From A.Latzias@hum.gu.edu.au Mon Jun 5 01:26:27 1995 Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 17:28:38 +1000 (EST) From: Anna Latzias To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: HIGH-END SERVICES Could anyone please mail me some references of case studies that have done on the high-end services sector (e.g. global marketing and distribution strategies)of transnational corporations. Of particular interest are those with a global political economy perspective, especially a world-systems perspective. Regards Anna Latzias Faculty of Humanities Griffith University BRISBANE QLD AUSTRALIA From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 06:47:29 1995 id <01HRCAFSU6QOIA156Z@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:49:49 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCAFRXBSGI8U3BI@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:49:48 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:49:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Techno Rebels (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 04:13:00 -0400 From: Sean Noonan To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Techno Rebels In response to Perry Seymour's post regarding "The Nation" article about techno rebels by Kirpatrick Sale, "localism" not only fails to grasp human exploitation on a global level but also the global context and consequences of environmental degradation as well. Rather than providing critical insights I found the article to be premised on sloppy sentiment instead of critical reasoning. Sale wants to blame technology, anthropocentrism, and western civilization for the deeds of industrial capitalism; they are not synonymous! In my view a rational anthropocentrism would promote biodiveristy in the interests of a sustaining humanity. We should eat low on the foodchain,not because cows have souls, but because it is more efficient, and could promote a more equitable distribution of finite resources. Although no technology is absolutely neutral, the organization and implementation of a technology accounts for many of its negative effects. Sale's own examples (Bhopal, Chernobyl, Love Canal, PCB, Exxon Valdez) demonstrate this quite succinctly. The real problem with technolgy is they are most frequently developed and employed (forced down our throats) either in the interests of accumulating more capital or finding more efficient means of killing people. Even internal combustion is not intrinsically evil; but the practical necessity of owning an automobile in a capitalist nation-state is. Conversely the bicycle is one of humanity's greates technological inventions. It's an efficient means of transportation, depletes resources relatively slowing and is good brain food too. I am not a gear head. I am extremely sceptical of next weeks techno-fix. However, I am simply incapable of "spiritual identification of the human with all living species and systems." Is this a joke? To belabor the obvious, a virus is a species too. Holding the Old Order Amish up as a model to be emulated is a completely inadaquate mechanism for throwing off the yoke of industrial capitalism. Retreatism is only resistance in the most minimal sense. Also, I am very sceptical of the notion that the tyranny of tradition in an Amish community is a sufficient improvement over the estrangement of technological overdrive. The romanticism of techno-rebels keeps them from being able to identify, and hence effectively combat, the real causes of our environmental catastophes and needless subjugation. Unless something is done to at least seriously curtail capitalism, eventually every amish community or green-hippie commune wil have to confront a massive oil spill, poison water, an incinerator, a nuclear power plant or some other tragic effect of capital accumulation. From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 06:49:12 1995 id <01HRCAHXE53KIA156Z@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:51:32 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCAHWMP4GI8TZ6B@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:51:30 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:51:30 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Re: Announcing SSJ-Forum (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 12:52:38 -0400 From: Jairo Romero To: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Subject: Re: Announcing SSJ-Forum I did tray to subscribe but the message was bounced back saying the following: "Unknown host." On Sat, 27 May 1995, Andrew DeWit wrote: > > On Monday, May 29 the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, is > launching a new discussion list on political science and political economy > studies of Japan. To subscribe, please send a message containing the word > "subscribe" in the subject header to: > > ssj-forum-request@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp > > Please note your subscription will not be processed automatically. The > moderators will register your subscription as soon as possible, and send > you further details. > > More information about SSJ-Forum is attached below. > > --------------- > > SSJ-Forum is a moderated international electronic discussion group, > maintained by the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo. > > SSJ-Forum aims to stimulate dialogue among researchers doing political > science and political economy studies of Japan. The list enables scholars > to: > - communicate current research interests > - discuss new books, papers, approaches, and articles > - test new ideas > - share comments and tips on teaching courses on Japan > > Contributions must address issues concerning the politics and political > economy of Japan. Comparative examples are not only acceptable but > encouraged. Discussions of methodological approaches, such as the new > institutionalism, feminism, and IPE arguments are also welcome. > > Moreover, SSJ-Forum provides a venue for debate and feedback on articles > published in Social Science Japan > > SSJ-Forum also carries: > - announcements of new books and journals > - book reviews > - news of conferences > - calls for papers > - information on fellowships and jobs > > Organizations are welcome to announce conferences, calls for papers, new > publications, and job openings for Japan-oriented political scientists. > Please contact the moderators at ssj-forum-request@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp. > > Why "SSJ-Forum?" > SSJ stands for Social Science Japan, the quarterly newsletter of the > Institute of Social Science. The newsletter carries short articles on > trends in social science studies of Japan and reviews of recent Japanese > social science publications. Part of the role of SSJ-Forum is to make > Social Science Japan interactive, linking authors and readers in a > discussion of points raised in the articles. > > How Does SSJ-Forum Work? > Subscribers write in with questions, comments, and reports, which are > screened by the moderators before being forwarded to subscribers' e-mail > accounts. The moderators' role is to ensure that members do not receive > irrelevant or annoying messages. Messages to SSJ-Forum are in English, as > many members outside of Japan lack the software necessary for displaying > Japanese characters. > > Subscription to SSJ-Forum is free, and messages can be saved, discarded, > copied, printed out, or relayed to colleagues. > > An archive of all messages will be available on the ISS WWW/FTP server from > July 31, 1995. > > How Do I Subscribe? > Send an e-mail message containing the word "subscribe" in the subject > header to: ssj-forum-request@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp > > Please note this is NOT a listserv discussion list. Subscription is not > automatic, so it may take a short time before your subscription request is > acknowledged. You can however unsubscribe, suspend and resume postings > automatically. > > Who Runs SSJ-Forum? > > Managing Editor > > Nobuhiro Hiwatari, Associate Professor of Japanese Politics, Institute of > Social Science, University of Tokyo > > Editorial Board > > John C. Campbell, Professor, University of Michigan > Kiichi Fujiwara, Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo > Ehud Harari, Professor, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem > Hiroshi Ishida, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Science, > University of Tokyo > Junko Kato, Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University > of Tokyo > Masaru Kohno, Professor, University of British Columbia > Gerhard Lehmbruch, Professor, University of Konstanz. > Hayden Lesbirel, Associate Director, Australia-Japan Research Centre, > Australian National University > T. John Pempel, Professor, University of Wisconsin > Steven Reed, Professor, Chuo University, Tokyo > Richard J. Samuels, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology > Arthur Stockwin, Professor, University of Oxford > > Moderators > > Andrew DeWit, Visiting Foreign Researcher, Institute of Social Science, > University of Tokyo; Doctoral Candidate, University of British Columbia > > Jonathan Lewis, Research Associate, Institute of Social Science, University > of Tokyo; Doctoral Candidate, University of Sheffield > ------------------------------ > > > Thank you for your attention to this message. > > Andrew DeWit > > Institute of Social Science > University of Tokyo > dewit@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp > TEL: (03)3812-2111 EXT: 4975 > FAX: (03) 3816-6864 > > From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 06:54:34 1995 id <01HRCANPBE9SIA156Z@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:56:11 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCANO0LC0I8U3CI@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:56:09 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 08:56:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Chair Development Studies (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 08:36:08 -0400 From: Ravi Palat To: chriscd@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Subject: Chair Development Studies Chris: Can you please post this on the wsn network? Thanks...Ravi UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND CHAIR, Development Studies The University of Auckland is establishing an inter-disciplinary post graduate programme of teaching and reseach in Development Studies within the Faculty of Arts. This is a new position but builds on an existing post graduate MA course and includes the establishment of an Institute of Development Studies. The person appointed to the chair will act as head of the proposed Institute. The work of the Institute will focus on issues of development and international cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. This broad perspective does not preclude the eventual development of a more specialised focus in the work of the Institute as it develops. Applicants should have a post-graduate degree in one of the sdocial sciences or in development studies, experience of working in developing countries, a record of excellence in research and publication, experience in teaching and administration, management skills and provben ability in organising research projects and attracting research funding. The person appointed will be required to provide