World System Theory and International Relations

World System Theory and International Relations
Paper: Theories of International Relations and World

History
Lesson: World System Theory and International
Relations
Lesson Developer: Dr. Lianboi Vaiphei
Assistant Professor, Political Science Department,
Indraprastha College for Women
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Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Chapter: World System Theory by Immanuel Wallerstein
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The genesis of World System Theory
1.2 Approach of World System Theory
1.3 Background Study of Immanuel Wallerstein- the main thinker
1.4 Aims of World System Theory
1.5 Theoretical Concept of the‘World System Theory’
1.6 Key Features and its terms and definitions of the World System
Theory
1.7 Temporal Dimension of World Economy
1.8 Implications of the World System Theory
1.9 Recent developments in World System Theory
1.10 Criticisms of World System Theory
1.11 Conclusions
1.12 Summary
1.13 Exercises
1.14 Glossary
1.15 Answer of Multiple Choice Questions
1.16 References
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1.0 Introduction
The International political Economy has given the perspective of understanding
International Relations from its economic perspective as a result of which it has form the
crux of study both in the sub discipline of Theories of International Relation as well as in
International Political Economy. This development has offered new insights as well as
crucial reflections in understanding the world and making sense of the global politics as
it stand today. It has been observed that these developments has enriched the discipline
through the economic perspective offered by the sociological understanding of the world,
which has brought new ideas and interpretations through Immanuel Wallenstein’s
concept of World System Theory.
The World System Theory is a grand sociological idea that has been inspired by Marx’s
concept of Dependency Theory in their approach to the study of International Politics. It
has been influenced and uses Karl Marx analysis by Immanuel Wallerstein. According to
Wallerstein capitalism is more than a system of economy demarcated by boundaries of
nations, as he highlights class difference from the perspectives of national relations
which has been influenced from the historical factors such as Colonialism.
The historical development of Colonialism has led nations to develop a capitalistic

economy which went on to subordinate others and link them with other countries in such
a way where the subordinated nations became dependent on the dominating countries.
This hampers the development of other economies as they have become dependent on
the dominant countries.
The World System Theory is seen as a major breakthrough in the Marxist analysis of
international relations from the perspectives of analyzing the world from the different
world systems that existed in the various stages of human history. This world system
also goes through different phases from its beginning and gradually collapses to form the
modern world system.
The World System Theory thereby explores and studies the role and relationships
between societies and changes that occur from their consequent interaction among
societies. The theory is a byproduct of two schools of thought- one that is the neo-
Marxist thought on development and the other is the French Annales School and Fernand
Braudel. Although the theory was primarily developed by Immanuel Wallerstein but the
other theorist such as Andre Gunder Frank, Samir Amin, Giovanni Arrighi had developed
the ‘Dependency School of Thought’ which worked on the similar framework in
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conceptualizing international political economy as a result of the new developments that

occurred in the capitalist world economy during the mid-1970s.
It was during this period of mid-1970s, the global politics was dictated by the world
economy according to Wallerstein, and sees them as the legacy of the World Empire that
has been set up by Colonial countries under a centralized political system that had
redistributed the resources of the periphery to the core (Misra & Shukla, 2011: p 79)
Did you Know -1

The Dependency Theory has significantly influenced the World-
systems theory which has been perceived as the neo-
Marxist explanation of development processes in International
Relation. It is also called as the Marxist theory of International
Relation. It follows an interdisciplinary approach since it links world
history with the world economy to analyse the world politics. As a
result of which it is also said to be an important tool in analyzing
Globalisation.
1.1 The Genesis of ‘World System Theory’

The genesis from where the idea of ‘the world-system theory’ germinated was when the
first systematic attempt was made to apply the ideas of Marx in the international arena.
It was first done as a critique against imperialism that was advanced by thinkers at the
start of the twentieth century. This led to a discourse of debate that had been as
influential as well as popular, emerge from the pamphlet that was written by Lenin in
1917 called as ‘Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism’. The main argument made
by Lenin is the same as Marx’s thesis. He supported the argument that Capitalism has
change its character from the time Marx first published his work called as Das Capital in
1867 (Marx 1992).
According to Lenin Capitalism has reached the pinnacle which he called ‘the highest and
final stage’ as Monopoly Capitalism. The new stage of ‘Monopoly Capitalism’ has a
two-tier structure where the first tier is the dominant Core countries that exploit the less
developed periphery, which is the second structure. As a result of which there is no
harmony of interests among the workers of the world, since the bourgeoisie from the
core countries would profits from the exploitation done in the countries of ‘periphery’ and
improve their own ‘proletariat’ i.e from their own country. In other words, the capitalist
from the core countries would develop their own proletariat by exploiting the proletariat
from countries in the ‘periphery’.
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Lenin’s concept of Core and the Periphery was developed from the Latin American School
of Dependency where they developed the Dependency Theory. According to Raul
Prebisch the countries which are located in ‘periphery’ suffers due to the ‘declining terms
of trade’. The decline in trade occurs when the prices of the manufactured goods
increases faster than the prices of the raw materials. For example, refrigerator would
always cost more than a ton of coffee. The countries in ‘periphery’ relied more on
primary goods and became poorer in relation to the ‘core’ countries. It is with these
arguments that the Dependency School of thought emerged by thinkers such as Andre
Gunder Frank and Henrique Fernando Cardoso. It is with this framework that the
contemporary world system theory emerged.
Test Your Knowledge-A

(Multiple Choice Questions)
1. World System Theory has been conceptualized by

(a) Immanuel Wallerstein (b) Ander Gunder Frank (c) Karl Marx (d) Lenin
2. World System Theory has been inspired by the political ideology of

(a) Liberalism (b) Capitalism (c) Marxism (d) None of the above
3. World System Theory is related with the study of

(a) World Politics (b) World Economy (c) Cultural System (d) None of the
above
4. The legacy of the present world system can be traced to

(a) Colonial Empire (b) Modernisation theory (c) British Empire (d) None
of the above
5. The origin of the idea of World System Theory can be traced to the writings of
(a) Lenin (b) Karl Marx (c) Adam Smith (d) John Locke
1.2 Approach of World System Theory

The World-system theory uses an approach of macro sociology while explaining the
dynamics within the “capitalist world economy” as a “total social system”. Their main
emphasis is on development and it is no wonder that the development theorist and their
practitioners has accepted it as it focus on the ‘unequal opportunities across nations’
due to which the world-system theory has become not only a political but also an
intellectual endeavour. In fact, the approach of World System Theory is a praxis in which
the theory and practice intersect to reveal the hidden structures of the world and
thereby accumulate knowledge of the functioning of the world system. That is how it has
merged the fields of historical sociology with that of economic history.
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The methods adopted by World-system is based on qualitative methods, although

