World-Systems Analysis

 C. Chase-Dunn                                                                                        Fall 2009

Sociology 261                                                                                               Thursday 4-7

Map Room, College Building South                            v. 9-3-09              

This is a reading and discussion seminar that focuses on human sociocultural evolution, world-systems analysis and globalization. Readings should be completed before the session in which the works are discussed. All the required works are on reserve in the Rivera Library or on the course web site. Grades will be based on attendance, participation in discussion, a short-answer essay take-home midterm, and a five-page essay on a topic germane to the course. The questions for the midterm will be handed out on October 29 and the answers are due in class on November 5. The five-page essay is due on December 3. A one-paragraph description of the essay topic is due on November 12. 

If you have not had any exposure to the world-systems perspective I would recommend giving Thomas R. Shannon, An Introduction to the World-Systems Perspective (Westview 1996) a quick read.

Books available in the Campus store and on Reserve are:

C. Chase-Dunn and Kelly Mann, The Wintu and Their Neighbors (Tucson: University of Arizona Press 1998)

Immanuel Wallerstein, The Decline of American Power (New York: New Press, 2003)

Thomas D. Hall and James V. Fenelon, Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: Resistance and Revitalization (Boulder, CO: Paradigm 2009)

Readings: Those marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Others are suggested.

September 24: intro and overview.

*T.D. Hall and C. Chase-Dunn “Global social change in the long run” Chapter 3 in C. Chase-Dunn and S. Babones (eds.) Global Social Change. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press 2006.

Thomas R. Shannon, An Introduction to the World-Systems Perspective (Westview 1996).

Immanuel Wallerstein, The Modern World-System, Volume 1

Giovanni Arrighi, The Long Twentieth Century

C. Chase-Dunn, Global Formation

C. Chase-Dunn and T.D. Hall, Rise and Demise

October 1:

*C. Chase-Dunn and Kelly Mann, The Wintu and Their Neighbors Preface, Chapters 1-4.

C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change,. Part II: Stateless Systems. Chapter 5: World- Systems of Hunter-Gatherers

Lowell John Bean, Mukat’s People

Lynn H. Gamble, The Chumash World at European Contact. Berkeley:University of California Press, 2008.

October 8:

*C. Chase-Dunn and Kelly Mann, The Wintu and Their Neighbors Chapters 5-9.

Brian Fagan, Before California

Jeanne Arnold, Foundations of Chumash Complexity

October 15:

*C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change, Chapter 14: The Modern World-System; and

Chapter 15: “The Early Modern Systems in the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries”    

October 22:

*Immanuel Wallerstein, The Decline of American Power Introduction and Chapters 1-4

Immanuel Wallerstein 1984. ‘The three instances of hegemony in the history of the capitalist world-economy.” Pp. 100-108 in Gerhard Lenski (ed.) Current Issues and Research in Macrosociology, International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Vol. 37. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change,. Chapter 18: The Twentieth Century Age of Extremes; Chapter 19: The World-System Since 1945: Another Round of Globalization and Hegemony

Giovanni Arrighi, Adam Smith in Beijing

October 29: Midterm Questions Handed out in class

*Immanuel Wallerstein, The Decline of American Power Chapters 5-9

Christopher Chase-Dunn, Thomas Reifer, Andrew Jorgenson and Shoon Lio 2005 "The U.S. Trajectory: A Quantitative Reflection, Sociological Perspectives 48,2: 233-254

Jonathan Friedman and C. Chase-Dunn, Hegemonic Declines: Present and Past

November 5: Midterm answers due in class

*Immanuel Wallerstein, The Decline of American Power Chapters 10-13 and Afterwords

Giovanni Arrighi and Beverly Silver et al, Chaos and Governance in the Modern World System

November 12: Hand in description of topic for 5-page discussion paper

*Christopher Chase-Dunn “The World Revolution of 20xx” IROWS Working Paper # 35

Terry Boswell and C. Chase-Dunn, The Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism

November 19:

*Thomas D. Hall and James V. Fenelon, Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: Resistance and Revitalization Chaps 1-3.

Valentine Moghadam, Globalizing Women

November 26

*Thomas D. Hall and James V. Fenelon, Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: Resistance and Revitalization Chaps 4-5.

Ruth Reitan, Global Activism

Christopher Chase-Dunn and Ellen Reese “Historical and Contemporary Processes of Global Party Formation From Above and Below” IROWS Working Paper # 33

December 3: 5-page discussion paper is due

*Thomas D. Hall and James V. Fenelon, Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: Resistance and Revitalization Chaps 6,7 Epilogue

Jackie Smith et al, Global Democracy and the World Social Forums