academic leadership for an inter-discip[linary team of staff and students and will have the opportunity tom put in place an innovative new programme of teaching and research. applicants should indicate their particular expertise within this broad field and their geographical area of iknterest. Commencing salary will be established within the4 range $NZ80,000 - $NZ100,000 per annum. Further information, conditions of appointment and method of application should be obtained from the Academic Appointments Office, tel 64-9-373 7599,x 5790; fax 64 9 373 7203. Applications close 31 July, 1985. From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 07:15:41 1995 id <01HRCBEFIR0GIA17I1@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:17:44 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCBEEJ6GWI8U2CF@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:17:43 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:17:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Position Announcement (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 04:00:43 -0400 From: Berch Berberoglu To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Position Announcement To all PSN subscribers: Please announce the following job opening to interested persons (new Ph.D.s and others) in your department. Thanks. NEW POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT A one-year non-tenure track temporary replacement position has become available in the Sociology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, beginning August 1995. The position is at the "Lecturer" level and requires a Ph.D. in Sociology. The qualified person would teach 3 courses per semester, including introductory sociology and methodology, as well as other courses offered by the department (such as social problems, theory, social psychology). The deadline for applications is June 19, 1995. Interested persons should send a vita, transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, and a letter indicating areas of specialization, teaching experience, etc. to: Berch Berberoglu, Sociology Dept., University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557. Phone: (702) 784-6647 or Fax (702) 784-1358. The University of Nevada, Reno is an Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Berch Berberoglu, Chair Phone: (702) 784-6647 (office) Department of Sociology and (702) 786-4497 (home) Director, Institute for International Studies University of Nevada, Reno Fax: (702) 784-1358 Reno, NV 89557 USA E-mail: berchb@scs.unr.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 07:17:55 1995 id <01HRCBHJQ3S0IA17I1@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:20:15 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCBHIYJ80I8U44S@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:20:14 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:20:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: ASA meetings (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu From:kincaidd@servms.fiu.edu Subject: ASA meetings Three special sessions featuring prominent Latin American scholars were approved by the 1995 Program Committee for the ASA meetings in Washington DC. Because of their strong connection to the PEWS section by virtue of participants and themes, these panels were scheduled around the regular PEWS sessions. I hope PEWS members will make an effort to attend one or more (especially since Saturday is the first day of the meetings). As fir the 1993 meetings in Miami, these sessions were organized by the Ad Hoc Committee for Latin American and Caribbean Sociology. For more information contact Doug Kincaid, KINCAIDD@SERVAX.FIU.EDU, tel. 305 348-2894, fax 305 349-3593. Session 8. Sovereignty and Nationalism Revisited: The Transformation of the Nation-State in the Caribbean Saturday, August 19, 8:30-10:15 am Organizers: Rosario Espinal, Temple University, and A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University Presider: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University "Flexible Boundaries of Nation-States: Sovereignty and Citizenship in Transition," Rosario Espinal, Temple University "Transnationalism, Citizenship, and the Nation-State: A Comparative Analysis of Mexico and the Dominican Republic," Luis Eduardo Guarnizo, University of California, Davis "Transformation, Transition, and Democracy: State and Nation in Cuba in the 1990s," Marifeli Prez-Stable, State University of New York-Old Westbury "Ethnicity, Nation, and Political Change in Central America," Edelberto Torres-Rivas, Universidad de Costa Rica Discussant: Anthony P. Maingot, Florida International University Session 46. The Politics of Market Reform in Latin America Saturday, August 19, 12:30-2:15 pm Organizers: Mauricio Font, Queens College, City University of New York, and A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University Presider: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University "Has Mexico's Technocratic Revolution Failed?" Miguel Centeno, Princeton University "Crisis and Change In Latin America," Mauricio Font, Queens College, City University of New York "Politics and Markets in the Andean Countries," Amparo Menndez-Carri"n, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Ecuador "Brazil's New Development Strategy," Maria Herminia Tavares de Almeida, Universidade de Sao Paulo Discussant: Susan Eckstein, Boston University Session 127. NAFTA's Winners and Losers: Social Consequences of Economic Restructuring in the Southeastern United States and Southern Mexico Sunday, August 20, 10:30 am-12:30 pm Organizers: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University, and Richard Tardanico, Florida International University Presider: Gary Gereffi, Duke University "Economic Restructuring and Women's Employment in Mexico," Orlandina de Oliveira, El Colegio de Mxico "Poverty and Immigration on the U.S.-Mexican Border," Bryan Roberts, University of Texas at Austin "Employment and Inequality: Comparative Restructuring in Houston, New Orleans, and Miami," Richard Tardanico, Florida International University Discussant: David Smith, University of California, Irvine From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 5 07:22:15 1995 id <01HRCBMX42WWIA17I1@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:24:34 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRCBMW384GI8U1Z6@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:24:33 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 05 Jun 1995 09:24:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: ASA meetings (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 17:28:49 -0400 From: DOUG A KINCAID Subject: ASA meetings (this is the complete list} -- Three special sessions featuring prominent Latin American scholars were approved by the 1995 Program Committee for the ASA meetings in Washington DC. Because of their strong connection to the PEWS section by virtue of participants and themes, these panels were scheduled around the regular PEWS sessions. I hope PEWS members will make an effort to attend one or more (especially since Saturday is the first day of the meetings). As for the 1993 meetings in Miami, these sessions were organized by the Ad Hoc Committee for Latin American and Caribbean Sociology. For more information contact Doug Kincaid, KINCAIDD@SERVAX.FIU.EDU, tel. 305 348-2894, fax 305 349-3593. Session 8. Sovereignty and Nationalism Revisited: The Transformation of the Nation-State in the Caribbean Saturday, August 19, 8:30-10:15 am Organizers: Rosario Espinal, Temple University, and A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University Presider: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University "Flexible Boundaries of Nation-States: Sovereignty and Citizenship in Transition," Rosario Espinal, Temple University "Transnationalism, Citizenship, and the Nation-State: A Comparative Analysis of Mexico and the Dominican Republic," Luis Eduardo Guarnizo, University of California, Davis "Transformation, Transition, and Democracy: State and Nation in Cuba in the 1990s," Marifeli Prez-Stable, State University of New York-Old Westbury "Ethnicity, Nation, and Political Change in Central America," Edelberto Torres-Rivas, Universidad de Costa Rica Discussant: Anthony P. Maingot, Florida International University Session 46. The Politics of Market Reform in Latin America Saturday, August 19, 12:30-2:15 pm Organizers: Mauricio Font, Queens College, City University of New York, and A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University Presider: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University "Has Mexico's Technocratic Revolution Failed?" Miguel Centeno, Princeton University "Crisis and Change In Latin America," Mauricio Font, Queens College, City University of New York "Politics and Markets in the Andean Countries," Amparo Menndez-Carri"n, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Ecuador "Brazil's New Development Strategy," Maria Herminia Tavares de Almeida, Universidade de Sao Paulo Discussant: Susan Eckstein, Boston University Session 127. NAFTA's Winners and Losers: Social Consequences of Economic Restructuring in the Southeastern United States and Southern Mexico Sunday, August 20, 10:30 am-12:30 pm Organizers: A. Douglas Kincaid, Florida International University, and Richard Tardanico, Florida International University Presider: Gary Gereffi, Duke University "Economic Restructuring and Women's Employment in Mexico," Orlandina de Oliveira, El Colegio de Mxico "Poverty and Immigration on the U.S.-Mexican Border," Bryan Roberts, University of Texas at Austin "Employment and Inequality: Comparative Restructuring in Houston, New Orleans, and Miami," Richard Tardanico, Florida International University Discussant: David Smith, University of California, Irvine  From chriscd@jhu.edu Tue Jun 6 14:25:04 1995 id <01HRE4OQTC0GI8UFXO@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 06 Jun 1995 16:26:49 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRE4OMUCI8I8UF60@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 06 Jun 1995 16:26:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 06 Jun 1995 15:16:50 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English - Remember that we are going to have a discussion of Giovanni Arrighi's _The Long Twentieth Century_ (Verso 1994) beginning next Monday, June 12 on wsn. This a great book that all world-system scholars and world citizens should read. As with all posts to wsn, the contributions to the discussion will be archived on wsystems, the World-Systems electronic archive at csf.colorado.edu You can review all posts to wsn by examining the "mail-archive" subdirectory of wsystems. chris Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From dasmith@orion.oac.uci.edu Tue Jun 6 15:26:27 1995 Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 14:28:38 -0700 (PDT) From: David Smith To: chris chase-dunn Subject: Re: Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ In-Reply-To: <55010.chriscd@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> On Tue, 6 Jun 1995, chris chase-dunn wrote: > > - > Remember that we are going to have a discussion of Giovanni Arrighi's > _The Long Twentieth Century_ (Verso 1994) beginning next Monday, June 12 on > wsn. This a great book that all world-system scholars and world