Wallerstein had earlier rejected any kind of the distinction between nomothetic and
idiographic methods as a tool of understanding the world. The nomothetic methodologies
are generally used in natural sciences and have a tendency to generalise as it derive the
laws by using quantitative approach while the idiographic methodologies are generally
used in humanities. It uses the method to describe and understand the meaning of
contingent which is unique, and often subjective phenomena that uses qualitative
approaches.
According to Wallerstein, the world can also be quantitatively understood despite its long
history. In his approach of explaining them he relies on historical methods which are
associated with interpretive sociology leading his work to be in between Marx and
Weber, the two thinkers with whom he has been both deeply inspired.
1.3 The profile of Immanuel Wallerstein

Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein as an American sociologist is also a historical social
scientist. He was born on September 28, 1930 during the two world wars. When he grew
up, he served in the US army during the year 1951-53, after which he pursue his career
in academics in the US University.
He started his professional academic career from the Columbia University where he
worked as an instructor before he became the Associate Professor of Sociology in 1958
till 1971. After which moved from New York in 1971 and later taught at McGill University,
Montreal. Although he taught in US, his academic interest was not in American politics
but in the politics of non-European world- his area of academic prime interest was in
India and Africa. He dedicated two decades of his life as an African scholar and has
contributed numerous articles in many books. His immense contribution in the area
study of Africa led him to become the President of African Studies Association in 1973.
Did you Know- 2
Interesting facts on Immanuel Wallerstein
Immanuel Wallerstein was born on September 28, 1930 and grew up in New York City but in
a communist family. He had wide interest in world affairs especially in the area of the anti-
colonial movements such as in India since his teenage years as it was during that time that
India was struggling under the British Colonial Rule. He and during his teen age years; India
was yet to gain independence. He had also served in the US Army during 1951-1953.
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Wallerstein articulated the World System Theory first in what is now regarded as a
seminal paper titled ‘The Rise and Future Demise of the World Capitalist System:
Concepts for Comparative Analysis’ published in 1974. After the next two years, in 1976
he published ‘The Modern World System I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the
European World-Economy in the 16th Century’ in which he has made a landmark
contribution in both the theory and thought of History and Sociology. His work has
evoked numerous reactions which have inspired others to build from his conceptual idea
of World System Theory.
Figure1.1 Picture of Immanuel Wallerstein
Source: www.agenceglobal.com accessed on Oct 10, 2014
Wallerstein took up research in new areas as the head of the Fernand Braudel Center for
the Study of Economies, Historical Systems and Civilization at Binghamton University in
New York In 1976.The center was engaging academically in analyzing the social changes
on a large scale that occur over long periods of historical time. As the founding editor of
the new journal Review from the same Center, Wallerstein focused on research that
could invigorate sociology from its other sister disciplines, such as History and Political-
Economy that influence in building the World System theory. He used the historical
events to analyse the world economy and how it has shaped the current international
relations as a system which he described and explained in the World System Theory,
which he had developed during the 1970s.
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Wallenstein immense contribution in Sociology made him become the President of the
International Sociological Association during the year 1994-1998 and occupied the chair
of the International Gulbenkian Commission on the Restructuring of the Social Sciences
during 1993-1995. He retired as a distinguished Professor of Sociology at Binghamton in
1999.
Test Your Knowledge-B

(Select True or False)
6.The World System Theory adopts the macro-sociological approach
7. The main focus of World System Theory is on the methodology of quantitative
8.Immanuel Wallerstein is an Irish sociologist
9.Mr. Wallerstein became President of Indian Studies Association
10.The work of Mr. Wallerstein is on descriptive sociology
1.4 Aims of World System Theory

The main aim of the World System Theory is to develop an alternative understanding of
Development from what the Modernisation theory seeks to explain (Wallerstein, 2000).
According to Theda Skocpol, the American sociologist and political scientist from Harvard
University has described the World System Theory as a new theoretical paradigm which
explain the emergence of capitalism in developing industrial countries and the nation
states of countries (Skocpol, 1977, p. 1075).
Wallerstein had conceptualised the World System Theory in his book The Modern World
System, 1974 which was written in four volumes. In these books his main thesis is that
the modern world system can be differentiated from erstwhile empires as it relies on the
economic control of the world order with a dominating capitalist in the center of the
system while in their relation are determined through the economic and political relation
with the countries in peripheral to semi peripheral world. He uses the historical analyses
to understand the structure of the world through the three different frameworks which
he has distinguished as follows:
i. the development of the modern world-system through historical methods
ii. the contemporary crisis in the capitalist world-economy;
iii. the structure of knowledge.
According to Goldfrank, Professor Emeritus from Latin Americano and Latin Studies
Wallerstein has responded to the Theory of Modernization through the World System
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Theory as he outlines his research agenda with five major themes that touches on the
following area, namely:
i. Economic areas in which the systemic functioning of the capitalist world-
economy,
ii. Historical for the causal explanation in the origins of World System Theory,
iii. Sociological study of the capitalist world economy from the non-capitalist
countries of earlier centuries,
iv. Comparative study in the alternative forms of production and
v. The transition made from pre socialist economies to socialist economies
(Goldfrank, 2000; Wallerstein, 1979).
The Modernisation theory was used as a causal explanation to understand the process of
modernization in societies as a reference for a model of a progressive transition to
explain the transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The
theory investigates the different internal factors in a country with the assumption that
assistance can be used as a tool to develop the "traditional" countries to bring them on
par with the developed countries. It is in this analysis, that it has identified the different
social variables which contributes in the social progress of developing societies were
identified in the process of social evolution.
The main criticism of Modernisation Theory was on the following grounds:

ii. the ‘nation-state’ as the only unit for analysis
iii. Assuming that all countries has to follow a single path in its evolution of
development
iv. Viewing transnational structures as a constrain of both local as well as national
development without any regard of the world-historical development
v. ahistorical explanation in the national cases of “tradition” versus
“modernity”,
Did you know 3
The Modern World System
The present day modern world system is said to exist from the latter half of the 20th
century. It has affected integration all the remote corners of the globe. This according
to Immanuel Wallerstein is because of man’s ability to participate intelligently in the
evolution of his own system and his perception of the system as a whole. Moreover,
the ideology of liberalism, free trade, rule of law has led to the development of the
global cultures in the world. The process of globalization in which the states interact
with one another has led to one dominant world-system, unlike the past where
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separate world-systems existed simultaneously in human history
1.5 The theoretical Concept of World System Theory

