The Capitalist World-EconomyIn The Capitalist World-Economy Immanuel Wallerstein focuses on the two central conflicts of capitalism, bourgeois versus proletarian and core versus periphery, in an attempt to describe both the cyclical rhythms and the secular transformations of capitalism, conceived as a singular world-system. The essays include discussions of the relationship of class and ethnonational consciousness, clarification of the meaning of transition from feudalism to capitalism, the utility of the concept of the semi peripheral state, and the relationship of socialist states to the capitalist world-economy. This book is the first in a three volume collection of Wallerstein's essays. The Politics of World-Economy (1984) elaborates on the role of states, the antisystemic movements and the civilizational project. Geopolitics and Geoculture (1991) analyses both the events leading up to the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and the subsequent process of perestroika in the light of Wallerstein's own interpretations, and the ways in which the renewed concern with culture is a product of the changing world-system. |
Common terms and phrases
Africa agricultural analysis argued basic bourgeois bourgeoisie capitalism capitalist mode capitalist system capitalist world-economy central class consciousness class struggle colonial commodities concept conflict contradiction core countries CPSU created cultural debate developmentalist division of labor economic enterprises ethno-national Europe European world-economy existence expansion fact Fanon feudal Fogel and Engerman forces Frantz Fanon function Genovese hence historical ideological income industrial intellectual internal law of value liberal located lumpenproletariat Marx Marxist means of production mode of production modern world-system movement national bourgeoisie organization particular party peasant peripheral areas peripheral countries perspective political possible precisely problem profit proletarian question reality relatively revolution revolutionary role Samir Amin sector semiperipheral countries sixteenth century slave slavery so-called social science socialist society Soviet stage status group strata stratum structure surplus value Third World trade transformation transition unequal exchange United USSR Woddis workers world market world-empire