Laerning Objectives

This chapter discusses the emergence and ramifications of a world system. It shows how the modern world system is rooted in the spread of colonialism and industrialization and how these forces have shaped the lives and livelihood of people living in both the core and periphery.

I.

You need to know what the world system is, who coined the term, and how it originated.

II.

You should know why the industrial revolution started in Britain and not France.

III.

You need to know how industrialization led to social stratification in western Europe. You should also know how Marx and Weber differed in their analysis of stratification systems associated with industrialization.

IV.

You should know how the world system operates to create poverty the periphery and how the periphery has responded. In particular, you need to be familiar with Ong's case study of resistance among Malaysian factory women.

V.

You need to know the differences between open and closed class systems.

VI.

You need to understand how the world system operates today. In particular you need to know what the major forces influencing cultural interaction have been for the past 500 years. You also need know how the world system and industrialism have expanded at the expense of the Third World, traditional societies, and indigenous communities.

2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
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