According to Immanuel Wallerstein there are mainly two types of system in the world-
the first is the system of World Empires and second is the system of World Economies.
The main difference between the two basically lies in the way decisions are taken
regarding the distribution of resources.
In the World Empires the presence of a centralized political system leads to the
resources to be redistributed from the periphery country to the core whereas in the case
of the World Economy they compete with the centers of power and the resources are
redistributed not by a centralized political system but by the market. The present day
system of modern world system is a suitable illustration of the world economy.
Immanuel Wallerstein further illustrates that the world is connected in a network of

complex relationships of economic exchange— i.e., a "world-economy" or "world-
system" where there is "dichotomy of capital and labour" with its "accumulation of
capital" are in competition from the historical time and account for frictions in the
international relations. Despite the conflicting forces they are held together but the
tensions are tearing away from each other although they remould it eternally according
to their own advantage. In one aspect, it exhibits the characteristics of an organism with
a lifespan where the characteristics are changing though they remain stable in others.
Wallerstein had remarked that the ‘Life within is largely self-contained, while the
dynamics of its development are largely internal" (Wallerstein, p. 347).
Wallerstein traced the origin of the modern world-system to the 16th-century when West
Europe and the Americas was at the beginning of Colonialism. It is a matter of time that
the world system develops to form one global network or the present system as a
system of economic exchange today. The process of colonialism has been widespread to
encompass into every remote corner of the earth to the capitalist world economy in the
19th century.
The economic system of the world was expanded due to the advantage that Europe had
because of industrial revolutions. The European colonialism incorporated new zones for
an effective division of labour in the world economy such as in the Indian subcontinent
as well as Empires of the Ottoman, the Russian and that of West Africa. During the
period 1733-1817 as a result most of the manufactured goods were in accordance to the
needs of the European colonial market and labours were translated to wage labour
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across the globe. That is why Wallerstein termed the world-system as a "world economy"
in its integration with the centre as a market rather than political, since two or more
regions became interdependent on basic amenities such as food, fuel and for protection
and therefore compete among themselves till one country emerges as a dominant
power.
Wallerstein (1974) made the first definition of World System as a "multicultural territorial
division of labour in which the production and exchange of basic goods and raw materials
is necessary for the everyday life of its inhabitants". The division of labour is in reference
to the production in the world economy as a whole, which has created a dual
interdependent region of ‘Core’ and ‘Periphery’.
The region has been so classified as Core and Periphery because both are geographically
and culturally different besides being intensified on labour and capital. This differences
form the structure of the system where a buffer zone is created when a semi-peripheral
state comes in between them which has a mix of both the activities and institutions that
exist on them.
Immanuel Wallerstein stated that the economic structures constrain politics, as the
strong nations situated at the core of the system dominate over the weak countries that
are located in the periphery. This is because the nation states are placed in the system
of world capitalist where they can influence in their global roles. The international
division of labour forms the base of the capitalist world system and determines the
relations of different regions in the world as the labour conditions differ in each of the
region.
Wallerstein has divided the world into three categories of the regions consisting of a few
countries, which is reflective of the characteristics of politics and economy determine the
relative positions that in the world system.
The ‘core regions’ reap maximum benefit in the structure of the capitalist world. Such as
countries of West Europe like England, France, and Holland who became part of the core
region during the seventieth and eighteenth centuries.
The dominance shifted the ‘power’ to different countries in accordance to their

development in the fields of technology and victory in war. The Netherlands became a
“hegemon” during the mid-17th century while the UK became ‘çore’ in the mid-19th
century and US in the mid twentieth century. That is why, during the nineteenth century
the manufacturing base of US and Germany ascended to enter the Core zone. After the
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First World War, the power of Britain and other European countries began to decline
while USA took up the role of a hegemon post Second World War and emerge as the
clear cut ‘core’ country.
Peripheral societies/ countries include countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America
that are politically weak and economically poor but has rich raw materials. In the early
years of the capitalist system the Eastern Europe region such as Poland, Latin America
and South Asia exhibited characteristics of the peripheral countries. The labour system in
peripheral countries can be distinguished from medieval Europe where their production
was not for internal consumption of goods but for consumption in the capitalist
countries. Besides, the bourgeoisie or class of aristocracy in the periphery-such as in
East Europe or Latin America or Asia-became more wealthy since they had their own
linkages with the world economy where they could receive from the core regions to
maintain their control in their own country.
Semi-Peripheral Countries: In between the Core and Periphery is what Wallerstein

has introduced as the Semi-Periphery regions. The semi-periphery areas are represented
by the core region which is in decline such as Portugal and Spain. They have limited
access to international banking and they decline over a period of time. Some of the
Semi-peripheral countries also include the peripheral countries that has gain their
relative positions in the system of world economy. They export manufacturers and raw
materials while importing manufacturers as well as raw materials. They serve as buffers
zone as they are located between the ‘core’ and the ‘peripheries’. Some of the semi
peripheries exhibit strain in the relation between the central government and their class
of local bourgeoisie.
The semi periphery region unlike the ‘Core’ countries do not exhibit any dominating
tendency in the international trade as a result of which they also do not reap the same
benefit. During the past five decades the South East Asian countries have entered the
zone of ‘Semi-Periphery’. Wallerstein has explained that the semi-periphery regions were
exploited by the countries of ‘Core’ regions as done by the American empires of Spain
and Portugal yet at the same time is exploiters in the peripheral countries themselves.
For example, Spain through coercive labour practices had imported silver and gold from
their American colonies which was utilized in purchasing the manufactured goods from
‘Core’ countries such as England and France instead of creating a manufacturing sector
in their own domestic countries.
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Fig 1.2 Geographical dimensions of the world economy
The Northwest Europe constituted the core during the first centuries of world-system
development, while the semi-periphery was formed by Mediterranean Europe and
Eastern Europe and the periphery was constituted by the Western hemisphere and parts
of Asia which has changed in successive times. In the contemporary times, the core
countries comprised of the wealthy industralised countries such as Japan and the semi
periphery region included many states that had been independent for quite some time
excluding the West; while the Periphery countries have recently gain independence and
are poor colonies from the Colonial masters by the end of the twentieth century.
Core Countries/ Region: The ‘Core area’ exhibit militarily strength in relation to other
countries and are independent. They only serve the interests of their own economically
powerful classes or bourgeoisie and soak in any of the economic losses by maintaining
the peripheral areas, for their own benefit. The semi-peripheral areas help to deflect the
political pressures of groups who live in the peripheral areas but have the potential to be
anti-core-states. In other words, they prevent any unified opposition. They share the
ideology and commitment of ruling groups in a system as their own well-being is related
to the survival of the system. On the other hand, the lower strata of the society do not
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have any such loyalty and are automatically incorporated to form a nationally unified
cultures created by the ruling groups.
According to Wallerstein, all the three zones of the world economy have linkages within
exploitative relations where wealth is drained from the peripheral zones into the core
zones. As a result of which, the system matures only when the rich countries become
richer and the poor countries become poorer. In other words, development and
underdevelopment are interrelated.
It is no wonder then that the capitalist world-system is not homogeneous but rather
heterogeneous in terms of its characteristic exhibited in cultural, political and economy
which is contoured by fundamental differences that can be seen in the different fields of
social development, political power and capital. For Wallerstein these differences are only
mere residues or irregularities that would be overcome when the system evolves, but
rather the distinction of lasting three division of labour as structured through historical
development; which characterises the World System.
The most notable anti-systemic force that was present in the last two centuries was
Socialism. It is through Socialism that many of the core states redistributed their wealth
and led to the support of formation of new states, thereby challenging the order of the
Capitalist world economy. This led to a system where one type of system transited to
another due to the inherent contradictions within the system which could no longer
contained and had to be transformed. The present day capitalist world economy was
historically constructed and therefore is bound to be superseded by another social
construction of time in history. The different crises of the global system was created and
constructed by the changes that lead to a new transformation.
Did you know 4
Concept of Core-Periphery Model
The concept of’ core-periphery model’ was first developed by John Friedmann in 1963
where it identified the spatial distances from the core. The model of the centre–
periphery (or core–periphery) model is a spatial metaphor to describe how they are
structured between the advanced or metropolitan ‘centre’ and a less developed
‘periphery’, either within a particular country, or more. The concept has been
commonly applied to analyze the relations between capitalist and developing
societies. It is commonly used in the study of political geography, political
sociology, and studies of labour-markets. The core-periphery model works on
many scales, from towns and cities, to a global scale.
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1.6 Key Features and its terms and definitions of the World
System Theory
The key features of World System Theory need has been outlined by concentrating the
work of its main protagonist Immanuel Wallerstein. He has marked history by the “rise
and demise of a series of world-systems”. According to him, “the modern world system
is ‘a system of production for sale in a market for profit and appropriation of this profit
on the basis of either individual or collective ownership” (1979:66)
1.6.1 Origin of the Modern World System:

According to Wallerstein, the modern world system has emerged in Europe at the
beginning of the 16th century which later on spread to the entire world. The driving
forces have led to the continuous process of expansion in the world and incorporate
them within capitalism. It is within this context that all the other institutions of the social
world is continuously being not only created but are also re-created. Moreover, the
elements within the system changes but are bound by history and will go through the
different phase; where it had a beginning with middle and will definitely have an end. It
was the crisis in feudalism that motivated to seek new markets and resources. Europe
with its technological advantage gave the momentum for explorations of the new
markets.
1.6.2 Structures
The world system within the one world market has a single division of labour within one
system but has many states and cultures. This is because the world system functions as
a trimodal structure with Core, Periphery and Semi-periphery countries. Labour has been
divided and are defined according to its function in its own geographically distinct parts
that has been arranged in a system of hierarchy according to the occupational
tasks.(See Fig 1.3)
Core Countries
• Democratic Government
• High Wages
• Import: raw materials
• Export: manufacturers
• High Investment
• Welfare Services
Semi Periphery
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Institute of Lifelong Learning, University •of Delhi
Authoritarian
governments
• Export: Mature
Periphery
• Non-democratic governments
• Exports: Raw Materials
• Import: Manufacturers
• Below Subsistence Wages
• No Welfare Services
Fig 1.3 The Interrelationships of Region in the world economy

The most important structure in the current world system is that of a power hierarchy
with the Core, Periphery and Semi-periphery societies. Each of these trimodal
structures are discussed briefly below.
1.6.3 Core societies/ state appropriate the surplus of the whole capitalist world
economy with high-skill, capital intensive production and their militarily strength. They
are characterized by high technology, import raw materials and export of manufacturers,
high investment, higher wages and welfare services and democratic government.
1.6.4Peripheral societies/ countries are politically weak and economically poor but
with untapped rich raw materials. They do not have strong central governments or
rather controlled by other states. They export raw materials from the core regions while
export manufactured goods. They rely on practices which coercive labour with low
wages. The core countries expropriated the capital surpluses that are generated from the
periphery countries through unequal and sometimes unjust trade relations, with them.
1.6.5 Semi-periphery areas or countries are countries that lie between the core and
the periphery as the Semi-periphery areas or countries. He defined an intermediate
semi periphery between the core and periphery, in terms of the geographical location in
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the modern world system. According to Wallerstein the semi periphery has a role which
is intermediate within the world system as they display some features of both the core
and some of the periphery. At one level, they are dominated by the core economic
interests but they have their own industrial base which is relatively vibrant and
indigenous.
In other words, the semi-periphery has a hybrid nature, which also plays an important
role in the economy and politic within the modern world system. They provides labour
which can counteracts any kind of upward pressure on increasing wages in the core and
yet provides a source for new home industries that can function profitably for the core
states such as industry of car assembly and textiles. They play a pivotal role to stablise
the political structure within the world system, as they are not dependent on the core
countries in comparison to the peripheral ones, yet at the same time more diversified in
its economies than the stronger states.
1.7 Temporal Dimension of World Economy

The best way to understand how the dynamics of their interaction occur over time is to
analyse and describe the temporal dimensions of world economy needs. When the
different spatial dimension of the world economy is described in isolation they provide a
rather static portrayal of the world system. Wallerstein called them as the cyclical
rhythms, secular trends, contradictions and crisis. He further explains that when these
are combined with the spatial dimensions they determine the historical trajectory of the
system. Wallerstein has given the four temporal dimensions of the world economy.
1.7.1 Cyclical Rhythm

The first temporal dimension is known as the cyclical rhythm which refers to the boom
and bust in a capitalist economy. The main concern is how in the capitalist world
economy has a tendency of following the recurrent periods of expansion with its own
subsequent contraction. This is colloquially called as the ‘boom’ and ‘bust’. It is
important to note that the underlying processes responsible for the growth and
depression, has a cycle does not return the system to the point where it had started.
1.7.2 Secular Trends

The Second Temporal dimension can be plotted when the wave reach the secular
trends through t long term growth or any contraction that occurs in the world economy.
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Fig 1.4 Wallerstein’s World System Theory Model

