing trade in this system in the last 5000 years. The center of this system has always been in Asia. Europe only prospered when Asian economy was in its contracting phase of long-term economic cycle and Europe had access to virtually free silver and gold from the Americas. There was no European miracle, Europe simply had geographical advantage in discovery of Americas. This contracting phase is now coming to an end and the center is moving back to Asia.

[edit] World system theory links

[edit] Merger now having been performed

(Franz weber) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Franz weber (talk • contribs) 12:44, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] POV-check-section on Second section

Mainly the last para. of this section, e.g. "...We agree with Arrighi ... Following Arrighi, we postulate that...". Not clear if this is quoting Kalecki or what? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Helvetius (talk • contribs) 11:55, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Literature

The literature-"selection" is far too detailed. It should be reduced to the BEST 5-10 books and structured into primary literature (e.g. Wallerstein) and secundary literature about the theory. Maybe the German version could be an example, though the secondary literature part is not complete yet. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.176.166.156 (talk) 09:03, 7 June 2008 (UTC)