CHAPTER 10 THE WORLD SYSTEM AND COLONIALISM CHAPTER OBJECTIVES 1 Consider the ways in which human groups have been interconnected for thousands of years Understand what distinguishes the modern world system how it originated and its constituent parts particularly with Wallerstein s theory in mind a The world system theory claims that an identifiable social system based on wealth and power differentials extends beyond individual countries It can be traced to the French social historian Fernand Braudel and his three volume work Civilization and Capitalism 15 18th Century 1981 82 1992 and political power core periphery and semiperiphery Core is the dominant position in the world system while the semiperiphery and the periphery have less power wealth and influence see question 4 for further detail b Wallerstein states that countries within the world system occupy three different positions of economic began in England 2 Be able to discuss the causes of the Industrial Revolution Understand how and why the Industrial Revolution It began with cotton products iron and pottery Factories produced cheap staple goods which led to a a dramatic increase in production b To meet mounting demand for staples at home and in the colonies England had to industrialize It s population increased dramatically doubled during the 18th century and then again between 1800 and 1850 English industrialization drew on national advantages in natural resources Britain was rich in coal and iron ore and had navigable waterways and easily negotiated coasts These features gave Britain a favored position for importing raw materials and exporting manufactured goods Religion also had something to do with their industrialization Many members of emerging English middle class were Protestant nonconformists whose beliefs and values encouraged industry thrift the dissemination of new knowledge inventiveness and willingness to accept change a 3 Know how industrialization led to social stratification in Western Europe Be familiar with how Marx and Weber differed in their analysis of stratification systems associated with industrialization as well as what features of the contemporary world system complicate their analyses Industrialization caused a shift where production used to be on farms and cottages to now being in mills and factories where mechanical power was dominant and workers were needed for assembly and operation of the machinery This caused the social stratification between bourgeoisie and working class proletariats The bourgeoisie were the owners of the factories mines large farms and other means of production while the working class were the people who had to sell their labor to survive Marx saw it as this sharp and simple division between two opposed classes bourgeoisie and proletariats b Weber defines three dimensions of social stratification wealth power and prestige He believed that social identities based on ethnicity religion race nationality and other attributes could take priority over class social identity based on economic status Americans for example think they belong to and claim identity with the middle class which they tend to perceive as a vast undifferentiated group However there are substantial differences in income and wealth between the richest and the poorest Americans and the gap is widening c Features of the contemporary world system that complicate their analyses Most contemporary 4 Understand how the world system operates today Know how the modern world system has been shaped through European and Euro American colonialism and imperialism Be able to discuss the current relationship between core semiperiphery and periphery nations as well as how industrialism and the world system have impacted indigenous societies a World system theory stresses the existence of a global culture and economy It emphasizes historical contacts linkages and power differentials between local people and international forces The major forces influencing cultural interaction during the past 500 years have been commercial expansion industrial capitalism and the dominance of colonial and core nations Today the US is a core nation and it overtook Britain in iron coal and cotton production Twentieth century industrialization added hundreds of new industries and millions of new jobs Production increased often beyond immediate b demand spurring strategies such as advertising to sell everything industry could churn out Mass production gave rise to a culture of consumption Imperialism is the policy of extending the rule of a country or empire over foreign nations and of taking and holding foreign colonies Colonialism is the political social economic and cultural domination of a territory and its people by a foreign power for an extended time During the first phase of colonialism Spain Portugal Britain France were major colonizing nations Britain and France dominated the second phase c Countries within the world system occupy three different positions of economic and political power core periphery and semiperiphery d The core is the dominant position in the world system and includes the strongest and most powerful nations Core countries have the greatest complexity of economic activities and levels of capital accumulation The core churns out products that flow mainly to other core countries and monopolize the most profitable activities especially the control of world finance e Semiperiphery and periphery countries have less power wealth and influence than the core does Contemporary nations of the semiperiphery are industrialized They export both industrial goods and commodities but lack the power and economic dominance of core nations f The periphery includes the world s least privileged and powerful countries Economic activities are less mechanized than in the semiperiphery Periphery produces raw materials agricultural commodities and increasingly human labor for export to the core and the semiperiphery g How industrialism and the world system have impacted indigenous societies Destroyed indigenous economies ecologies and populations Two centuries ago 50 million people still lived in politically independent bands tribes and chiefdoms They were only marginally affected by nation states and the world capitalist economy Industrialization tipped the balance in favor of states Genocide on a grand scale Indigenous societies have become ethnic minorities after becoming incorporated within nation states Some have been able to recoup