Source: http://tradeandbusinesslegacy-irbinus.blogspot.in/
1.7.3 Contradiction
The third temporal dimension refers to contradiction confronting the world system.
These happen when the ‘constraints’ which is imposed by “systemic structures make
one set of behavior to be optimal for actors in the short run while a different or even
opposite set of behavior become optimal for actors in the middle run” (Wallerstein 1991
a:261). The contradiction in world economy occurs because the structures of the system
can lead to sensible action by individuals when they are combined over a period of time.
It can result in different and lead to unwelcome outcomes from what has been originally
intended. One of the central contradictions for Wallerstein is ‘under-consumption’, which
refer to a “situation where in the interest of the capitalist the workers need to be well
paid so that they can consume the products that they produce however that would
reduce their profitability and therefore needs to reduce the wages of the workers”. In
case if they reduce the wages of the workers in order to increase their profit it would
also lead to reduction of the consumption of the goods that they produced.
18
In the context of the World System Theory, Wallerstein has reserved the term ‘crisis to
describe a period of specific temporal occurrence. Crisis constitutes as a unique set of
circumstances which is manifested once in a lifetime of the world system. This occurs
only when the contradictions, secular trends and cyclical rhythms are combined in such a
way where the system cannot lead to its own reproduction. Hence a crisis occurs when a
particular world system heralds not only their end but brings its need to be replaced by
another system.
1.8 Implications of the World System Theory
The first implication that can be drawn from the World System Theory is that it is a
“multicultural territorial division of labour in which the production and exchange of basic
goods and raw materials is necessary for the everyday life of its inhabitants”. The
division of labour here refers to the different forces and their relations in the production
of the world economy as a whole, which has led to the existence of interdependence
regions, such as the core, periphery and semi-periphery. Although they have been
differentiated geographically and culturally but its labour intensive differentiate them
from the capital intensive production. The structural relationship of the core and
periphery makes the semi-peripheral states act as a buffer between them, while they
exhibit a mixture of different activities from the institutions that exist on them.
The second implications that can be drawn from the World System Theory is in the
relations of how states are based on power hierarchy especially between the ‘core’ states
and the states in ‘periphery’ in the international system. That is why the ‘core’ states on
virtue of being powerful and wealthy dominate over the ‘periphery’ states as they are
weak and poor. It is important to note here that technology plays an important factor of
how states are positioned in the region as regarding the categorization of states. The
advanced and developed states form the ‘core’ while the states which are less developed
are subjugated in the ‘periphery’ status. There are structural constrain in the
experiences of development which subordinates their status. The differential strength of
each state plays a crucial role in maintaining the system as a whole. The states in the
core are strong and reinforce their status when the differential flow of surplus to the core
zone increases. Wallerstein calls this as the “unequal exchange” as the surplus of the
system is transferred from the semi-proletarian sectors in the periphery to the high
technology, industrialised core. As a result of which, this leads to the process of capital
accumulation which involves the appropriation and transformation of peripheral status at
a global scale
19
The third implication of the World System is that international political systems are all
affected. As Wallerstein says that the nation states are variable elements in the capitalist
world system since at a given time the hegemonic influences a particular state with its
technology and military with no single state or country dominating over the system. That
is why the states in the world economy compete with each other and their interactions
are shaped in the international political system to forms the different categorization as
Wallerstein explain.
Fourthly, Wallerstein explain through theoretical premise of how the Europeans have
exploited their small advantage and have reshaped the world in the image of the
capitalist in the international political system. This is the reason why the world as a
whole has focused on unending accumulation and profit maximization where the market
forms as the basis for exchange of goods and labour as commodities.
Fifthly, Wallerstein’s theory seeks to explain the Marxist proposition of the Bourgeoisie to
perpetrate their own class interest in the core states and thereby reinforces Imperialism
through their economic advantage by dominating over the states which are weak in the
peripheral region. The dominant ‘core’ states play the role of a ‘hegemon’ as one of the
core states temporarily outstrips the rest. In a way the hegemonic power maintains a
balance of power with stability to enforce their free trade for their own advantage.
However, class struggles and its diffusion make any hegemony temporary as it overlaps
with the global class struggle.
Sixthly, the World System explained the current world economy with its characterization
of regular cyclical rhythms, which has provided the base of Wallerstein’s analysis in the
periodization of modern history.
The last implications that can be drawn from Wallerstein’s World System Theory is what
has been envision as an alternative world system through the emergence of a socialist
world government, which can maintain a productivity in high level but alter the patterns
of distribution to integrate of the different levels of decision making in both politics and
economy.
1.8 Recent developments in World System Theory

The framework made by Wallerstein has led many theorist and writers to analyse the
world as a system (Denemarket al.2000). The works of the three main theorists are
notable, namely Christopher Chase Dunn, Andre Gunder Frank and Janet Abu-Lughod.
20
Christopher Chase Dunn had emphasized on the role that the inter-state system plays
than what Wallerstein has explained as he argues that the capitalistic mode of
production with its single logic where both politico-military and exploitative economic
relations are taken into cognizance as they play key roles in his analysis. In a way he
has attempted to bridge the gap between Wallerstein’s work and that of the New
Marxists by placing more emphasis on production in the world economy and how they
has influence its development and the future trajectory.
Andre Gunder Frank who’s one of the significant Dependency School writers has critique
Wallerstein’s work in particular and the Western social theory in general. He has argued
that the world system is far older than what Wallerstein has suggested (Frank and Gills
1996) but an offshoot from a system that originated in Asia (Frank 1998). He further
argues and challenges the source from where he traced the capitalist world economy to
be Europe; although it has risen within the context of an existing world-system.
Janet Abu-Lughod challenged Wallerstein’s ‘account of the emergence of the modern

world system in the 16th century’, by citing the fact that during the medieval period was
in the periphery while the core of the world economy was the Middle East (Abu-Lughod
1989). Hence social theory include Marxism which examine ‘Western exceptionalism’ and
are mistaken to locate the cause for the rise in Europe. This is because the need to be
located and analyse in the wider and global context.
Test Your Knowledge–D

(Multiple Choice Questions)
16.The modern world system emerged in Europe at the turn of which century
(a) 16th century (b) 17th century (c) 18th century (d) 19th century
17.The peripheral countries are politically weak and economically poor but has___raw
materials
(a) no (b) rich (c) poor (d) none of the above
18. The motivation to seek new markets was led by

(a) feudal system (b) innovation (c) capitalist system (d) economic system
19.Wallerstein give the number of temporal dimension of the world economy as

(a) four (b) two (c) one (d) three
20. Wallerstein described the world economy as

(a) cyclical rhythms (b) no rhythms (c) rapid rhythms (d) lack of rhythms
1.9 Criticisms of World System Theory
21
The World System Theory has had its share of criticisms as it focuses on economy in its
analysis of the international political system and less on culture, besides being too state-
centric. It has its own internal debates relating to their own definition of the basic
perspective as well as its own empirical findings as well as the moral and political
implications like any vibrant knowledge. Wallerstein himself has acknowledged its critics
and has categorized the critique of the world system from the following four schools of
thought, namely
i. The positivists
ii. The Orthodox Marxists
iii. The State Autonomists
iv. The Culturalist
v. The Reductionist
1.9.1 The Positivists:

The positivists have held position of dominance be it in the field of Social Sciences or in
the nomothetic disciplines such as economics, political science, and sociology and in the
disciplines of history as well since last 150 years. The positivist historians have objected
to the analysis of world system as an “elaborate structured vision of historical
phenomena” which was leading to generalizations. While the nomothetic positivists
objected and critiqued for providing insufficient quantitative data.
1.9.2 The Orthodox Marxists

