WorldSystemsAnalysis:AnIntroduction

ImmanuelWallerstein
StudyGuide
Mrs.Speer
aspeer@allsaintsacademy.com
ContemporaryWorld
August2014

Thisstudyguideisbeingpostedinawordformatsoyoumayedititelectronically.Itisintended
towalkyoustepbystepthroughsomeveryrigorousreading.Wallersteinisaddressing
academics.Wewillbeusinghisapproachtochangesinourworldsystemasabasisforour
class.Thatdoesnotmeanwewillaccepthisassertionsastruth.Wewillbereadingthe
thoughtsofmanyacademicsthisyearaswelookattheworldthroughneweyesandcometo
ourownconclusions.

Thisstudyguidewillnotbegraded.Itwill,however,bealaunchpadfordiscussionswhich
WILLbegraded.Thesummerreadingisintendedtoprepareyouforthosediscussionsandyou
willbeallowedtohaveyourstudyguidetohelpguideyourthinking.Takecarefulnotesabout
morethanjustwhatyouseehere,andfeelfreetoexploreanynewideasonyourownthatare
piquedbythisreading.Emailmeifyouhavequestionsorcomments.

KeyTermsarelistedbychapter,andmostcanbefoundinthebooksglossary

ToStart:UnderstandingtheWorldInWhichWeLive
KeyTerms:
exigencies
ephemeral

KeyPeople:
Mrs.Thatcher

MainIdeas:
AccordingtoWallerstein,whattwothingsdominateourworld__________________&
___________________

WhydoestheauthorsaythefalloftheSovietUnioninthe1980sandtheattackontheWorld
TradeTowersin2001werepredictable?

Whataretheboxesinwhichwehavestudiedhistoricalphenomena?

Whatarethethreeimportantturningpointsinourmodernworldsystem?

Whatarethemainargumentsoftheproponentsofworldsystemsanalysis?

Chapter1HistoricalOriginsofWorldSystemsAnalysis:
FromSocialScienceDisciplinestoHistoricalSocialSciences

KeyTerms:
Secular
historiography
hagiography
humanities
empiricists
temporal
modernity
nomotheticdisciplines
idiographicdiscipline
anthropology
tribes
participantobservation
ethnography
highcivilization
esotericskills
philologicalskills
Orientalists
hegemonic/hegemony
development(after1945)
coreperiphery
AnnalesSchool
TheBraudelianera

KeyPeople:
Descartes
Spinoza
empirical
ImmanuelKant
LeopoldRanke
JosephStalin
Krushchev
MauriceDobb
PaulSweezy
HenriPerenne
Braudel

MainIdeas:
Whatwashappeninginthemideighteenthcenturythatsetphilosophersagainstthechurch?

ExplainthequotefromLaplaceonpage2

whatdoestheauthormeanKnowledgewasstillconsideredaunitaryfield

Whatwerethetwofaculties

Inwhatwayissciencevalueneutral?

Inyourownwords,describethedifferencesbetweenthedisciplinesofthefacultiesofscience
andthefacultiesofhumanities.

Whateventcausedasenseofurgencyindefiningthestudyofsocialreality?

whattworevolutionaryideascamefromthisevent?

Inyouropinion,issocialsciencescientificorhumanistic?

Whatwasthepurposeofstoringdocumentsinarchives?

Whocontrolledthearchives?

Whatistheroleofhumanwillorhumanagencyindeterminingifhistoriansarescientistsor
humanists?

Whydid19thCenturyhistoriansstudytheirowncountryfirst?Whatwerethosecountries?

Whydidstatesencouragethepracticeofstudyingcountriesaccordingtotheircurrentpolitical
borders?

Whatarethethreedisciplinesthatgrewuptoprovidepoliticalinformationtoleaders?

Whatarethethreesocialspheresidentifiedinthe19thcentury?

Inyourownwords,whydidthenomotheticsocialscientistsstudyprimarilytheirowncountries?

Whattwodisciplinesaroseoutofcolonialismandwarfare?

Howwereethnographershelpfultocolonialrulers?

WhydidthehighcivilizationsrequireassistancefromthepanEuropeanworld?

