Dr. Paul K. Gellert

Beginning with the publication of the first volume in 1974, well before globalization was a widely recognized phenomenon, Immanuel Wallerstein's magnum opus series on The Modern World-System introduced a global perspective to the study of economic, political, social, and cultural structures and relations. In Volume II, he makes the strongest case for capitalism as an historical system that can be traced back to the long sixteenth century. He also introduces the semi-periphery as a zone that exists in relation to core and peripheral zones. This world-historical perspective on national "development" is powerful and continues to be valuable to understanding places like Indonesia where I have done much of my research.