The orthodox Marxists have asserted that world-systems analysis does not focus much
on the analysis of class struggle or rather it has abandoned the analysis of historical
stages of development. Besides, they have critiqued on the absence of the following
variables being absent in its analysis: capital accumulation are not consider as the non-
wage labor, or gave any recognition to the different modes of social grouping other than
class such as race, gender, ethnicity, etc. According to them the failure to analyse them
with these variables adequately has failed in giving its true and "real existing socialism."
In short, the orthodox Marxists have objected as they have deviated from the true
Marxist model in accordance to their Marxist intellectual traditions that prescribe i.e - the
German Social-Democratic Party and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
1.10.3 The State Autonomists

The state autonomists had objected why the strong intellectual boundary between the
activities of states and capitalist entrepreneurs has been eradicated. According to them
the actor’s basic motivation differs in accordance to different rules and pressures as
there are sphere and therefore should not be club as one analysis.
22
The main critique of World System Theory - the positivists, the orthodox Marxists, and
the state autonomists – have objected to the basic premise of world-systems analysis as
they all insisted on their own centrality of the ‘state’ as their main unit of analysis.
1.10.4 The Culturalists
According to the Culturalists, the analysis of the market or the state as the other main
modes of social analysis do not take cognizance of its cultural sphere which is the
primary locus where the social reality can be best explained. They critiqued on the fact
that the world-systems analysis has generalized propositions which has neglected or
made the cultural sphere as secondary role. They are particularly upset by the
proposition that political, economic, and socio cultural spheres be seen as a construct of
centrist liberalism. Therefore they have no utility for a lasting intellectual tradition.
1.10.5 The Reductionism
The reductionism led by Theda Skocpol has criticised the World System Theory on the
ground that it is too simplistic a theory as she believes that the interstate system is not
just a ‘simple superstructure’ in the capitalist world or economy. She has critique that
the present international states system was not originally created by capitalism.
Did you know 5

Theda Skocpol
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theda_Skocpol accessed on Dec 10, 2014
ThedaSkocpol is an American sociologist and political scientist at Harvard University

and was born in the year of India’s independence in 1947. She uses the Sociological
tradition to advocate for the historical-institutional and comparative approaches, as
she has made a comparative study on social 23 revolution in Russia, France and China.
She is widely popularInstitute
among of the academic
Lifelong audiences.
Learning, University of Delhi
In a nutshell, most of the criticisms that have been made against the world-systems
analysis have focused on their own proclamation of their own perspective. They view the
World-systems analysis as not only defective but limited in its scope. All the critiques
have responded with their own assertion and viewpoints.
While the World System Theory seeks to offer a holistic unidisciplinary view of social
reality as a tool of analysis as a part of its intellectual enquiry across disciplines and
approaches, but the critiques has tried to analyse the theory in accordance to their own
epistemological enquiry, disciplines and approaches.
Test Your Knowledge–D

(Select true or false)
21. The framework of World System Theory has often been used as a base by other
theorists
22. The World System Theory has been unchallenged by others till now
23. There has been no critique of the World System Theory
24. The culturalists feel that the main mode of analysis should be the social and
cultural
25. The Orthodox Marxists has supported the World System Theory
1.9
1.10
1.11 Conclusions
The World System theory has attempted to explain the present international political
system taking cognizance of how history has had its impact in its economy to determine
the current scenario. It seeks to give a causal explanation why modernisation had
different effects on the world; from the breakdown of feudalism transform the political
and economic conditions of northwest Europe to be a predominant commercial and
political power. Thereby the expansion of the capitalist world economy geographically is
by altering the political systems and penetrating the labour conditions in different
countries of the world.
The relationship between the different categories of state be it core, semi-periphery or

periphery remains relative and not a constant despite the fact that the functioning of the
world economy has created increasing differentiation between the various types of
24
economies. The technological advantage has expanded the world economy and has
precipitated changes where some of the peripheral and semi peripheral states exist.
Wallerstein has analyzed the history of capitalist world system by showing a
development that is skewed due to disparities in economy and society have increased
within different sections of the world economy rather than providing prosperity.
The capitalist markets have extended through the establishment of state systems in
different regions of the world system and have reached its geographic limits in the 20th
century. It witnessed the emergence of US as a hegemonic power despite the fact that
its relative economic and political strength has been diminishing since Cold war. The
presence of new independent states and a communist regime has challenged the control
of ‘core’ countries despite the fact that economic status of some of the former peripheral
countries have improved.
According to Wallerstein, as the world economy gets more polarized it sets the stage for
a transition where exploitations of new markets can no longer solve the new crises of
contradiction and lead to a decline in the economy which will stimulate a struggle in the
‘core’ countries; and its corresponding challenge in the dominance of the ‘core’
countries. The absence of a globally accepted ideology with a strong hegemonic power
will not only polarized the world system but leads to a breaking point, where a chaotic
transition that might not necessarily lead to an Equal and Democratic World but would
definitely lead to the end of a globalization of Capitalism.
1.12 Summary
• The World System Theory propounded by Immanuel Wallerstein is said to

be a major breakthrough in the Marxist analysis of International Relations
• This theory studies how Colonialism has influence on the developing

countries has corresponding effects on the developed countries. Besides,
how the economy dictates the politics in these countries, which has an
overall influences over the society
• Immanuel Wallerstein as an American sociologist was born in 1930 during

the two world wars, and had served as an American soldier during 1951-
53- during the peak of Cold War in the world affairs.
25
• The biggest contribution of Wallerstein is in his analysis of how society is

linked with economy and its influence in politics at the world level in his
theory of World System
• The World System Theory is an antitheisis of the Modernsiation theory

which study development from the paradigm of culture and its garb of
tradition as well as modernity.
• The World System theory has explained the reason why development has
occurred only in certain countries and from the perspective of economic
historical development of colonialism why it hasn’t occurred in other
countries and the world as a system.
• The world-system is a socio-economic system which encompasses the

entire world. It is larger than that of single countries (nations), but need
not be global.
• A world-system is not the system ‘of the world, but a system that is a
world and which can be, most often has been, located in an area less than
the entire world’.
• In explaining the World System, Wallerstein has trifurcated the entire

