Briefly discuss Wallerstein’s World System Theory. The discussion should include
its origins and the categories that Wallerstein classified the different countries as
and why. The discussion should also include the critics that were made against this
theory.
Wallerstein's World System Theory, also known as World-Systems Analysis, was developed by sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein in the 1970s. The theory aims to explain the global capitalist economy and the unequal relationships between countries within this system.
Wallerstein classified countries into three categories based on their position in the world economy: core countries, semi-periphery countries, and periphery countries. Core countries are the most economically developed and dominant, semi-periphery countries are in an intermediate position, and periphery countries are the least economically developed and dependent on the core countries.
Critics of Wallerstein's World System Theory have argued that it oversimplifies the complexity of global economic relationships and does not adequately account for cultural, political, and social factors in determining a country's position in the world system. Additionally, some critics have noted that the theory may perpetuate a Eurocentric perspective of global economic development.