This document summarizes Immanuel Wallerstein's world-systems theory, which divides the world into three categories: the core, semi-periphery, and periphery. It states that Wallerstein viewed the world as a single global economy in the 1400s-1600s. Examples are provided of different countries' placement within this system, such as England in the core and Poland in the periphery. Both strengths and weaknesses of the theory are discussed, such as its inability to categorize all countries and changing applicability over time.

1. Figure 1. Book World-Systems
Analysis by Immagnuel Wallerstein
By: Daniel Um, Linh Nguyen, Sunny Bae, and Alex Gotianun
Geography IBSL/HL1

2. Describe the Theory
• Divides world:
o Core
o Semi-Periphery
o Periphery
o External
• States the world as one
large economy Figure 2. Wallerstein's World System
o Composed of many Theory Model
smaller systems

3. Explain Reasoning
• Based on the era of the 1400s to the 1600s
• One economy
• Assumptions Figure 3. One Capitalist Economy
-governments
-technology
Figure 4. Chinese Trade
Rules Figure 5. Technological Advances

4. Apply to Examples
(Case Studies)
Core
strong centralized government
Northwestern Europe e.g.
England, France, Holland
take control of international commerce
improved agricultural productivity
Semi-periphery
buffer zone between core and
periphery
Spain
no “access to international banking and
production of high-quality” goods Figure 6. International Business and Commerce

5. Apply to Examples
(Case Studies)
Periphery
lack of governmental control
Poland
Landlords in Poland overpowered the
kings
Figure 7. Poland in EU
External
maintained economic system
Russia
Wheat served primarily to supply its internal
market.
Figure 8. Wheat in Russia

6. Strengths
"First to recognize the international division of labour as the
basis of global inequality and globalization of the world"
Figure 10.
Interdependency
between time, scope,
and budget.
Figure 9. Globalization
Shows how dependency is not a one-way process, there is interdependency
between the developing and western world

7. Weaknesses
• Inability to categorize
countries
o Colonial America
• Inapplicability to countries
over time
o Increasing agricultural
production as a core system
o Rapid change in the world's
economy, and globalization
Figure 11. World's Economy

8. Works Cited
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Wallerstein, Immanuel. "World-Systems Analysis." Google Books. A John Hope Franklin Center Book - Duke University Press, 2004. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://
books.google.com.ph/books?id=5vGr7kRsXBkC>.
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