1. WALLERSTEIN’S WORLD-SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
Seo Yeon Choi & Shelly (So Hee) Kim

2. WALLERSTEIN'S WORLD-SYSTEMS
 The world-systems theory stresses tha
t world-systems should be the basic
unit of social analysis refers to the
international division of labor
 core countries
 semi-periphery countries
 periphery countries
 model makes an attempt to explain
one large world economy
 3 major groupings
 Core
 peripheral,
 Semi=peripheral

3. EVALUATION
- Applying the model to the real world is important:
determines the quality of the model

4. WEAKNESS
 Constantly changing state of the world economy
 Fewer and fewer countries fall into this category as time
goes on and globalization expands
 Wallerstein’s “external” economy label can be no longer
applied
 E.g. China
 Before: closed economy with Mao Zedong’s social and
economic reforms
 Now: open economy with international trade under the new
open door policy

5. WEAKNESSES
 Negative Example
 Colonial America
 Exhibit characteristics from
the “periphery” and “core”
categories
 Semi-periphery economy
 Lack of a strong Central
Government
 E.g. communities – vital role in
enforcing law; laborers get
tortures while gentlemen gen
to be released on fine

6. STRENGTHS
 Acts as a guide to describe
changes that led to shape the
world into what it is today.
 Focuses on Western Europe
between 1450 and 1670
 Period of significant
development

7. STRENGTHS
 Globalization theorists can also show how
dependency is not a one way process
 Interdependency
 Wallerstein was one of the first to recognize
“globalization” of the world + international division of
labor as basis of global inequality

8. STRENGTHS
 Wallerstein’s model= dynamic
 Allows for movement and change
 “semi=peripheral”
 Core
 Peripheral
 Allows for systems that are
neither this nor that
 Enough to encompass regions all
over the world during this time
period

9. CONCLUSION