Whatimportantchangeshappenedin1945(3things)

whatwerethenewneedsoftheUSfromScholars?

StagesofDevelopmentwouldultimatelymeanthatallstateswouldbecomelikewhatnation?

WhatisthebasicideaofCoreperiphery?

Whatisthemoretraditionalviewofinternationaltrade?

WhatwerethefundamentalargumentsoftheAnnalegroup?

Whatweretheprimaryconcernsoftheworldrevolutionsof1968?

Whatweretheissuesaboutthestructuresofknowledgeraisedduringtheworldrevolutions?

Whatdoproponentsofworldsystemanalysisfocusonasaunitofstudyinsteadofpolitical
nationstates?Andwhatarethethreevariants`7

***Atthispointinyourreadingdonotbecomeconcernedwiththenuancesofthemeaningof
worldsystemanalysis.Wewilllookatthisfurtherinclass.Whatisimportantisforyouto
grasptheconceptthattherearemanydebateshappeningwithindifferentareasofhistorical
study.OneofthosebasicallysaysthatweshouldnotbeconcernedwiththeAmericaneconomy
ortheHatianeconomybutinthegeneraltrendsthatarecausedbycapitalism.***

Howdothethreeformsofeconomicorganization(KarlPolanyi)correlatetothecategoriesof
typesofhistoricalsystems(pg17)

Whatmakesaproductionprocesscorelikeorperipheral?
whichismoreprofitable?FreeMarketorMonopoly?
Countrieswithcorelikeprocessesarewealthier
countrieswithperipherallikeprocesslesswealthy(freemarket=more
competition)
CapitalismisnotFreeMarketbutrathertheAntiMarket

Brieflysummarizethefourargumentsagainstworldsystemsananlysis


Chapter2theModernWorldSystemasaCapitalistWorldEconomy:
Production,SurplusValue,andPolarization

KeyTerms
geoculture
market
virtualmarket
monopoly
freemarket
patents
oligopoly
firms
plunder
semiperipheralsates
subsistenceproduction
pettycommodityproduction
rent
transferpayments
statusgroupidentities
**Universalism(thempage38.thisisakeyideaandmustbeexplained)
Antiuniversalism(pg39)
codificatins(40)

KeyPeople
Wheredoesthemoderncapitalistworldfinditsorigins?

Defineaworldeconomy:

Whatisthedefiningfeature?

Whatunifiesthestructureoftheworldeconomy?

Whatisnecessarytothedefinitionofcapitalistsystem?

Onpage24welearnthatproducersandgovernments(holdersofpoliticalpower)are
codependent.What,accordingtotheauthor,happensifthepoliticalpowerbecomestoo
strong?

Whatarethebasicinstitutionsinacapitalistworldeconomy?

Pg.25FactorsofProductionisaneconomictermmeaninganythingthatisusedtoproduce
goodsandservices.Wegenerallycalltheseland,labor,capital(asininvestmentinmachinery)
entrepreneurshipandtechnology.Giventhatdefinition,whatdoestheauthormeanwhenhesays
thereisoneasinglevirtualworldmarketforallthefactorsofproduction?

Whydosellerspreferamonopolyoverfreemarkets?

listthewaysstatescreatequasimonopolies

Whatarethetwoinbuiltantimonopolisticfeatures?

Whenexchangeoccurswhoisinastrongandweakposition?(page28)
Giveanexampleofplunderinthemodernworldeconomy

Giveandexampleofthedowngradingofproductsintermsofcoretoperipheralcountries.

Whatisthemajorconcernofsemiperipheralcountries?

Giveexamplesofsemiperipheralcountries?

page32:whatdistinguishesahouseholdstructure?

whatarethefivekindsofincome?

whataretheprosandconsofwagelabor?

Giveexamplesofsubsistenceproduction.

Giveexamplesofpettycommodityproduction.

Giveexamplesofrent.

Giveexamplesoftransferpayments.

Giveexamplesofincomepooling

Defineaproletarianhousehold
Defineasemiproletarianhousehold

Whatisthedifferencebetweenstatusgroupsandidentities?

whatistheprimarysocializingagent?


Whatinstitutionsaresecond?

ExplainthethemeofUniversalismasitistranslatedforfirms,thehousehold,andthestate.

