Soc 2601

SOC 2601 semester 2

2013-09-17

Assignment 2

Table of content:

1. Introduction (p.1)

2.1 Concept and themes, overview of the main issues regarding the topic

2.2 Structure and addressing of question

2. Roles of structural positions within the international division of labour.

3.3 The emergence and roles of core countries (p.2)

3.4 The emergence and roles of peripheries (p.3)

3.5 The semi-periphery. Origin and roles (p.4)

3. Conclusion (p.5)

4. Resources (p.5)

1. Introduction

1.1 The world systems theory which focuses on development and unequal opportunities across nations has been embraced by development practitioners and theorists, according to Carlos A. Martínez Vela (ESD.83 – Fall 2001, 5) and it has been closely associated with Emannuel Wallerstein. This theory focuses on capitalism as a single social system and the study of that system in its totality with regards to the impact it has been having on the political and economical relations facilitated mainly by the growth of trade amongst other factors. Wallerstein believed that not all countries or states had similar or parallel backgrounds and therefore had different roles in the capitalist world economy, which he then categorized as ‘developed’ core countries and the ‘developing’ peripheral countries. Wallerstein further identifies certain countries acting as semi-peripheries, playing crucial political roles in ensuring proper and effective capitalistic trade between core- and peripheral countries in a manner that mostly benefitted the former as opposed to the latter.

1.2 The following article will be focusing on the theories of Immanuel Wallerstein concerning the structural positions within the international division of labour in the capitalist world economy, namely the core, periphery and semi-periphery. All three structural positions will be explained in terms of what each’ emergence, what their roles are as well as how they are...