world into three categorization namely the Core, Semi-Periphery and the
Periphery.
• The core states comprises of Europe and North America are said to be
geographically advantaged areas of the world as they promote capital
accumulation internally through their own tax policy, purchasing of
government sponsored research and development, finance infrastructural
development and maintenance of social order which minimize class
struggle.
• The concept of ‘power’ allows core states to dump unsafe goods in the
environment of the peripheral nations by paying lower prices for the raw
materials in a free market and exploit cheap labor from the periphery
countries by creating trade barriers and quotas to establish and enforce
patents.
26
• The core countries are said to be those countries which control the world system
and profit from them as they become the "core"in the world system. Their
military, economic, and political power give them the ability to exercise control
over other countries.
• The Periphery countries are located on the outer edges of global trade due to
various reasons such as a dysfunctional or inefficient government. They are
politically weak and economically poor but have rich raw materials so their
exports are mainly raw materials to the core regions while they export
manufactured goods. They practices on coercing the labour even with low wages.
The core countries expropriated the capital surplus which is generated from the
periphery countries through unequal and unfair trade relations.
• The Semi-periphery countries have the characteristics of both the core countries
and periphery countries. They are said to be geographically located between core
and peripheral regions. They play a pivotal role to mediate in the areas of
economic, political, and social activities that has linkages with the countries in
core and peripherry
• The World System Theory gives important implications among the relations os
states in the world politics, which is based on hierarchy of power especially
between the ‘core’ states and the states in ‘periphery’. That is why ‘core’ states
on virtue of being powerful and wealthy dominate over the ‘periphery’ states as
they are weak and poor.
• The framework made by Wallerstein for World System Theory has also led many
theorist and writers to analyse the world as a system among the three main
theorists are namely Christopher Chase Dunn, Andre Gunder Frank and Janet
Abu-Lughod
• Christopher Chase Dunn used the World System Theory as a base in his book
Global Formation: Structures of The World-Economy, where he has made
synthesis of the theory through the restatement of the world-systems
approach in the study of social change, while Andre Gunder Frank developed
his theory of Dependency
• Janet Abu-Lughod has challenged Wallerstein’s account of how the modern world
system has emerged in the 16th century. She has challenged with the fact that
27
Europe was a peripheral to the world economy during the medieval period and
the ‘core’ is the present day Middle East.
• The World System Theory has been criticised by the four schools of thought,
namely the Positivists, the Orthodox Marxists, the State Autonomists and the
Culturalist.
• The positivist historians have objected to the efforts of world system analysts by
elaborating a structured vision of the historical phenomena and their aversion to
the generalizations that was made.
• The orthodox Marxists has critiqued that the world-systems analysis has
abandoned or its class analysis as being insufficient as their primary tool of
Marxist analysis. They have critiqued why presumption of an inevitable
progression in its analysis for the historical stages of development has been
eliminated.
• The state autonomists critiqued the World System Theory in their analysis for
eradicating the strong intellectual boundary in the activities of ‘States’ and
capitalist entrepreneurs. The basic motivations of actors cannot be studied or
analyzed as a single analytic sphere
• The Culturalists has critiqued that the priority has not been given to the cultural
sphere due to their concentration on market or the state in all the other main
modes of social analysis which according to them is the primary locus of
intersections for social reality and is a useful tool of explanations.
28
1.13 Glossary
World System A world-system is a system of socioeconomic that encompasses part or

the entire world. It is larger than any single countries or nations as they are not
necessarily global. It also refers to the international division of labor, which has divided
the world according to core countries, semi-periphery countries and the periphery
countries. A world-system is not the system of the world, but a system that is a world
and which can be, and most often has located in an area less than that of the entire
world.
Core Countries: Core countries are said to be those countries which control and take
profit of the world system, and thus they form the "core" of the world system. These
countries possess the strength of military, economic and political power which helps
them to exercise control over other countries or groups of countries. For example the
present core countries include United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
Periphery: The Periphery countries are countries which exist on the outer edges of
global trade due to various reasons ranging from a dysfunctional to inefficiency in
government. The inefficiency of some countries customs and ports make it cheaper to
ship goods from longer distances even when they are geographically closer.
Semi-Periphery: Semi-periphery countries which has the organizational characteristics

of both the core countries as well as the periphery countries. They are said to be
geographically located between core and peripheral regions as well as between two or
more competing core regions. They play a pivotal role to mediate on activities ranging
from economic, political, and social activities which has linkages with the core nations
with the peripheral countries
Hegemon: This term is often mean to use leadership or power in the political system. In
the world system , Hegemon is used to denote a superior country due to its economic,
political, financial superiority along with its military and cultural leadership as a result of
which the hegemon defines the rule of the game in the international system.
World Economy: The world economy or global economy is the economy of the world
where exchange of goods and services takes place internationally. It is seen as an
aggregation of the separate countries' measurements of the world.
29
Capitalist World System: The system in which the aggregate of international economic
intercommunications and interrelations of the countries of the nonsocialist countries. It
includes both countries that are in advanced capitalist states as well as economically
backward countries. The dominance of private property in the means of production As
well as the bourgeois relations of distribution and exchange, forms the underlying
assumption in the system. The main determinant role in the world capitalist economy is
in the relations of power that arise on the basis of the capitalist mode of production;
while these relations are mediated in the system through the relationship of the
international exchange of goods, financial means, and various kinds of commercial
services.
Socialist World System: A political community of free sovereign states developing

toward socialism and communism, besides being united by common interests and goals
that bonds international socialist solidarity. The countries of the world socialist system
have the same type of economic base- i.e. social ownership of the means of production,
and the same type of political system—rule by the people, headed by the working class
and the Communist and workers’ parties as vanguard. They operate with a single
ideology of Marxism-Leninism and a common interest in defending their revolutionary
gains. In other words, guaranteeing their security against imperialist encroachments,
struggling for peace throughout the world by providing aid to peoples fight for national
independence.
1.14 Exercises
1. Discuss the origin of World System Theory?
2. What approaches does the World System Theory follows?
3. Give a brief life sketch of Immanuel Wallerstein with reference to the theory that he
has conceptualized?
4. What are the aims of World System Theory?
5. Describe the key features of World System Theory?
6. Briefly discuss the implications of World System Theory?
7. What are the recent developments that have been made in World System Theory?
8. Discuss the criticism of World System Theory?
9. How has World System Theory provided an alternative paradigm of Modernisation
Theory?
10. Write short notes on:
a. Core Countries
b. Semi-Periphery Countries
c. Periphery Countries
30
d. Buffer Zone
1.15 Answer and Explanation to Test your Knowledge
1. (a) Immanuel Wallerstein

Explanations: Immanuel Wallerstein has conceptualised the World System theory
2. (c ) Marxism
Explanations : The World System Theory has been said to be inspired by the political
ideology of Marxism.
3. (a) World Politics

Explanations: The theory of World System is used in the understanding of World
Politics
4. (a) Colonial Empires

Explanations: The main premise of World System Theory is to study world politics
which has been largely influenced by the Colonial Empires
5.(a) Lenin
Explanations: The main argument of the World System Theory can be traced in the
writings of Lenin
6.True
Explanations: The main approach of the World System Theory is through macro-
sociological approach
7. False
Explanations: The main focus of World System Theory uses qualitative methods
8. False
Explanations: Immanuel Wallerstein is not an Irish sociologist but an American
sociologist.
9. False
Explanations: Immanuel Wallerstein became President of the African Studies
Association and not the Indian Studies Association.
31
10. True
Explanations: The work of Mr. Immanuel Wallerstein is a descriptive sociology as he’s
a sociologist by profession.
11. (a) alternative

