World Systems Theory

Immanuel Wallerstein’s account of the rise of capitalism describes the world system as a unit of analysis. Wallerstein asserts that on a global scale, some countries will always be dependent on others and that the relationship of dependence has long been established by a cycle of colonization and subsequent neocolonization. World systems theory criticizes theories of modernization, which assert a single, positive direction of economic development for all participating nations. By viewing the world as one system, with a small, powerful group of wealthy core nations dominating other nation-states, Wallerstein overcomes some of the criticisms associated with modernization, especially its unwarranted optimism.