Ransford Advanced Diploma course in Political Ideologies

World-Systems Theory is a perspective in sociology and other social sciences that seeks to explain the dynamics of the modern world system and the development of global inequality. The theory was developed by sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein in the 1970s.  According to World-Systems Theory, the world system is characterized by a division of labor between core nations (industrialized countries that control most of the world's wealth) and periphery nations (less developed countries that provide cheap labor and raw materials). Semi-peripheral nations occupy an intermediate position.  The theory argues that this global system is not static but has evolved over time through a process of capital accumulation and economic expansion. It also suggests that the system is inherently unequal, with core nations benefiting at the expense of periphery nations.  World-Systems Theory has been influential in shaping debates about globalization, economic development, and social change. Critics have r