1. World-System
An interdependent system of countries linked by economic and political competition

2. World-system processes
CORE
Industrialized capitalist countries or regions.
PERIPHERY
Exploited countries and regions (“poor”)
SEMI-PERIPHERY
Countries or regions with mixed processes.
Both exploited and exploiters.

3. Results of World-System
The growth and strength of the Core is made possible by the exploitation of the rest of the world.
The “poverty” in the Periphery is made possible by the exploitation by the rest of the world.
Recent globalization has widened, not narrowed, the gap between Core and Periphery countries.

4. Globalization is nothing new (Flows of goods, capital, information)

5. World-System History European colonialism/ slave trade, 1500s-1800s
Industrial Revolution/ wage labor, 1800s/ early 1900s
World War II/ Cold War/ decolonization, mid-1900s
Neocolonialism/ multinational corporations, late 1900s

6. Why Europe? Early technical innovations Evangelical zeal
Armor, gunnery from
wars among many small states
Shipbuilding and navigation
Evangelical zeal
Crusades in Middle East
Missionaries in Americas
Law of Diminishing Returns
Drive for gold/ money reached
limits at home
—Land divided by inheritance

7. Wars among small states

9. Elements of a map

10. Hegemony Domination over a region or the world
Not just political or military control
Most pervasive is economic and cultural control

11. Leadership cycles (competitive struggles)
Netherlands and Portugal, 1400s-1500s
Spain and Portugal, 1500s-1600s
England and France, 1600s-early 1900s
Germany and Japan,
United States and Soviet Union, s
United States and ……?
1990s-2000s
European Union and
East Asian bloc, 2010s ?

13. Industrial Revolution
Early-1800s
Britain (Hearth) --from slave cotton
Textiles, steam power, iron, canals
Mid-1800s
Diffusion to Germany, France, Belgium
Steel, railroads, steamships, telegraph
Late-1800s/ early-1900s
Spread to much of Europe, US, Japan
Electricity, oil, engines, roads, radio

14. International Division of Labor
Core (colonial powers) need resources, labor
Periphery (colonies) has labor, resources
Colonies had “comparative advantages” in natural resources
The Core “underdeveloped” the Periphery, which was not “poor” of its own accord

15. Imperialism, 1914 Britain France Spain Portugal Italy Netherlands
Germany
Russia
U.S.
Japan
Italy

16. Geography Implicated Ethnocentrism and racism
Imperialism and colonialism
Environmental determinism

17. Imperialism: Formal Colonialism
Colonies under direct control
Core controls labor, resources, land
Often indirect political rule through local leaders

18. Imperialism: Spheres of Influence
Core dominated, but
not controlled,
trade and resources
British opium war in China

19. World War II Begins contemporary globalization
Sudden shifts in economic hegemony, political power
Sudden technological innovations
Sudden growth of transportation,
communications networks

20. Late 1940s: U.S. dominant Sole possession of atomic bomb to 1949
Nagasaki
Late 1940s: U.S. dominant
Sole possession of atomic bomb to 1949
War destroyed industries of Europe, Russia and Japan
U.S. finances reconstruction
Frankfurt

21. Anti-colonial revolts
Colonial flags come down
Asia, 1940s-1950s, Africa 1960s-1970s
“Neocolonialism” continues
Ex-colonial powers still dominate economies, resources, cultures

22. Cold War, 1949-1989 US-USSR “hot wars” fought in Periphery
Periphery states competed for aid
Arms race depleted global social resources

23. Multinational corporations
Investments, activities transcend borders
Subsidiaries in many Periphery/S-P countries
Core domination, centralization outside state structure
Cartoon on Standard Oil, 1904

24. World divisions, late 20th century
First World - Industrialized capitalist countries of Western Europe, North America.
Second World - Centrally-planned “socialist” countries such as former Soviet Union.
Third World - Ex-colonial nations such as
India, Malaysia, Iran, Brazil, etc.
Fourth World - Poorest nations (and indigenous communities)

26. “North/South” Divisions
Poor countries tend to be located in Southern Hemisphere.
World Bank estimates more than 1.3 billion people (1/5 world population) live in acute poverty of < $1 (U.S.) per day.
70% women and children
Self-Sustaining

27. Regions of the “World Village”
In a world village of 1,000:
333 East Asians
274 South Asians
132 Africans
120 Europeans
86 Latin Americans
50 North Americans
5 from Oceania

28. Household income Average annual income $4,890 600 poor 300 marginal
100 well-off

29. Ownership/consumption
200 richest villagers own and consume
80% of goods
Other villagers own and consume remaining 20%

30. Material World: A Global Family Portrait
Iceland
Guatemala
Japan

31. Philadelphia Infant Mortality
Red area high than
at least 28 “Third
World” countries,
including:
Jamaica
Cuba
Costa Rica
Malaysia
Panama
Sri Lanka
South Korea
Taiwan
Uruguay
Argentina
Chile

32. The Core
Industrialized capitalist countries, led by former colonial powers
Centers of trade, technology, productivity.
Examples: Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia
Exploit the Periphery and Semi-periphery.

33. The Periphery Poor, ex-colonial nations.
Tend to export resources and labor.
Examples: Kenya, Bolivia, Pakistan, etc.
Exploited by Core and by Semi-periphery

34. The Semi-periphery Partially industrialized ex-colonial countries.
Both exporters and importers of goods.
Examples: South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea, etc. (parts of India, China?)
Exploited by Core, but also exploit Periphery.

36. New International Division of Labor
Industrial growth of Europe and Japan
Internationalization of economic networks
New global consumer markets
New global technologies

37. Industrial growth of Europe, Japan
European economic bloc
Expanding to east, will it include western Russia?
Japan, other East Asian states
Four Tigers (Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong)
China as possible partner in new economic bloc?
Relative decline of U.S. in “Tripolar Economy”

38. Internationalization of economics
TRADE
“Free trade” agreements
Standards “race to bottom”
FINANCES
24/7 stock markets
Mobile investments
PRODUCTION
Overseas “sweatshops”
Core automating, losing industrial jobs

39. New consumer markets World products Media diffusion
Core luxury goods
Media diffusion
CNN, MTV, Hollywood
Semi-periphery consumers
Four Tigers, Oil states

40. New technological innovations
Microelectronics
Personal computers
Internet
Satellites
Aircraft
Robotics (automation)
Biotechnology
Container ships/rail

41. Digital Divide
Unequal access to telecommunications and information technology
80% of websites in North America
20% of population has 74% of phone lines

42. “Fast” vs. “Slow” worlds
“Fast” (20%) has access to telecommunications, consumer goods, arts & entertainment.
“Slow” (80%) has limited access, more resentment of elites.
Search for “sense of place” in both areas to lessen alientation.