Gunder Frank responds: My answer to Terry is obvious: To
continue/extend/deepen the "discussion" between Terry and me that began
at ISA San Diego, which focuses on the implications for REstudying the
"modern world-system" since 1500 from the longer perspective of the
WORLD economny/system [without a hyphen!] already long before that. In a
word, I suggest that shifts the focus AWAY from Europe, to various parts
of Asia, where it belongs! Only incidentally, it also calls into question
the "exceptionality" and "development" of "capitalism" in Europe AND the
whole historical basis of the social "theory" [i would say Eurocentric
IDEOLOGY] of Marx, Weber, Polanyi, Braudel, Wallerstein -- not to mention
Boswell!!
cheers
gunder frank
who also asks if ther is any support for this "discussion" out there!
On Mon, 5 Aug 1996, Terry Boswell wrote:
> 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.
>
>