The Modern
World-System
Soc 506
Fall
2007
DDH 100G Tue. & Th., 6:00-8:05 pm
Dr. Gonzalo F.
Santos
Office:
DDH-AA205 Phone: (661) 664-2191
Office Hours: 11:10 am -
12:30 pm, MWF, or by appointment
Web Site:
http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/
Email: santos_class@csub.edu
TEXTBOOKS
COURSE CONTENT
This course is an advanced seminar on the analytical study of the historical life of the modern world as a single, unitary social system. The nature of modern world is analyzed from the perspective of historical sociology, that is, from the perspective of long-term, large-scale social change and social structure. We begin with a recent didactic summary of Immanuel Wallerstein's views on the matter (his Introduction). We then explore and compare ancient, pre-modern and modern global histories, up to the the middle of the XX Century (the Gills & Thompson anthology). We then deepen our understanding of the modern world-system from the XVI Century to the end of the XXth, using Arrighi & Silver et al.'s elegant analysis on the three "systemic cycles of capitalist accumulation" tied to the rise and demise of Dutch, British, and American hegemony. Finally, and in light of Wallerstein's and Arrighi & Silver et al.'s forecasts, we open up the discussion of the past and future of the capitalist world-economy and its "structures of knowledge" exploring the views of renown contemporary critical thinkers (the Wallerstein Long Durée anthology).
COURSE STRUCTURE
Classes:
The course will be run as a graduate seminar. All students are
expected to be punctual and
come fully prepared to discuss in
depth
the assigned readings for the day. Starting on the second book, two
students will make class presentations on every session (about 15 to 20
minutes in
duration each), each on an assigned reading. Each student will make at
least two such presentations during the quarter.Class
discussion will follow each presentation, with a short break in
between. Dr. Santos will contribute as a respondent and add his own
knowledge and perspective to each presentation.
Presenting students
must bring and distribute copies of their presentation outlines to all
students, which should be no more than two pages long - preferably one.
Please follow a format of
headings (I, II, III) and subheadings (a, b, c) - not the text of the oral
presentation itself (which can be done apart, with cards or a
PowerPoint
presentation). What those headings and subheadings are should be
determined by the structure and main points of the reading. The
outlines must always end with a couple of
well-thought-out questions
raised for discussion. Please put your name and the title/author of
your presentation.
Student presentations will be evaluated for the organization, adequacy,
and
clarity of the outlines and presentation itself, as well as the
analytical quality, accuracy, and critical
thinking demonstrated. Analytical qualities consist
of the abilities to frame the subject matter both theoretically and historically,
pose the key issues, and summarize the main explicatory arguments or
conclusions
of the author. Critical thinking is the ability to engage, challenge,
or
support the consistency or logic of the author's central analysis or
whatever
evidence is presented, with further arguments, evidence, and
observations
of your own. Examples of bad presentations are those that are
disorganized, disconnected, or scattered on too many topics, or
well-focused but
superficial and purely descriptive (not analytical enough), or actually
focused on the wrong things,
or way too short or way too long (rambling). You are NOT asked to cover
everything; rather, you are asked to bring out and analyze what you
think are the main points, if not all then at least those you think are
the most salient or important. That involves academic judgement: use
it! Students are invited, of course, to
discuss their approaches and outlines of their presentations with Dr.
Santos during
office hours prior to their preparing and/or delivering them.
Attendance and class preparation are
mandatory. Unauthorized absences (especially when
students are scheduled to present), tardiness, and/or early departures,
as well as
patent lack of preparation and
persistent lack of participation, will be noted and seriously taken
into
account at
the time of issuing final grades.
Papers: Students
must write two
research papers on topics related to the seminar. The due dates
for the respective papers are
November 1 & November
28 before noon. Papers must be
submitted in both electronic
form (in Word, sent by email), and
in hard copy form (on paper,
delivered in class or in
Dr. Santos' office). The graded first paper may be resubmitted as a
re-write with the second paper. Prior consultation with, and approval
by, Dr. Santos is required for each paper topic. Each paper should be
10-to-15 pages long aside from title page, table of contents,
bibliography, and any appendices; text
should
be double spaced, font 12, with one-inch margins, and paginated.
For guidelines on how to write a good research term paper, citations
&
bibliographic styles, etc., please go to the following URL: http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/Guide-Paper.html.
