World-Systems Analysis

 C. Chase-Dunn                                                                                        Spring 2008

Sociology 261                                                                                               Wednesday 4-7

Map Room, College Building South                            v. 3-31-08             

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 April 30 and the answers are due in class on May 7. The five-page essay is due on June 11. A one-paragraph description of the essay topic is due on May 14.  The course web site is on Ilearn.

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 bookstore and on Reserve are:

Christopher Chase-Dunn And Salvatore Babones (eds.)

Global Social Change.

Giovanni Arrighi

Adam Smith in Beijing.

Jackie Smith et al

Global Democracy and the World Social Forums.

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

Week of:

April 2: intro and overview.

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

See also Thomas D. Hall, A World-Systems Reader (Rowman and Littlefield 2000).  

April 9:

* Global Social Change, Introduction, Chapters 1-5

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

C. Chase-Dunn, Global Formation

Immanuel Wallerstein, World-Systems Analysis

 April 16:

*Global Social Change, Chapters 6-11

Stephen Bunker and Paul Cicantell, Globalization and the Race for

     Resources

Bruce Podobnik, Global Energy Shifts

Giovanni Arrighi, The Long Twentieth Century

April 23:

*Global Social Change, Chapters 12-16

Valentine Moghadam, Globalizing Women

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

John Markov, Waves of Democracy

Charles Tilly, Democracy

April 30 Midterm Questions Handed out in class

*Giovanni Arrighi, Adam Smith in Beijing, Introduction, Chapters 1-4

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

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

May 7 Midterm Answers are Due in Class

*Giovanni Arrighi, Adam Smith in Beijing, Chapters 5-9

Ho-Fung Hung, "Contentious Peasants, Paternalist State and Arrested Capitalism in China's Long Eighteenth Century." In C. Chase-Dunn and E. N. Anderson (eds.) The Historical Evolution of World-Systems

C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro. Social Change, Chapter 15: “The Early Modern Systems in the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries”    

May 14: hand in description of topic for 5-page discussion paper

*Giovanni Arrighi, Adam Smith in Beijing, Chapters 10-12

Andre Gunder Frank, Reorient

May 21

*Jackie Smith et al, Global Democracy and the World Social Forums, Chapter 1-3

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

Ruth Reitan, Global Activism

May 28

*Jackie Smith et al, Global Democracy and the World Social Forums, Chapter 4-6

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

June 11: 5-page discussion paper is due