Terry--John Meyer isn't all that separte from "world system" theory, since
Bergesen, Chase Dunn, et. al. all come from the same Stanford roots, but
it is true that world polity ideas have not been as prominent on the Pews
billboard of recent. So, yes, featuring some more is fine. Mostly it is a
descriptive enterprise so "engaging" is a little tricky. You will get a,
"yes there is of course core-periphery division of labor, but our interest
here, though, is in world polity formation". Which is fine. So many the
world system scholars so many the approaches. I might put it a little
more like "evaluating evidence for world polity formation" or something
like that. Let folks do their thing, since, learning can and should go
both ways.
Second, as to Gunder's proposal: subsuming the-euro-world-system into the
Asian-centered-world-historical-system thats interesting/important too.
I would only add that I am presently organizing a special session for the
Toronto meetings that deals with one aspect of Gunder's approach: does
the new ideas of an Asian centered system pull the rug out from under
conventional social thought from Marx to Weber to Braudel/Wallerstein? So
some of this is already covered for the 1997 meetings.
al
Albert Bergesen
Department of Sociology
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
Phone: 520-621-3303
Fax: 520-621-9875
email: albert@u.arizona.edu