Giveanexampleofapositivenorm

Giveandexampleofanegativenorm

Whataretherankingsinthemodernworldsystem

Inwhatwayisuniversalismacomforttothosewhobenefitfromthesystem((pg40)

Inwhatwayisracismandsexismimportanttomodernworldsystem?Theauthorimpliesthat
racismandsexismplayasimportantaroleastheideaofmeritandequalityinthesocial
structure.Inyourownwords,inwhatwayisantiuniversalismimportanttothesocialstructure
intheUS?

Chapter3

TheRiseoftheStatesSystem:SovereignNationStates,Colonies,andtheInterstateSystem

KeyTerms:
Sovereignty/Sovereign
absolutepower
bureaucracy
prefects
Reciporicity
laissezfaire
propertyrights
profit
toxicity
colonies

WhatisthesignificanceofthePeaceofWetphaliain1648?

Explainthetermabsolutepower(pg42)

Whatisthemajortoolusedbymonarchstoincreasetheireffectivepower?(pg43)

Whyisitimportanttostatethatsovereigntyisaclaim?(pg43)

Giveexamplesofstateswhossovereigntywasnotrecognized(44)

Inyourownwords,whatistherelationshipbetweenentrepreneursandsovereigntyofnations?

Whatarethethreeprincipalkindsoftransboundarytransactions?

Onpage46explaintheclaimthattheinfluxofworksfromonecountrytoanotherisamarket
plusforentrepeneursinthereceivingcountryandamarketminusforthosealreadyresidentin
thereceivingcountryusetheUnitedStatesandMexicoasanexample:

Onpage47:identifyprosandconsofstateinterferenceintheemployer/employeerelationship.

explainthethreeexternalizedcostsoffirms
Giveanexampleofeach

whatarethetwobasicproblemswithtaxes?(49)

Whatarethethreemainmodesofcreatingnationalism?(54)

Inyourownwords,explaintheauthorsassumptionsabouttherelationshipbetweenstrongand
weakstatespertainingtofirmsandpoliticalpressures.

Inyourownwords,explaintheobjectiveofcolonizationfromtheauthorspointofview.Whatis
thepurposeofestablishingacolony?Whataresomepossibleoutcomesofstrongnations
establishingcoloniesonlocalindigenouspopulations?

Whattheauthorreferstoasrelocationofeartwhileleadingindustrytosemiperipheral
countriesisakeyideainthecompetitionbetweenwhatwethinkofasdevelopingnations.
Were,forinstance,wastheshirtyouarewearingmade?Twentyyearsago,itwouldhavebeen
madeintheUnitedStatesandwoulddonaUnionLabel.Astextilesbecomelessvaluable
hereintermsofmanufacturing,wesendthosejobsoverseas.butnottoalldeveloping
countriesequally,andtheclothesarenolongerbeingmadebyunionprotectedworkers.

Whatarethetwomodalitiesofrealizingdominance?

Whatwerethethreeattemptsatcreatingaworldempire?

Whatweretheattemptsathegemony?

Whatisthecriteriaforhegemony?

Whydidtheattemptstocreateworldempiresfail?

Howcouldstatesachievehegemony?

Chapter4
TheCreationofaGeoculture:
Ideologies,SocialMovements,SocialScience

KeyTerms:
Ideologies
Conservatism
Liberalism
Specialists
thespringtimeofthenations
enlightenedconservatism
proletariat

KeyPeople
NapoleonBonaparte
PrinceMetternich
SirRobertPeel
Kipling
KeyIdeas:

Whatwerethetwofundamentalchangesthataresaidtoconstitutethebasisofthegeocultureof
themodernworldsystem?

Explainwhyideologyisafairlynewideainthesocialarena?

WhatwastheviewofConservativesregardingtheFrenchRevolution?

WhatdidConservativesofferastheirproofthatrevolutionwasinherentlybad.

WhodidConservativesbelieveshouldberesponsibleforchangesinsociety?

DescribethebirthoftheideologyofLiberalism.

WhatwerethebasicbeliefsofLiberals?

Whatarethetwotypesofhierarchies?

Whichmakessocialmobilityimpossible?

