worldsystems

Worldsystems refers to the theoretical framework of world-systems theory, a macro-sociological approach that treats the global economy as a single, interconnected system rather than a collection of independent nations. Originating with Immanuel Wallerstein in the 1970s, the framework analyzes long-term historical changes in economic and political power within a world-economy governed by capitalist relations of production.

A central concept is the division of the world into core, periphery, and semi-periphery zones. Core nations concentrate capital, control advanced industries, and command influential political and financial institutions. Peripheral nations export raw materials, agricultural products, and cheap labor, often under conditions favorable to core interests. Semi-peripheral regions occupy intermediate positions, both exploiting others and being exploited, and they can shift between roles over time.

The theory emphasizes the long historical development of a global capitalist system beginning in the early modern era, driven by mechanisms such as unequal exchange, accumulation of surplus, and geographic expansion. States and institutions are viewed as mediators that help sustain and reorganize the world-economy through warfare, trade policies, and migration, rather than as isolated actors reflecting only domestic interests.

Applications include historical and comparative studies of globalization, development, colonialism, and economic inequality. Methodologically, researchers combine historical data, trade and production records, and spatial analysis to trace patterns of core-periphery differentiation and the dynamics of capitalist accumulation.

Critics challenge determinism, eurocentrism, and the allegedly rigid core-periphery model, arguing that the framework can overlook agency, local variation, and noneconomic factors. Nonetheless, worldsystems has influenced discussions of globalization and global inequality within sociology, geography, and related disciplines.