citizens > should read. As with all posts to wsn, the contributions to the discussion > will be archived on wsystems, the World-Systems electronic archive at > csf.colorado.edu You can review all posts to wsn by examining the > "mail-archive" subdirectory of wsystems. I think this sort of discussion is an excellent use of WSN! And I went out and got myself a copy of this book as soon as I heard it was out. But it's a pity that y'all are starting the discussion during exam week and not waiting until the beginning of summer vacation. (But then nobody ever thinks about us poor unfortunates out on this left coast who suffer under the trimester system, do they!?!) cheers, dave smith sociology, uc-irvine > chris > Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn > Department of Sociology > Johns Hopkins University > Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA > tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu > From hli@merrimack.edu Tue Jun 6 15:28:25 1995 From: hli@merrimack.edu Date: Tue, 06 Jun 1995 17:08:33 EST To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Job Announcement From: COMICS::HLI 31-MAY-1995 11:26:07.67 To: HLI CC: Subj: The Political Science Department at Merrimack College is looking for individuals with graduate training in Political Science or International Relations to teach the following courses during the Fall, 1995 semester. Classes begin September 7th. PL101 American National Government Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45 An introduction to the American political system. The course examines: (1) the Constitutional basis of American politics, (2) the national institutions that are involved in decision making and public debate, (3) the issues Americans argue about, (4) the processes by which those arguments are conducted and resolved. PL233 Urban Politics Tues/Thurs 11:00 -12:15 An examination of the institutions and processes of urban politics as they affect specific problems such as housing, poverty, transportation and finance. Prerequisite: PL101 American National Government PL377 International Law Tues/Thurs 9:30- 10:45 An examination of the evolution of modern international law, its institutional and systemic context, major subject areas and controversies within the field. Students will learn about the law through cases, problems, exercises and critical writings. Previous coursework in modern world history or international relations advisable. Prerequisite: senior standing or permission of the instructor. Those interested should contact: Eugene Declercq, PhD Chair Department of Political Science Merrimack College North Andover, MA 01845 (508) 837-5000 ext. 4300 (508) 837-5078 (fax) EMAIL: EDECLERCQ@MERRIMACK.EDU From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 7 08:06:10 1995 id <01HRF5R49MG0IA1BI9@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 07 Jun 1995 10:08:32 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRF5R3DGKWI8UJY1@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 07 Jun 1995 10:08:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 07 Jun 1995 08:58:32 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: discussion of Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English David Smith is right. It is not fair to those on the quarter system to start the discussion of Giovanni Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ so soon. So let's begin the discussion on Monday June 26 instead. Perhaps more of you will have had a chance to read the whole book by then. David also suggested in a note to me that we have a discussion, perhaps later on this summer of, Eric Hobsbawm's _The Age of Extremes: A History of the World, 1914-1991_ (Pantheon 1994). That seems like a good idea to me. For those who are interested, start now to obtain a copy of Hobsbawm's new book. chris Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From dassbach@mtu.edu Wed Jun 7 08:46:55 1995 Date: Wed, 07 Jun 1995 10:49:25 -0400 To: WSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: dassbach@mtu.edu (Carl H.A. Dassbach) Subject: GA - Long 20th C. Let me pose the same question that I posed a few months ago - is GA's LONG 20th C. 'world-system'? IMHO, this is both an interesting question and a trivial question. Trivial because as an intellectual project it really doesn't matter what school or camp it falls into - what matters is how well it does what it proposes to do and whether what it proposes to do is meaningful/relevant/ interesting. Interesting, because I did not see one "w-s" term (that I can recall) in the book and I am wondering whether admitted world-systemites are ready to accept into the "fold"? As far as I am concerned, GA's concern is not in the tradition of "world-system" but far more in the `tradition' of the rise and demise of successive "social structures of accumulation" or (in a non-regulationist sense) "regimes of accumulation" on a world scale. What GA does (and what few others have done) is that he "fleshes" these SSAs out - he shows how they arose, how they worked and what led to their demise - in other words, these SSAs associated with different hegemons are given a real an historical specific content. For others, SSAs are largely empty concepts. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Carl H.A. Dassbach E-mail: DASSBACH@MTU.EDU Dept. of Social Sciences Phone: (906)487-2115 Michigan Technological University Fax: (906)487-2468 Houghton, MI 49931 USA From chriscd@jhu.edu Fri Jun 9 07:22:29 1995 id <01HRHWTKR7N4IA1F8T@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Fri, 09 Jun 1995 09:24:48 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRHWTJKR9CI8UYJH@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Fri, 09 Jun 1995 09:24:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 09 Jun 1995 08:14:57 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: Stellenausschreibung -- Deutsches Institut fuer Entwicklungspolitik Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: jms@cs.tu-berlin.de (Jorg Meyer-Stamer) To: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Subject: Stellenausschreibung -- Deutsches Institut fuer Entwicklungspolitik Folks: we've got a vacancy to fill at our institute. The working language of German Development Institute is German, so it makes sense that the job description is in German, too. *************************************************************** In der Abteilung IV des Deutschen Instituts fuer Entwicklungspolitik ist ab 1. August 1995 die Stelle einer/eines Wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiterin/Mitarbeiters fuer eine Halbtagsstelle Verguetungsgruppe I b BAT neu zu besetzen. Bei Vorliegen der stellenmaessigen Voraussetzungen wird die Halbtags- in eine Ganztagstelle umgewandelt. Aufgabenstellung: Beratungs- und Ausbildungsaufgaben auf der Grundlage wissenschaftlicher Forschung in den Arbeitsgebieten internationale Wettbewerbsfaehigkeit, Wirtschaftspolitik in Lateinamerika. Qualifikationen und Voraussetzungen: mit guten Noten abgeschlossenes Universitaetsstudium im Bereich der Wirtschaftswissenschaften, moeglichst Promotion; ausgewiesene Fachkenntnisse in den oben genannten Bereichen; fachbezogene Erfahrungen in Transformations- und Entwicklungslaendern; sehr gute Englisch- und Spanischkenntnisse; Alter bis Mitte Dreissig; Tropentauglichkeit. Schriftliche Bewerbungen sind bis zum 30. Juni 1995 an die Institutsleitung zu richten. Deutsches Institut fuer Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) Hallerstr. 3 D-10587 Berlin Telefon 30 - 390 730 ----------------------------------------------- Hinweise: -- fuer die Stelle kommen auch Sozialwissenschaftler mit soliden oekonomischen Kenntnissen in Frage, die sich allerdings mit der neuen Diskussion um industrielle Wettbewerbsfaehigkeit und Industriepolitik auskennen sollten -- abgeschlossene Dissertation ist keine essentielle Einstellungsvoraussetzung -- die Umwandlung von einer halben in eine ganze Stelle erfolgt, sobald eine WissenschaftlerInnenstelle frei wird Fuer weitere Auskuenfte stehe ich zur Verfuegung. Joerg Meyer-Stamer Jorg Meyer-Stamer | DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER Tel. x4930/39073-185, Fax -130 | ENTWICKLUNGSPOLITIK (DIE) E-Mail jms@cs.tu-berlin.de | German Development Institute (GDI) http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~jms | Hallerstrasse 3, D-10587 Berlin Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From silver@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Mon Jun 12 14:26:56 1995 id <01HRMIIWI1OWIA1LYR@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 12 Jun 1995 16:29:18 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRMIITTHVKI8VG5J@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 12 Jun 1995 16:29:15 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 15:19:05 -0400 From: Beverly Silver Subject: Labor Unrest in the World-Economy Sender: silver@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu, review@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu Reply-to: silver@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ======================================================= ***NOW AVAILABLE*** "Labor Unrest in the World-Economy 1870-1990" Editors: Beverly J. Silver, Giovanni Arrighi, and Melvyn Dubofsky SPECIAL ISSUE OF REVIEW Journal of the Fernand Braudel Center for the Study of Economics, Historical Systems, and Civilizations Vol. XVIII, No. 1, Winter 1995 ======================================================= This special issue of REVIEW explores the links between the dynamics of labor unrest and the capitalist world- economy during the twentieth century. How have waves of labor militancy contributed to the evolution of the modern world-system? What opportunities and constraints are imposed on labor movements by the world-economy and the interstate system? This special issue also introduces a major new database on world labor unrest based on newspaper reports from 1870 to 1990. The design and construction of the World Labor Research Working Group database are described in detail in Part I of the special issue. The national and world-level patterns revealed by this important new source are analyzed in Parts II and III. Special Issue Contents: Part I: The World Labor Research Working Group Project: Research Design Beverly J. Silver, "Labor Unrest and World-Systems Analysis: Premises, Concepts, and Measurement" Jamie F. Dangler, "The Times (London) and the New York Times as Sources on World Labor Unrest" Part II: Country Reliability Studies Giovanni Arrighi, "Labor Unrest in Italy, 1880-1990" Mark Selden, "Labor Unrest in China, 1831-1900" Mark Beittel, "Labor Unrest in South Africa, 1870- 1990" Roberto P. Korzeniewicz, "Labor Unrest in Argentina, 1906-1990" Donald Quataert, "Labor Unrest in Egypt, 1906-1990" Melvyn Dubofsky, "Labor Unrest in the United States, 1906-1990" John Casparis and Giovanni Arrighi, "Labor Unrest in Germany, 1906-1990" Part III: World-Scale Patterns Beverly J. Silver, "World-Scale Patterns of Labor- Capital Conflict: Labor Unrest, Long Waves, and Cycles of World Hegemony" Appendices World Labor Group, "Data Collection Instructions" World Labor Group, "Geographical Spread of Mentions of Labor Unrest, 1906-1990" ***************ORDERING INFORMATION******************* (You can order by e-mail, fax, or snail