Whodidliberalsthinkwereequippedtoformulatereforms?

OnwhatkindofknowledgedidLiberalsbelievepoliticalleadersmustbasetheirprograms?

Withwhomdiddemocrats,radicalsandsocialistsassociate?

Accordingtotheauthor,whatwerethethreeideologiesfollowingtheworldrevolutionof1848?

WhywasSirRobertPeelsuccessful?

Whatisenlightenedconservatism?

Whathappenedin1848?

Whatwasthespringtimeofthenations?

What,accordingtoconservatives,wasthefailingofPrinceMetternich?

WhatcountryavoidedRevolution?

Whatdideachgrouplearnfromtheworldrevolutionsof1848?(conservatives,liberalsand
radicals)

Definealiberalstate

Whatisthecommondefiningfeatureofthegeoculture?

IdentifythethreeinstitutionsusedtoteachNationalism.

WhatwasanoutcomeofthepanEuropeanworldseeingitselfattheheartofthecivilization
process?

Whydoestheauthorsayonpage66that,itwasclearthattheconservativebeliefaboutthe
effectofnationalismontheerstwhiledangerousclasseshadbeencorrect.?

Onpage74whydoestheauthorusethisquotebyKeats?

Onpage74whatarethesixareasofsocialreality?

OnPage75whatarethethreemainsubsets?

Whichthreeendedupbeingnomothetic(scientific)?

Whichthreeendedupbeinghumanisticoridiograhic(moreconcernedwiththepeopleand
process)?


Chapter5TheModernWorldSysteminCrisis

KeyTerms
Secular

Bifurcation
oligopolies
dilemma
remuneration
Capital(page78)inthissensemeansgoodsthatareusedtoproduceothergoodsthinkofa
factoryoratractor.Itssomethingthatisboughtinordertoimproveefficiencyinproduction.
Longuedureelongtermhistoricalstructures(thecapitalistsystem).
Infrastructure
hegemonicdominantinapoliticalcontext
neoliberalism

KeyPeople
RonaldReagan
MargaretThatcher

WhendidtheCapitalistSystemcrisisstart?

Onpage78,explainthedilemmaforcapitalistsinyourownwords.

On78,explaintheideaoftheelasticityofdemand.Whydoestheauthorsay,Thesellerscan
onlyhavealimitedimpactontheelasticityofdemand?

***Thisisakeyideatoourstudythisyear***
Page78:Whyhastherebeenagrowingsqueezeontheaverageworldwiderateofprofits?

Whatdecidestheoutcomesofworkerspay?

Whataresomethingseffectingthepowerofworkers?

Whatistheupsideforproducerstomovetheircompaniestoanothercountry?


Whatarethedownsides?

Onpage80,whyaresomepeoplewillingtoworkforextremelylowwages?

on81,Whatdoestheauthormeanby,Theworldhasbeenderuralizing...because
of...relocatingproductionprocess.?

Inputs:MachineryandMaterials

Whatarethethreetypesofhiddencostsforproducers(p.81)?

Whatarethetworeasonsfortaxation?

On83,whatdoestheauthormeanbythesqueezeonprofits?

On84,whattwothemesrepeatedvirtuallyeverywhere?

***Thiswillbeanotherkeyideathisyear***
Whatwerethetwomostnotableimmediateeffectsoftheworldrevolutionof1968?

AstheworldenteredalongKondratieffBphase(stagnationverylongrecession)whatwas
thereactionoftheworldscentristandrightist(conservative)forces?Whoweresomeofthe
majorfigures?

WhatisthesloganoftheWSF?

Whatevidenceistherethatthereisacrisis?

Whydopeoplecontinuetoactincustomaryways?

Chooseoneofthesequestionsandwrite500wordssupportedbythetextandcited(MLA).
Thiswillbeduethefirstdayofclassinthesecondfullweekofschool.

ExplainthestrugglebetweentheSpiritofDavosandSpirtofPortoAlegre:

Describethedifferencebetweenlibertyofthemajorityandlibertyoftheminority

Isanymodernworldsystemfullydemocratic?

Willthenewsystembehierarchicalaccordingtorank(class),orwillitbearelatively
democratic,relativelyegalitariansystem?