Immanuel Wallerstein developed the modern world-system theory to describe the global economic system. He argued that the world system is characterized by the economic domination of core countries over semi-peripheral and peripheral countries. The core nations have the most powerful economies and export capital-intensive manufactured goods, while the peripheral nations export raw materials and agricultural goods. Semi-peripheral countries fall between the core and periphery in terms of economic power and specialize in some manufacturing. Wallerstein viewed the modern world system as a self-contained global economic system defined by the dominant economic relationships between core and peripheral states.

1. Wallerstein’s
Modern World
System
JOREN PAUL DALAGUIT & FLOREMAE CUEVAS

2. IMMANUEL
WALLERSTEIN
• American sociologist and
economic historian.
• In 1974, he is best known
for his worlds- system
approach.

3. THE MODERN WORLD-SYSTEM

4. Modern World System
The Modern World system is
also known as the Modern
Capitalist World-Economy. It is
a system which relies on
economic domination.
Countries around the world is
divided according to their
economic power in the global
arena.

5. Wallerstein’s Modern World System
● The world system is the result of the increasing
interdependence of cultures and ecosystems that were
once relatively isolated by distance and boundaries.
● The World system is a largely self-contained system
with a set of boundaries and a definable life span; --- it
does not last FOREVER.
● The world systems have existed before and not a
unique feature of the contemporary world.
● In the past, the system that binds the world together was
based on political and military domination.

6. The world system is arranged according to influence:
(MOST DOMINANT) (LEAST DOMINANT)
SEMI-
PERIPHERY
CORE PERIPHERY
1 2 3

7. THE MODERN WORLD-SYSTEM
The Core consists of the
strongest and most powerful
nations in which technologically
advanced, capital-intensive
products are produced and
exported to the semi-periphery
and the periphery.
• Japan, Canada, United
States, Australia, New
Zealand and Northwestern
Europe (United Kingdom,
Sweden, Noerway and etc.)

8. THE MODERN WORLD-SYSTEM
Semi- periphery consists of
industrialized Third World
nations that lack the power and
economic dominance of the core
nations somewhere exploiting
and exploited.
• Latin America ( Brazil,
Argentina), South Africa, Iran,
India, China, South Korea,
Malaysia, and Indonesia.

9. THE MODERN WORLD-SYSTEM
The Periphery consists of
nations whose economic
activities are less mechanized
and are primarily concerned with
exporting raw materials and
agricultural goods to the core
and periphery.
• Philippines, Russian, African
Countries, and some Latin
American Countries (
Colombia, Chile, Uruguay
and Peru)