mail) Order the single special issue on "Labor Unrest in the World-Economy" for $10 or Subscribe to REVIEW for 1995 and recieve 4 issues (including the special issue for the individual subscription rate of only $28 ($34 for overseas addresses). To pay by Visa or Mastercard include your name, address, card number, and expiration date. To pay by check (in US dollars only), make checks payable to Research Foundation of SUNY. E-Mail orders to: review@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu Or fax order to: 607-777-4315 Or mail order to: Journal Secretary, Review Fernand Braudel Center Binghamton University PO Box 6000 Binghamton, New York 13902-6000 USA Telephone: 607-777-4924 ******************************* Beverly Silver * silver@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu * Sociology Department * Johns Hopkins University * Baltimore, MD 21218 * phone: 410-516-7635 * fax: 410-516-7590 * ******************************* From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 14 09:20:17 1995 id <01HRP0E62ELSI8VQQI@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 11:22:28 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRP0E2SCN4I8VQKW@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 11:22:24 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 10:12:26 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: ISA-Letter from the President, 2 Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: isa@sis.ucm.es (International Sociological Association) To: chriscd@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Subject: ISA-Letter from the President, 2 Letter from the President, No. 2, June 1995 by Immanuel Wallerstein Sociology and History The Executive Com mittee of the ISA has instructed the Program Committee that the 1998 Congress in Montreal should construct its theme around a look backward and a look forward, as we move into the third millennium: a look backward at the sociological heritage, and a look forward at the future of sociology and the social sciences in general in the twenty-first century. This may be the moment therefore when we should look again at the shaky and uncertain relations of sociology and history, both as heritage and as prospect. In 1898, precisely one century before our Congress in Mon treal, Emile Durkheim pub lished the first issue of the Ann=82e Sociologique. In the Pr=82face he wrote for this issue, Durkheim explained the need to have a publication in which sociologists might be informed of research throughout the social sciences. And then he added: But our enterprise may also be useful in another way: it may serve to bring nearer to sociology some sciences which has kept themselves too separate, to their great loss and ours. It is especially of history that we are thinking in speaking in this way. Even today, it is rare for historians to be interested in the work of sociolo gists and feel that it is of interest to them. The overgeneral charac ter of our theories, their insuffi cient documentation has meant that they are considered of negli gible significance: they are not considered to be philosophically important. And nonetheless, history can be a science only to the degree that it can explain things, and one cannot explain without comparing. Even simple description is scarcely possible otherwise; we can't describe a unique fact very adequately, nor something about which we possess only a few examples, because we cannot envisage it very well.(...) Thus we serve the cause of history when we per suade the historian to go beyond his usual perspective, to look beyond the particular country or time period he proposes to study, and concern himself with the general questions that are raised by the particular facts he ob serves. But, as soon as history compares, it becomes indistin guishable from sociology. Con versely, not only can sociology not dispense with history, but it needs in fact historians who are also sociologists. As long as the sociologist is a stranger who intrudes in the domain of the historian in order to help himself, so to speak, to the data that interest him, he will never do much more than skim the surface rather superficially. Ill at ease in an unaccustomed environment, it is virtually inevitable that the sociologist will not pay attention to, or will only consider as dis turbing, the data most worth noticing. Only the historian is familiar enough with history to be able to use historical data. Hence, far from being antagonistic, these two disciplines tend naturally to converge, and everything seems to indicate that they are destined to blend together (se confondre) into a common discipline in which elements from each will be com bined and unified. It seems just as unthinkable that the one whose role is to uncover the data is unaware of the kinds of compari sons for which such data may be relevant as it is for the one who compares data to be unaware of how they have been uncovered. Developing historians who know to look at historical data as sociologists, or what amounts to the same thing developing sociol ogists who possess all that tech niques of the historians, is the objective we must pursue on both sides.(1) When one reads this text today, nearly a hundred years later, two things cannot fail to strike our attention. First, one of the acknowledged fa thers of modern sociology, in the very opening pages of this principal organizational contri bution to the discipline, the creation of a major journal, looked forward to the inevitable merger of sociology and history into a single discipline. Sec ondly, one hundred years later, this has not yet happened. Was Durkheim wrong in suggesting that the "destiny" of sociology and history was to unite? Or did we make some mistakes en route to fulfilling this destiny? In 1992, the corre spondence Marc Bloch ad dressed over a period of twenty years (1924-1943) concerning the writing of Feudal Society to Henri Berr, the editor of the series in which it was to ap pear, was published. I have long considered Marc Bloch's Feudal Society one of the great sociological works of the twen tieth century. It is also a book that hardly ever appears on a reading list of a course in sociology. The reason is sim ple: Marc Bloch was a medi eval historian, and medieval Europe seems a topic remote =66rom the immediate concerns of most sociologists. Yet, reading Bloch, one realizes that his self-image was very "sociologi cal". For example, he says of this book: "I have tried, for the first time no doubt, to analyze a type of social structure in all its interconnections. I have proba bly not succeeded. But the effort was worth making, I be- lieve; and this is what is inter esting about the book" (2). Indeed, Bloch was so "socio logical" that, when Henri Berr proposed a blurb for the book, Bloch insisted on adding that the book was "au service d'une science tr=8As s=96re" (3). This is not easy to translate. It seems to me that what Bloch meant was that he intended the book to have high scientific validity. I tell this story about Bloch not to sing his praises nor even to urge you to read him (which of course I do, if you have not) but to note the comment he makes, in the course of these letters, on the relation between history and sociology as disciplines. In 1928, he wrote Berr a letter in which he deplored the narrow conception of history held by so many historians and shared by so many sociologists. He then says of the sociologists: "their great error, in my view, was to seek to construct their 'science' alongside and over history rather than reforming history from within."(4). This indeed is food for reflection on the heritage of sociology. Did we make a great error by not trying to reform history from within? Should Durkheim have been collaborating with, rather than working separately from, his younger French contempo rary and historian, Henri Berr? What would have been the consequences today had the two joined forces? I am not a great fan of counterfactual questions. They are at best provocations. What matters most is to explain the things that actually oc curred. And what happened, as we know, is that, in the period between 1850 and 1945, history established itself as a primarily idiographic discipline devoted to the "past" while sociology (alongside economic and political science) estab lished itself as a largely nomo thetic discipline, utilizing almost exclusively data from the "pres ent". Since 1945, there have been numerous voices within both disciplines favoring a rapprochement, usually under the rubric of "multidisciplinarity". The very term, multidisciplinarity, however, presumes two intellectually separate disciplines, whose combination may produce useful knowledge. It does not presume what Durkheim wrote in 1898: "As soon as history compares, it becomes indistin guishable from sociology." I personally agree with Durkheim. Just as I cannot imagine that any sociological analysis is valid without placing the data fully within their histori cal context, so I cannot imag ine that it is possible to do historical analysis without using the conceptual apparatus we have come to call sociology. But if this is so, is there any place for two separate disci plines? This seems to me one of the primary questions before us, as we are discussing the future of sociology and the social sciences as a whole in the twenty-first century. (1) L'Ann=82e Sociologique, I (1896-1897), Paris: F=82lix Alcan, 1898,ii-iii. (2) Marc Bloch, Ecrire La Soci=82t=82 f=82odale: Lettres =85 Henri Berr, 1924-1943, Correspondance =82tablie et pr=82sent=82e par Jacqueline Pluet- Despatin (Paris: IMEC, 1992), p.96. (3) Ibid., p.125.=20 (4) Ibid., p.52. Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 14 09:49:51 1995 id <01HRP1FBB6SWIA1O4S@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 11:52:25 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRP1F9HI0GI8VPTS@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 11:52:22 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 10:42:26 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: IDS fellowships advert Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: Peter Ferguson To: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Subject: IDS fellowships advert The Institute of Development Studies at the Univsersity of Sussex, UK is currently recruiting for three Research Fellows: (1) GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIP The Institute of Development Studies, a policy research and training Institute for overseas development, is seeking to recruit a Fellow to its Gender Programme. The Programme is concerned to understand the process of the social construction of gender, the production of differential outcomes between the sexes in the processes of production, reproduction, and distribution, and to identify the economic, political, and social changes required to achieve development with gender equity. The successful applicant will join a multi-disciplinary team and contribute to the IDS's research, teaching, and advisory work. Candidates should have a doctoral qualification in economics, politics, anthropology or other social science related to development studies, and should have accumulated experience in applied gender and development research or development policy work. Masters degree holders with significant (ten years or more) research or operational experience will also be considered. Relevant overseas experience is especially welcomed. Salary in accordance with the Universities' Research Faculty Scales, to be determined by age and experience. (2) FOOD SECURITY FELLOWSHIP The IDS, a policy research and training Institute for overseas development, wishes to appoint a Fellow to join its Food Security Unit. A demonstrated capacity will be required to contribute to the Unit's programme of research, training and commissioned studies, most of which deals with sub-Saharan Africa. Expertise in the area of relief management or linking relief and development is preferred. A post-graduate qualification and at least 5 years' experience, preferably overseas, are the minimum required, though more senior candidates are also encouraged to apply. Salary in accordance with the Universities' Research Faculty Scales, to be determined by age and experience. (3) FELLOWSHIP SOCIAL SECTOR POLICY The Institute of Development Studies wishes to appoint a social scientist to a senior position to develop its programme of work in social policy in developing countries. A demonstrated capacity to contribute to the range of IDS research, teaching and operational activities will be required. The Fellow would be expected to coordinate and develop the Institute's work in social sector policies, which currently includes health and education, and pays attention to the gender dimension throughout. Applicants would be expected to have expertise in one or other social sector but also to provide a strategic intellectual and operational vision of social policy development as a whole. Salary in accordance with the Universities' Research Faculty Scales, to be determined by age and experience. Closing Date: 21 July 1995 Interview Date: 28 September 1995 (gender), 26 September (social policy), 12 September (food security) Further particulars and application form from: Mrs Lin Briggs Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RE Telephone: 01273 678275 Fax: 01273 691647 Email: QDFK2@SUSSEX.AC.UK IDS is a registered charity and exists to advance development through research and teaching. IDS is an equal opportunities employer Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From chriscd@jhu.edu Sat Jun 17 18:32:59 1995 id <01HRTQL1IDIOIA1VSK@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Sat, 17 Jun 1995 20:35:38 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRTQL069FKI8WHH0@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Sat, 17 Jun 1995 20:35:36 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 20:35:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Please forward to the WSN (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu CALL FOR PAPERS AND SESSIONS ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MIDWEST SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY Chicago, April 3-6, 1996 I am the World Systems topic organizer for the 1996 Annual MSS meeting. My perception is that MSS has long been dominated by micro-sociology, but this has been changing in recent years, and the meetings are becoming more interesting for those of us interested in bigger processes, larger structures, and huger comparisons. I encourage you to consider participating in 1996. Send me your ideas for sessions, papers, and abstracts dealing with world-system research and theory. MSS Program Chair, Anthony Orum, has designated the theme for these meetings as "the relationship between sociology and other academic disciplines." While it is not necessary that all papers and topics adhere to this theme, I think it provides a good opportunity for many who are working to understand the world-system (or other world-systems). Please contact me with your paper or session ideas before September 1, 1995. ------------------------------------------------------- Michael Timberlake Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 Fax: (913) 532-6978 Phone: (913) 532-6865 email: timber@ksuvm.ksu.edu ------------------------------------------------------- From chriscd@jhu.edu Sun Jun 18 18:50:17 1995 id <01HRV5GW9JXCIA1Y1L@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Sun, 18 Jun 1995 20:52:58 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRV5GVFX2OI8WH15@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Sun, 18 Jun 1995 20:52:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 20:52:57 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: Re: new party (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 13:17:46 -0400 From: Talmadge Wright To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Re: new party (fwd) Forwarded message: > From daemon Sat Jun 17 19:07:24 1995 > X-Sender: eknudson@vista.hevanet.com > X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Version 2.0.3 > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > Message-ID: > Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 12:03:00 PDT > Reply-To: LEFT-ORG - Democratic Left Organizations discussions > > Sender: LEFT-ORG - Democratic Left Organizations discussions > > From: Ed Knudson > Subject: Re: new party > > Bill Briggs: There is a www page for the New Party, with the address of: > > http://garnet.berkeley.edu:3333/EDINlist/.election/np/np.html" > > The email address is: newparty@iga.org > > Ed Knudson Portland, Oregon > eknudson@hevanet.com > Voice/Fax: (503)282-8303 > Modem: (503)282-3477 > -- ********************************************************************** Talmadge Wright (312)508-3451 * Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology FAX:(312)508-3646 * Loyola University Chicago twright@orion.it.luc.edu * 6525 N. Sheridan Rd. * Chicago, Illinois 60626 * ********************************************************************** From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 19 07:15:09 1995 id <01HRVVEYZPK0IA1YEL@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:15:53 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRVVEWF5LCI8WNE3@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:15:49 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 08:05:43 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: Women's Conference List Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: HeatherD@edc.org To: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Subject: Women's Conference List PLEASE DISTRIBUTE, POST AND CROSS-POST AS APPROPRIATE Invitation to the Beijing Conference List PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP The Fourth World Conference on Women (WCW) to be convened by the UN General Assembly in Beijing in 1995, will bring together Heads of State to agree on joint action around 11 issues: - The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women - Unequal access to and inadequate educational opportunities - Inequalities in health status and unequal access to and inadequate health care services - Violence against women - Effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women - Inequality in women's access to and participation in the definition of economic structures and policies and the productive process - Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels - Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote women's advancement - Lack of awareness of and commitment to internationally and nationally recognized women's human rights - Insufficient mobilization of the mass media to promote women's positive contributions to society - Lack of adequate recognition and support for women's contribution to managing natural resources and safeguarding the environment In the spirit of the UN charter, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is sponsoring an Internet List, Beijing-Conf, to facilitate broad discussion of the Women's Conference issues. The List offers a forum for the exchange of ideas among all of those interested in the Conference themes. The List currently has 600+ members in 55 countries. We seek wide participation in the discussion, and especially encourage those in developing countries to participate. For those wishing to affect the Conference directly, there are formal channels for having input into the Conference. The List will offer information about those channels, as well as other Conference concerns. Our hope is that the List participants will discuss: - Your proposals for what agreements should be made at the Conference - Specific proposals for how agreements could be implemented and measures for monitoring implementation - Suggestions regarding sources of funding implementation of the agreements - Research findings that should inform the Conference representatives - Examples of gender mainstreaming at work, success stories in actions taken by governments or other organizations - Links between the Social Summit and the Women's Conference The Fourth World Conference on Women will be held in Beijing, People's Republic of China, 4-15 September 1995. The NGO Forum on Women will also be held in Beijing 30 August - 8 September 1995. HOW TO JOIN THE LIST Anyone who has electronic mail with Internet access (e.g., Bitnet, Compuserve, Prodigy, Fidonet, etc.) can subscribe to the Beijing-Conf List. To join please send an e-mail to the LISTSERV host: MAJORDOMO@CONFER.EDC.ORG Do *not* enter a subject. In the body of the message, type the text: SUBSCRIBE BEIJING-CONF Do *not* put your full name after BEIJING-CONF. You will receive a Welcome Letter to the List. At the bottom of this letter you will find a brief questionnaire; your answers will help us understand how the Internet can enhance discussions about complex social issues. OTHER RELEVANT RESOURCES There are many documents on the Women's Conference available on the Internet. Point your Gopher program at the address: GOPHER.UNDP.ORG Gopher will connect you to the UNDP Gopher Main Menu. To access the documents on Fourth World Conference on Women, open the UN Conferences folder; then open the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995 folder inside the Conferences folder. The Sustainable Development Network (SDN), a UNDP initiative to develop connectivity in many developing countries, also provides information on Sustainable Development Issues. LIST ADMINISTRATOR This List is administered and monitored by Education Development Center, a nonprofit organization. EDC is working collaboratively with the UN system and is directly supported by UNDP for the activities in this project. The UNDP Project Officer in charge of this project is Sarah Murison FOR FURTHER INFORMATION For further information about Beijing-Conf, please contact: Janice Brodman EDC JANICEB@EDC.ORG Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From A.Latzias@hum.gu.edu.au Tue Jun 20 00:13:48 1995 Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 16:16:24 +1000 (EST) From: Anna Latzias To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: email address To all subscribers, Could anyone please forward me Miguel Korzeniewicz's - Depart Sociology, University of New Mexico, Alberquque, U.S. - email address? Thanks Anna Latzias Faculty of Humanities GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY BRISBANE QLD 4122 AUSTRALIA From chriscd@jhu.edu Tue Jun 20 07:27:03 1995 id <01HRXA6Y33O0I8WVHG@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 20 Jun 1995 09:29:19 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRXA6S33U8I8WXGI@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 20 Jun 1995 09:29:13 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 08:19:07 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: militias: tools of the devil? Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: dhenwood@panix.com (Doug Henwood) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: militias: tools of the devil? Apologies for the multiple postings, but I think this is important. Maybe it's just the onset of summer heat, but I feel an urge to be perverse. Lots of folks on the left, from liberals leftward, have expressed great alarm about the growth of "right" populism of the sort that finds its most extreme expression in the militias. Now of course many of these people are truly scary. But are we right to condemn them all? I had Jeff St Clair - former union organizer now radical enviro, editor of the Wild Forest Review, co-author of pieces in this and next week's Village Voice (with Ridgeway), and collaborator with and source for Alex Cockburn - on my radio show the other night. St Clair argued that "we" (the left, whatever that is) would be making a terrible mistake by writing lots of these folks off, or worse, calling the FBI out on them. Take the example of the ranchers, with their subsidized grazing lands. Urban elitists, me once among them, treat them with scorn. But St Clair points out that most of them are very marginal, economically, laboring under big mortgages that they attempt to service with meager cash flows. If their grazing fees went up, they'd be ruined. The land would then fall into the hands of oil and gold interests, who would rape and pillage it. St Clair says the ranchers could be important allies for enviros - they're people with a deep attachment to the land who would take care of it far better than American Barrick, the Canadian-based gold company. The right courts them; the "left" demonizes them; and the elite enviro establishment would like to put them out of business and turn the whole area into a park. The latter preference is a symptom of the elite enviros' fundamental Malthusianism. It's ironic that much of the big enviro organizations are funded by fortunes made in oil (Rockefeller, Pew, W Alton Jones); they're taking their billions made from wrecking the earth and its atmosphere and are mounting the moral high ground with it. More broadly, St Clair says, the politics of lots of the "populists" is anti-corporate and anti-authoritarian. Because most of what they hear is from vile agitators, their instincts are often channelled in boneheaded anti-government and anti-Semitic directions. If instead of demonizing them, the "left" tried to talk to them, then that might change. The worst attitude is that expressed by Michael Kelly in his New Yorker piece last week - patronizing contempt for what he called "fusion paranoia," a label he applied to anyone who thought that there's a political/business/media ruling class that essentially runs things despite the outward appearance of democratic rule and is willing to do treacherous things to sustain their rule. Certainly there's plenty of low-rent conspiracy theorizing around that infects both left and right, but there's a core of truth to it that Kelly can't see, lap dog of the ruling class that he is. Doug -- Doug Henwood [dhenwood@panix.com] Left Business Observer 250 W 85 St New York NY 10024-3217 USA +1-212-874-4020 voice +1-212-874-3137 fax Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 21 18:40:49 1995 id <01HRZBNINRYOIA23BM@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 21 Jun 1995 20:33:17 -0400 (EDT) id <01HRZBNFSDDCI8XAGW@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 21 Jun 1995 20:33:13 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 20:33:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: ISA Internet text (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 10:09:04 -0400 From: International Sociological Association To: chriscd@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Subject: ISA Internet text INTERNET: NETWORK "CULTURE" AND ITS THREE "LEVELS" INTRODUCTION AND "LEVEL ONE" - EMAIL Although there are no strictly formal divisions, the structure of the world-wide Internet computer network is habitually divided into three "levels" of increasing complexity but also of increasing facility for users (more "user friendly"). The "first level" is usually associated only with the simple electronic mail (email) transmission and reception of messages or files. This capacity has existed for several decades now, although it has not been universally available to the public. There have been many different email networks in the past but almost all of them now belong the the Internet which has over 20 million users and is expanding daily. The use of email is very straight forward and requires even less familiarity with a computer than computer word processor programs. After hocking-up to the Internet through a computer (logging in), you usually type "mail", then the email address of your correspondent followed by the text of the message you want to send. To send an electronic file, you usually type "mail", the email address of your correspondent and the name of the file you want to send. Each email computer program (or interface) has its own options which can often be quite sophisticated and user friendly, but the content of this "first level" of Internet "culture" remains essentially the email transmission of messages and files. The following "second level" involves more complex tasks such as sending the same message or files to many correspondents on a pre-determined list. "LEVEL TWO" - MAILING LISTS, FTP AND OTHER SERVICES Mailing Lists are for the organized distribution by computer networks of electronic messages and files. They can involve either automatic management by a computer alone or manual management (with at least some intervention by a human moderator). In both cases, you usually send an email message to the list's network address with the single word "help" in the body of the message to receive in return an email describing the list and how to subscribe to it. Besides having a human moderator or not, mailing lists have several other characteristics. They can be open (any email message sent by anyone is automatically sent to all subscribers) or closed (only subscribers can send email messages to the other subscribers). Mailing lists can be public (open to anyone who sends in an email message to subscribe) or private (your request for subscription has to be accepted by the list's moderator and can involve payment for membership in an association or subscription to the list). The information transmitted by a list to its members (subscribers) can be automatic (any message by a member is sent to all list members, thus resembling a Newsgroup - described below) or moderated (all messages are sent to the moderator who then decides whether or not to transmit them to all list members). Names and email addresses of list members can be public (available to anyone by email, often as with a Newsgroup), private (available only to other list members) or closed (available only to the moderator). Finally, previous messages and files transmitted by the list can be archived for further electronic access by list members or simply deleted after transmission. To access such stored information, one simply sends an email message saying "get ." Access to such stored information also leads to another major type of email activity which is FTP (File Transfer Protocol). FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP) FTP (File Transfer Protocol) permits an email user to "get" electronic files stored an another Internet-connected computer and store them on the user's computer disk. The user can also "put" locally stored computer files on another computer by FTP when this is permitted by the receiving computer which is not often the case. FTP constitutes one of the major advances in communications and a major use of the Internet, if not the major "irreplaceable" use of the Internet. Whereas email messages can often be "replaced" by a telephone call or a fax, there is no easy replacement for FTP other than the slow alternative of mailing a copy of a file on a computer diskette. To use FTP, you simply login on the Internet and type "FTP". Then you type "open" plus the Internet address of the FTP archives which interest you. The distant host server asks your for a name and you can type "anonymous" or simply enter a carriage-return. The host then asks for a "password" and you enter your email address. You then have access to that host's "anonymous FTP archives" and can copy whatever is permitted by using the command "get" plus the name of the file. This procedure is also at the origin of the name of "Anonymous FTP Archives" usually employed by email users instead of simply FTP. The major disadvantage of FTP is that you only know what is in a file by its succinct name. If that is not sufficient, you either have to transfer the file and then read it, or else find information on its contents from some other source. Fortunately, these sources of information on file contents are often available on the Internet in the form of Archie servers, Gopher servers, Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS) and World-Wide Web (WWW) servers. Archie servers, in particular, are specifically intended for indexing information only on FTP servers. But before moving on to this next level of the Internet structure, let us look at other services associated with this "second level" of the Internet. OTHER "SECOND LEVEL" SERVICES Here we find Newsgroups which are public electronic forums and are for public discussion, debate and asking questions. Although they are very entertaining and can sometimes furnish surprising, specialized contributions, for direct scientific work they are of secondary use and many scientific "managers" consider them "a waste of time and money." There is also OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) which gives you access to over a thousand libraries whose card catalogs are accessible on the Internet. This number increases every week. Not only can you consult the card catalogs for authors or titles, you can often search for books by topic as well as have access to special documentation data bases. A large number of serial publications are available on the Internet. Most of these Electronic Serials are only published electronically, but there are a growing number of electronic versions of hardcopy (on paper) serials. Online serials cover an astonishing variety of subject and can often furnish specialized information and documentation. Perhaps the most interesting among the remaining "second level" services are the Archie servers which maintain indexes that you can consult by email concerning the contents of Anonymous FTP Archives. With Archie servers, you have exhausted the "second level" of Internet structure and are ready to move on to the "third" and highest level which included Gopher, WAIS and WWW. "LEVEL THREE" - GOPHER, WAIS AND WWW Gopher servers go a step further than Archie servers. The University of Minnesota's Micro-Computer and Workstation Networks Center developed the Gopher protocol to provide distributed document search and retrieval on the Internet. When you ask