There are two general studies courses that students are
strongly
encouraged to take if they need or wish to develop further their
research skills; and
if they do so they will receive extra
credit:
GST 126 - Researching the Electronic Library
(2 units)
Introduces students to effective research techniques using Library
electronic resources. Emphasis will be placed upon skills necessary for
the identification, retrieval, and evaluation of information for
general and specific topics. Students will acquire the competencies
necessary to develop an effective search strategy and find research
materials, including references to journal articles, full text articles
in electronic format, government publications, books, and Internet
resources.
GST 153 - Research on the
Internet (2 units)
Introduces students to the information resources available on the
Internet for research purposes Students will develop general knowledge
of the Internet, navigation skills, effective search strategy skills,
familiarity with Internet finding tools, evaluation methodologies and
other Internet research skills.
Contact: Ms. Christy Gavin
Librarian, Walter W. Stiern Library
cgavin@csub.edu
661-664-3237
Plagiarism: To
prevent students from unwittingly or wittingly engaging in plagiarism,
Dr. Santos recommends students read here and
here.
Furthermore, students are advised that their papers will be
submitted to TurnItIn.com, used
to quickly detect plagiarism. Anyone found guilty of engaging in
plagiarism will automatically fail the course and will be reported to
the Office of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs for further
disciplinary action.
Grading: Each
paper is worth up to 35 points. Class presentations are worth up to 10
points each and class participation
another 10 points (third class presentations will count for up to
5 extra points). Similarly, students may receive extra points for
taking the suggested General Studies courses will depend on their final
grade in those courses, and may range from zero to six points. The
final letter grade will be assigned, on a scale of 0 to 100, as
follows:
| 94-100 = A | 87-89 = B+ | 77-79 = C+ | 65-69 = D |
| 90-93 = A- | 84-86 = B | 74-76 = C | < 65 = F |
| 80-83 = B- | 70-73 = C- |
Office hours: All students are encouraged to visit Dr. Santos regularly during his office hours, posted above, or by appointment, especially to make sure their class presentations are well organized and focused, the topics for their papers are approved and well thought through, or to discuss the content of the readings or anything else related to the course.
Schedule
of Reading
Assignments
|
|
|
| September 11
INTRODUCTION |
September 13
Wallerstein- Introduction: "To Start"; Chapter 1 |
| September 18
Wallerstein- Introduction: Chapters 2 & 3
|
September 20
Wallerstein- Introduction: Chapter 4 & 5
|
| September 25
Gills & Thompson Presenter:______________________________ Presenter:______________________________ |
September 27
Gills & Thompson Presenter:___________________________ Presenter:___________________________ |
| October 2
Gills & Thompson Presenter:_________________________ Presenter:_________________________ |
October 4
Gills & Thompson Presenter:____________________________ Presenter:____________________________ |
| October 9 Gills & Thompson Presenter:_________Leif__________ Presenter:_________Dorte____________ |
October 11 Gills & Thompson Articles 12 & 13
Presenter:________Antonio_________ Presenter:________Victor__________ |
| October 16 Arrighi & Silver: Introduction Presenter:_________Karina___________ Presenter:_________Diana____________ |
October 18
Chapter 1: Geopolitics & High Finance Presenter:________Antonio_______ Presenter:________Dr. Santos_____ |
| October 23
Arrighi & Silver: Chapter 2: The Transformation of
Business Enterprise
Presenter:______Edward_____________
Presenter:______Dr. Santos___________ |
October 25 Arrighi & Silver: Chapter 3: The Social Origins of World Hegemonies Presenter:__________Dorte___________
Presenter:__________Leif____________ |
| October 30
Arrighi & Silver:
Presenter:_________Theresa____________ |
November
1 [first paper due
electronically and in class]
Presenter:________Antonio________________ |
| November 6
Web Readings: Philip
McMichael: World-Systems Analysis, Globalization, Presenter:_________Nathan____________
Presenter:_________Erica______________ |
November 8
Web Readings: Sadik
J. Al-Azm: Time
Out of Joint. Western dominance, Islamist terror, and the Arab
imagination Retort:
Afflicted Powers: The State, the Spectacle and September 11 Presenter:_______Victor_____________
Presenter:_______Diana______________ |
| November 13
Web Readings: Presenter:_________John______________ Presenter:_________Carmen___________ |
November 15
Web Readings: Immanuel
Wallerstein: The Insurmountable Contradictions of Liberalism Presenter:_________Nathan____________ Presenter:_________Carmen____________ |
| November 20 No More
Classes
|
due before noon, Wednesday, November 28, hard copy at Dr. Santos Office: DDH-AA205, and electronically to Dr. Santos' email account. |