Reviews for Sociology of the global system

The average rating for Sociology of the global system based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-04-16 00:00:00 Dr. Cocktavius This collection of articles opens up the debate about socialist states in the capitalist world-system, from World-Systems Analysis perspective. Unfortunately, the debate is not conclusive, albeit certainly thought-provoking. Most notable is the absence of the common definition about what socialism is and what socialism is not. Although the question of "what socialism is", is briefly discussed, no author proposes a definition. In fact, there is little agreement if socialism is a process or a definite type of social organisation. Beyond that, there is little to no agreement about the level of integration of the socialist block in the capitalist world-system. While the links do exist, some authors defend it is the quality of that links that matters and that it shows that the socialist block is an independent world-system, while the other side either disagrees with no arguments, evidence nor debate, or proposes data which is contrary to the data of the first camp, leaving the reader in a position in which it is impossible to know which set of data is objectively true and solid. Some of the texts are purely based on logical contradictions in the statements of the others, and their arguments are backed with Marxist theory, but without any supporting data. One text is proposing that the world state apparatus is forming, much akin to later theories of William Robinson's school of Global Capitalism. Most interesting is the proposed solution at the end of the book which contemplates transnational organising. It is unfortunate the whole debate within World-Systems Analysis did not proceed and developed, effectively leaving the issue of socialism heavily undertheorised in comparison to its in-depth work on capitalism.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-06-23 00:00:00 August Harper A good book about 3 theories of development. The writer describe frames about the theories and give the examples about theories. Many social scientists gave their analyses in this book.