Global Formation: Structures of the World Economy

by Christopher Chase-Dunn

Book Overview

The fall of communism, the emergence of 'the information age, ' and the expansion of economic globalism are the points of departure for this new edition of Chase-Dunn's landmark book. The author shows how these seemingly new developments fit with earlier patterns of global formation and change, extending the influential model that drew wide attention to this award-winning book. The new edition also evaluates recent major studies of the modern world-system...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0847691020
• ISBN13: 9780847691029
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 452 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece

This book is by far the most comprehensive discussion of the structure of the world-economy from the world-systems perspective. Chase-Dunn builds his theory and analyses on the earlier works of Wallerstein, Arrighi and others but takes a critically important step by emphasizing the interactions of economic, political, and military power and how they impact the structure of the world-economy and reproduce certain structural constants of the modern world-system. With all due respect to the previous reviewer affiliated with a law school--this is directly a message for you--your are wrong and your historical analysis is completely faulted. Furthermore, your critiques illustrate either your lack of understanding the text or your ignorance of history.

An Exceptional Overview of the World-Systems Perspective.

Christopher Chase-Dunn has performed a monumental service to academics and students alike by providing this overview of contemporary world-systems thinking. Global Formation provides a thorough discussion of current research, theory and application of the world-systems perspective. With this book, Chase-Dunn has done much to extend the importance of the social aspects of the global political-economy. The book should have a wide readership owing to the great utility the perspective has for integrating disciplines in the social sciences.