Explanations: The main aim of the World System Theory is to develop an alternative
understanding of development, different from what the theory of Modernisation
suggests.
12. (d) The Modern World System

Explanations: Immanuel Wallerstein wrote his World System Theory in his book
titled ‘The Modern World System’
13. (a) economic

Explanations: According to Immanuel Wallerstein, politics is constrained by the
economic structures as politics is largely influenced by the economic factors.
14. (a) industrial

Explanations: Europe had a huge advantage in the world economic system due to
Industrial Revolution which had revolutionise its modes of production.
15. (a) exploitative

Explanations: According to Immanuel Wallerstein the different countries in the world
are all linked in an exploitative economy for wants of profits
16. (a) 16th century

Explanations The modern world system emerged in Europe at the turn of the 16th
century
17. (b) rich

Explanations The peripheral countries are politically weak and economically poor but
has rich raw materials that is why the core countries exploit them.
18. (c) capitalist system

Explanations: The main motivation to seek new markets has been largely determined
by the capitalist system for profit motives
19. (d) three
32
Explanations: Wallerstein gives three temporal dimension of the world economy as part
of the business cycle
20. (a) cyclical rhythms

Explanations :Wallerstein describe the business cycle in the world as a cyclical rhythms
21.True
Explanations: It is true that the framework of World System Theory has often been
used as a base by other theorists such as Dependency Theory
22. False
Explanations: The World System Theory has been challenged by many theorists and
has also faced criticisms as well.
23. False
Explanations: The World System Theory has faced many criticisms by four different
schools of thought.
24. True
Explanations: It is true that the Culturalists School of Thought feel that the main mode
of analysis should be social as well as cultural.
25. False
Explanations: The Orthodox Marxists has not supported the World System Theory on
the grounds that it has move away from the basic tenets of Orthodox Marxists.
1.16 References
Works Cited
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1974. The Modern World-System: Capitalist Agriculture and the
Origins of theEuropean World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century. New York: Academic
Press.
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1980. The Modern World-System II: Mercantilism and the
Consolidation of theEuropean World-Economy, 1600-1750. New York: Academic Press.
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1989. The Modern World-System III: The Second Era of Great
Expansion of theCapitalist World-Economy, 1730-1840. New York: Academic Press.
33
Misra, K.K &Shukla, Subhash (2011) Theory in International Politics; Anamika

Publishers, N. Delhi
Suggested Readings
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 2004, ‘World System Analysis: An Introduction’, Duke University
Press
Shannon, Thomas R. 1996, An Introduction to the World-System

Perspective, Boulder: Westview Press,
Blair, Alasdair & Curtis, Steven, 2009: ‘International Politics: An Introductory Guide,
Politics Study Guide, Atlantis Publisher
Vermani, R.C., 2009, ‘Contemporary International Relations’, Gitanjali Publishing House,

2009
Biswal, Tapan (ed) 2009., ‘ International Relations’, Macmillan Publications
Web Links
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World-systems_theory
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_countries
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periphery_countries
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-periphery_countries
4. http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.so.08.080182.000501
5. https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology
textbook/global-stratification-and-inequality-8/sociological-theories-and-global-
inequality-72/world-systems-theory-429-537/
6. http://sociology.emory.edu/faculty/globalization/theories01.html
34
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Wallerstein
8. http://sociology.yale.edu/people/immanuel-wallerstein
9. http://iwallerstein.com/
10. http://monthlyreview.org/author/immanuelwallerstein/
11. http://study.com/academy/lesson/world-systems-theory-core-vs-peripheral-
societies.html
12. http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/Wallerstein.asp
13. http://media.pfeiffer.edu/lridener/courses/WORLDSYS.HTML
14. http://www.theory-talks.org/2008/08/theory-talk-13.html
35

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World System Theory and International Relations

Paper: Theories of International Relations and World

The historical development of Colonialism has led nations to develop a capitalistic

conceptualizing international political economy as a result of the new developments that

Did you Know -1

1.1 The Genesis of ‘World System Theory’

Test Your Knowledge-A

1. World System Theory has been conceptualized by

2. World System Theory has been inspired by the political ideology of

3. World System Theory is related with the study of

4. The legacy of the present world system can be traced to

1.2 Approach of World System Theory

The methods adopted by World-system is based on qualitative methods, although

1.3 The profile of Immanuel Wallerstein

Did you Know- 2

Interesting facts on Immanuel Wallerstein

Figure1.1 Picture of Immanuel Wallerstein

Source: www.agenceglobal.com accessed on Oct 10, 2014

Test Your Knowledge-B

7. The main focus of World System Theory is on the methodology of quantitative

8.Immanuel Wallerstein is an Irish sociologist

9.Mr. Wallerstein became President of Indian Studies Association

10.The work of Mr. Wallerstein is on descriptive sociology

1.4 Aims of World System Theory

The main criticism of Modernisation Theory was on the following grounds:

Did you know 3

The Modern World System

1.5 The theoretical Concept of World System Theory

Immanuel Wallerstein further illustrates that the world is connected in a network of

The dominance shifted the ‘power’ to different countries in accordance to their

Semi-Peripheral Countries: In between the Core and Periphery is what Wallerstein

Fig 1.2 Geographical dimensions of the world economy

Did you know 4

Concept of Core-Periphery Model

1.6.1 Origin of the Modern World System:

Fig 1.3 The Interrelationships of Region in the world economy

1.7 Temporal Dimension of World Economy

1.7.1 Cyclical Rhythm

1.7.2 Secular Trends

Fig 1.4 Wallerstein’s World System Theory Model

1.8 Implications of the World System Theory

1.8 Recent developments in World System Theory

Janet Abu-Lughod challenged Wallerstein’s ‘account of the emergence of the modern

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18. The motivation to seek new markets was led by

19.Wallerstein give the number of temporal dimension of the world economy as

20. Wallerstein described the world economy as

1.9 Criticisms of World System Theory

1.9.1 The Positivists:

1.9.2 The Orthodox Marxists

1.10.3 The State Autonomists

1.10.4 The Culturalists

1.10.5 The Reductionism

Did you know 5

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theda_Skocpol accessed on Dec 10, 2014

ThedaSkocpol is an American sociologist and political scientist at Harvard University

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The relationship between the different categories of state be it core, semi-periphery or

• The World System Theory propounded by Immanuel Wallerstein is said to

• This theory studies how Colonialism has influence on the developing

• Immanuel Wallerstein as an American sociologist was born in 1930 during

• The biggest contribution of Wallerstein is in his analysis of how society is

• The World System Theory is an antitheisis of the Modernsiation theory

• The world-system is a socio-economic system which encompasses the