I would like to initiate some discussion over what topics people
think global research should focus on in the near future. At the
upcoming American Sociological Assoc. meetings in New York,
discussing research topics is a main purpose of the business meeting
of the world-system section as it prepares sessions for the
subsequent year [The world-system section holds its business
meeting on Sat. , Aug. 17, 3:30-4:30 pm]. Although an important and
sometimes hotly contested subject, we rarely have time at the
business meeting to discuss the merits of different topics or to
entertain suggestions from people who could not attend the meetings.
Also, the decision of what topics and organizers to select for
sessions must be sent to the ASA in a scant few weeks after the
meeting, with no time for further input. Even for non-ASA members
and non-sociologists, the session topics are important as they define
in some part what current research is considered important and help
frame the direction of future research.
Let me start the discussion with my own suggestion,
about which I welcome comments and alternatives. I find the work of
John Meyer and associates on the international organizations
that constitute a "world polity" to be some of the most interesting
new research developments in recent times. This includes research on
long term trends in the global pattern of international
nongovernmental organizations, international women's rights
organizations, environmental organizations, and so on. While I think
of this research as a needed extension of world-system theory into
global institutional and cultural fields, the proponents of
"world polity" research have not much engaged world-system theory or
participated in PEWS sessions. I would like to see a session on
"world polity" research, with criticisms and discussion on its
relation to the broader field of world-system theory.