your local Gopher server to search all other Gopher servers (Archie and WAIS servers also) for the files you want, it takes care of connecting to them all over the Internet and then builds you a menu of the options returned by your search. You then choose items from the menu and the local Gopher server retrieves and stores the files for you. WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers), developed by Thinking Machines Corporation, is similar to Gopher. It provides query services to data base indexes prepared specifically for the WAIS system, as well as retrieval of located items. WAIS servers vary substantially in their user programs and their user friendliness, but the concept behind them is the same. First you select the resources you want to search through (Anonymous FTP Archives, Archie servers, some Gopher servers, etc.), and then you provide a query containing the information you want to search for. The local server sends this information to the servers of the selected resources which return any matches to the query. The local server then displays a list of these matches, and you can select any of them for retrieval and stocking locally. WWW (World-Wide Web)is a system similar to WAIS and Gopher but it has the advantage of also providing access to these two other systems which do not necessarily provide complete access to one another, nor to WWW. Therefore, WWW is called a "hyper level" system since it is situated hierarchically "above" both Gopher and WAIS. The sharing of "cyberspace" (network resources such as a Gopher or WWW server) can be considered to constitute a part of this "third level" of electronic communication. At this level "virtual" research groups (existing only on the Internet) or "co- laboratories" are created. Despite their "virtual" nature, in terms of communications and knowledge construction they are indistinguishable from "real" physically located research centers. This, along with the use of tele-conferencing, is the highest level of electronic integration currently possible and is only now getting underway. This completes the panorama of Internet services at the present time with its basic level of electronic transmission of messages and files (email), its intermediary level of file transmission, file indexing and online document services (Mailing Lists, FTP, Newsgroups, OPAC, Archie), and its highest level of integrated indexing, search and retrieval services (Gopher, WAIS, WWW) and the possibility of sharing "cyberspace" to create "virtual" research groups and "co- laboratories." In practical terms, most universities and research centers have their own Internet address and resources, and sometime a local server, ready for use by their members. The general public can purchase these resources from local specialized communications companies. We would also like to thank the CCR (Centre Calcul Recherche, Universite Pierre and Marie Curie - Paris VI, Tour 55-65, Etage 1, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris) for its aid and assistance not only in correcting this article, but also in furnishing and maintaining a full range of Internet resources which has permitted us to become familiar with the great potential these tools represent for research communication. Karl M. van Meter bms@ext.jussieu.fr (LASMAS-CNRS 59 rue Pouchet 75017 Paris; tel/fax 33 1 40 51 85 19, tel 33 1 40 25 10 01) From chriscd@jhu.edu Thu Jun 22 19:01:31 1995 id <01HS0R1BWVIOIA21SO@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 22 Jun 1995 21:04:19 -0400 (EDT) id <01HS0R1AQNXSI8XK7S@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 22 Jun 1995 21:04:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 21:04:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Christoph Chase-Dunn Subject: 1996 ISA Convention (fwd) To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu This is for the International Studies Association Meeting in San Diego next April. From: ISA Programs Subject: 1996 ISA Convention >June 21, 1995 > > >Dear Colleagues, > As part of our commitment to put together a strong program for the >1996 ISA Convention, we would like to solicit your participation in the >1996 Convention to be held in San Diego on April 16-20, 1996. We have >received numerous very interesting submissions and would like to encourage >those who have not already submitted proposals to participate in what >promises to be an excellent Convention. > Although June 15 was the first deadline for submissions, we will be >accepting submissions for the next couple of weeks. Nonetheless, please >send your proposals as soon as possible. Submissions can be sent via email, >faxed, or surface mail. > We look forward to hearing from you soon. > >David Lake >Stephan Haggard >1996 ISA Program Chairs > >ISA Program >I.G.C.C. >University of California-San Diego >La Jolla, CA 92093-0518 >FAX: (619) 534-7655 >Email: isaprog@ucsd.edu > From chriscd@jhu.edu Mon Jun 26 09:29:06 1995 id <01HS5S2NNZWWIA29ES@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 26 Jun 1995 11:27:35 -0400 (EDT) id <01HS5S2M9W34I8XZDC@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Mon, 26 Jun 1995 11:27:33 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 10:17:18 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English Here is my contribution to our discussion of Giovanni Arrighi's _The Long Twentieth Century_ (Verso 1994). Despite its title this book presents a structural model of the historical development of the modern world-system over the past 600 years. The key idea is that the world- system has experienced four successive and partially overlapping "systemic cycles of accumulation" (SCAs), and is now headed in to yet another of these cycles. SCAs are based on key features of economic organization and their relationship to states and the interstate system. SCAs are composed of two phases: a period of stable expansion of production followed by a period of turbulence in which accumulation is based on finance capitalism. SCAs vary in duration. The first "Genoese" SCA lasted from about 1350 to about 1640. The second "Dutch" SCA began in about 1560 and ended in about 1790. The third "British" SCA began in about 1750 and ended in about 1915. The third "U.S." SCA began in about 1870 and ended in about 1970. Arrighi employ's Fernand Braudel's conceptualization of capitalism as the top layer of high finance above the market society of everyday production and exchange. He focusses explicitly on the commanding heights of the world capitalist system, that "shadowy zone.... where the possessor of money meets the possessor of political power." Other aspects of the system enter in to Arrighi's model -- class struggle and the resistance of peripheral producers, movements and states (especially during the phases of turbulence) -- but the main focus, the implied deep structure of the system, is this interaction of _haute finance_ and hegemonic core states at the top of the system. This is a new world-systemic version of the "stages of capitalism" literature, but in my opinion Arrighi gets it right whereas earlier efforts have missed much that is important in characterizing the evolution of capitalism. The big point that Arrighi convincingly makes is that efficient production is not a sufficient condition for successful capitalist accumulation. The right combination of political/military power and financial capability is the true essence of hegemonic success and these determine which regions are capable of moving up the pecking order to high value-added production. The only criticism I have of Arrighi's model is that it ignores and dismisses the important work that has been done on shorter cycles such as the Kondratieff wave, the war cycle (Joshua Goldstein, _Long Cycles_) and debt cycles (Christian Suter, _Debt Cycles in the World Economy_). It might be argued that adding these to Arrighi's schema would unnecessarily complicate his elegant model. While this might be true for previous centuries, the uses of these shorter cycles for understanding what is going on in the present and the future would certainly be worth a somewhat greater degree of complexity. Arrighi's book is a giant step forward for our understanding of the modern world-system. Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From dassbach@mtu.edu Mon Jun 26 10:43:17 1995 Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 12:46:19 -0400 To: WSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: dassbach@mtu.edu (Carl H.A. Dassbach) Subject: Re: Arrighi's _Long Twentieth Century_ Given CC-Ds observations on GA's LONG 20th C.(L20C), which I take as a kick-off of WSN's planned discussion of the book, I would like to raise two questions - one, old and one new. Old question - Is L20C world-system? Why - or more generally, what does it mean to adopt a "w-s" perspectives. New question - What is the role and purpose of historical social science or historical knowledge in the social sciences? to fulfill some historical curiosity, to tell a better and more interesting story about vanished social formations ...... CC-D writes: This is a new world-systemic version of the "stages >of capitalism" literature, but in my opinion Arrighi gets >it right whereas earlier efforts have missed much that is >important in characterizing the evolution of capitalism. I have my reservations about the terms "stages" and "evolution" - I would prefer to see these as "incarnations" instead of "stages" and I am curious to what CC-D means by "evolution". I have always read IW as maintaining that the system does not "evolve" - it expands and deepens but the basic structures function in the same manner. Ergo( for example), there was no industrial revolution. >The big point that Arrighi convincingly makes is that >efficient production is not a sufficient condition for >successful capitalist accumulation. The right combination >of political/military power and financial capability is >the true essence of hegemonic success and these determine >which regions are capable of moving up the pecking order >to high value-added production. > Agreed - but I think that it is important to apply this "general principle" - that it is not simply a matter of efficeint production but others factors such as markets and financial capabilities - to explaining the success of other capitalist institutions such as enterprises (In this respect, see William's ET.AL's recent book on the auto industry, CARS) > The only criticism I have of Arrighi's model is that >it ignores and dismisses the important work that has been >done on shorter cycles such as the Kondratieff wave, the >war cycle (Joshua Goldstein, _Long Cycles_) and debt >cycles (Christian Suter, _Debt Cycles in the World >Economy_). It might be argued that adding these to >Arrighi's schema would unnecessarily complicate his >elegant model. I don't think it is ignored - they just aren't explicitly discussed because they are not necessary to the point that is being made. I do have some concerns about the "elegance" of the model. It is wonderfully elegant but maybe `too' elegant - too neat, too clean, too authoritative, too encompassing - contingency (which is the essential to the historical process) `vanishes.' I am not saying that contingency (and anomaly) are replaced by determinism but they are (somehow) displaced/subsumed to some higher order logic. In a sense, (and I am not quite sure how) GA's own observations about "displacing anomalies from the field of analysis" in the Introduction to the GEOMETRY OF IMPERIALISM may be relevant here. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Carl H.A. Dassbach E-mail: DASSBACH@MTU.EDU Dept. of Social Sciences Phone: (906)487-2115 Michigan Technological University Fax: (906)487-2468 Houghton, MI 49931 USA From chriscd@jhu.edu Tue Jun 27 14:25:07 1995 id <01HS7GUIHAK0IA2FLJ@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 27 Jun 1995 16:28:02 -0400 (EDT) id <01HS7GUH8SM8I8YAT5@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Tue, 27 Jun 1995 16:28:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 27 Jun 1995 15:17:50 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Fw: H-AFRICA seeks African partners Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------ From: Mel Page Subject: H-AFRICA seeks African partners Please call the following announcement to the attention of ETHNOHIS readers. Thank you. Mel Page, editor, H-AFRICA ********************************* H-AFRICA is an international moderated English-language electronic discussion group and bulletin board for scholars (including graduate students), librarians, teachers, and other professionals broadly interested in the African past, including a variety of disciplines and approaches to the study of the entire continent. H-AFRICA encourages informed discussions of teaching and research on African history and humanities at all levels of interest and complexity. A primary goal of H-AFRICA is to encourage and develop electronic connections between humanities scholars in Africa and their colleagues all over the world. To do so, we draw upon the considerable technical and other resources of the H-Net (Humanities- on-Line) organization, of which we are a part. H-AFRICA invites and encourages scholars and other professionals in Africa to subscribe and become partners with us in building humanities internet connectivity on the continent. H-AFRICA is currently edited by Professor Mel Page of East Tennessee State University and Professor Harold Marcus of Michigan State University, who may be reached to answer any questions at: Mel Page pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu Harold Marcus 22634mgr@msu.edu When you send in a subscription request, the editors will send you a short questionnaire to complete and return so we may confirm your subscription. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: LISTSERV@MSU.EDU with no subject and only this text: SUB H-AFRICA yourfirstname yourlastname, your institution (Capitalization does not matter, but spelling and commas do.) Please share this message with anyone who may have an interest in H-AFRICA and its goal of promoting internet connectivity in Africa. Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 28 10:16:17 1995 id <01HS8MG5W20GIA2ESM@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 28 Jun 1995 12:19:04 -0400 (EDT) id <01HS8MG1JF8GI8YK1Z@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 28 Jun 1995 12:18:58 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 11:08:45 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Giovanni Arrighi's _Long 20th Century_ Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English Carl Dassbach wonders if Giovanni Arrighi's book, _The Long Twentieth Century_ (Verso 1994), employs a world-systems perspective and asks "what does it mean to adopt a 'w-s' perpective." I do not find any ambiguity here. Arrighi says he is theorizing about the modern world-system and I accept his word for it. True there is not much about the core/periphery hierarchy in the book, though it does enter importantly in to the model because core capitalists and states are competing for access to peripheral raw materials and surplus and resistance from the periphery plays a role in the turbulent periods that cause accumulation regimes to fail and new ones to emerge. What key elements of the world-systems perspective are absent that would make Carl ask this question? Carl questions the use of the term "evolution" and contends that Immanuel Wallerstein holds that the "the system does not 'evolve' - it expands and deepens but the basic structures function in the same manner." Well I have also been a big proponent of this continuity thesis. Chapters 3 and 4 of my _Global Formation_ argue that the various "stages of capitalism" approaches are wrong and that the basic model of world-system cycles and trends has operated unchanged for 500 years as the system expanded and deepened. But I wrote that before reading about Arrighi's systemic cycles of accumulation. Arrighi's model gets the continuities and the changes right. His specification of accumulation regimes does not wipe out the validity of the basic cycles and trends model. But it adds to it those qualitative organizational changes that have allowed capitalism to adapt to its own contradictions. The question that now needs to be addressed is what, if any, changes did the different accumulation regimes make in the basic cycles and trends model? I now realize that the basic model was formulated with the British hegemony in the foreground and that is why there is so much emphasis on production. The "stages of hegemony" sequence formulated by Immanuel Wallerstein posits phases of consumption goods, capital goods and finance capital. This sequence is strongly suggested by the British hegemony (e.g. Hobsbawm's _Industry and Empire_) and then the model is adapted for the Dutch hegemony. So, reacting to all the historians and Marxists who say the Dutch hegemony was merchant capitalism, Wallerstein looks for (and finds) the sectors that were the basis of original Dutch successes -- the herring fisheries, boat-building, etc. Arrighi, starting from the Genoese accumulation regime and using Braudel's conceptualization of capitalism, does not use the British hegemony to construct his model of a systemic cycle of accumulation. Thus he is better able to see what was unique about the British hegemony. In response to my criticism that Arrighi ignores shorter cycles, especially the Kondratieff wave, Carl says that these are not relevant to the processes Arrighi is studying. On p. 7 Arrighi contends that Kondratieff cycles are theoretically irrelevant to theories of capitalism because Joshua Goldstein's work on K-waves does not use the term capitalism. Yet there is a long and deep discussion of K-waves from a Marxist perspective. Perhaps best-known is Ernest Mandel's _Long Waves of Capitalist Development_ (Cambridge UP 1980). The examination of the relationship between K-waves (and shorter business cycles) and systemic cycles of accumulation is necessary for understanding the past, but also for understanding the present and the future. Also, cycles of war intensity and severity and debt cycles need to be brought in to Arrighi's model and investigated empirically. Is anyone else out there? chris Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From chriscd@jhu.edu Wed Jun 28 11:28:35 1995 id <01HS8OYLQQ8GIA2GRU@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 28 Jun 1995 13:31:11 -0400 (EDT) id <01HS8OYJ2SJ4I8YJQL@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Wed, 28 Jun 1995 13:31:08 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 12:20:54 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Latin America Development electronic archive Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English LADARK: The Latin America Development Electronic Archive gopher://jhuniverse.jhu.edu:10005/11/.soc/.ladark http://www.jhu.edu/~soc/ladark.html _ooppH[`MMMD::--\_ _oH MR":&M&. ""' "' /&\\_ oHMMMMMHMMH#9, `" To: world-system network Subject: A NEW WORLD ORDER? book now available BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: A NEW WORLD ORDER? GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY edited by David A. Smith and Jozsef Borocz. (Contributions in Economics and Economic History, Number 164, ISSN 0084-9235) Greenwood Press: Westport, Connecticut. 275 pages. LC 94-47418. Hardcover edition (a MUST for libraries!): ISBN 0-313-29573-5. GM9573, $59.95; Attractive paperback edition: ISBN 0-275-95122-7, $19.95 Telephone orders: 202-226-3571; FAX Orders: 202-222-1502 This volume is a compilation of the best papers from the Political Economy of the World-System (PEWS) XVIII, April 1994 in Irvine, CA. We are pleased that we managed to get the volume out in near record time -- but without compromising to quality of the contents! The collection should be of interest to scholars in several disciplines that relate to issues of global political economy. It provides a useful integrated set of readings for graduate seminars and upper-level undergraduate classes. The closing years of the twentieth century will be remembered as a time of tumultuous change. The various essays are attempts to understand the changes and ground them in the context of the logic of the contemporary world-system. The essays are divided into two main themes: 1) structural transformations and regional ramifications, and 2) "new social movements" and the possibilities for resistance. East and South Asia, the Pacific Rim, the European periphery, and the Middle East are all areas that come under special scrutiny. CONTENTS Chapter 1 "Late Twentieth Century Challenges for World-System Analysis" by Jozsef Borocz and David Smith Chapter 2 "The Theory of Global Capitalism: State Theory and Variants of Capitalism on a World Scale" by Robert J.S. Ross Chapter 3 "The New Colonialism: Global Regulation and the Restructuring of the Interstate System" by Phillip McMichael Chapter 4 "Lessons from the Gulf Wars: Hegemonic Decline, Semi-Peripheral Turbulence, and the Role of the Rentier State" by Cynthia Siemsen Maki and Walter L. Goldfrank Chapter 5 "Global Restructuring, TNCs and the "European Periphery": What Has Changed?" by Denis O'Hearn Chapter 6 "Product Cycles and International Divisions of Labor: Contrasts between the United States and Japan" by Richard Child Hill and Kuniko Fujita Chapter 7 "Restructuring Space, Time, and Competitive Advantage in the World-Economy: Japan and Raw Materials Transport after World War II" by Stephen G. Bunker and Paul Ciccantell Chapter 8 "Capital, Labor, and the State in Thai Industrial Restructuring: The Impact of Global Economic Transformations" by Frederic C. Deyo Chapter 9 "Globalization, India, and the Struggle for Justice" by Timothy J. Scrase Chapter 10 "Global Manufacturing, Liberalization, and Indian Leather Workers" by Ruchira Ganguly-Scrase Chapter 11 "Globalization, Hegemony, and Political Conflict: The Case of Local Politics in Zurich, Switzerland" by Stefan Kipfer Chapter 12 "Environmental Transformations: Accumulation, Ecological Crisis, and Social Movements" by Sing Chew Chapter 13 "Left Internationalism and the Politics of Resistance in the New World Order" by Andre Drainville See order information above: get yours in today while copies last!!! dave smith sociology, uci irvine, ca 92715 714-824-7292 From dassbach@mtu.edu Thu Jun 29 08:55:26 1995 Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 10:58:32 -0400 To: WSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: dassbach@mtu.edu (Carl H.A. Dassbach) Subject: Re: Giovanni Arrighi's _Long 20th Century_ > Carl Dassbach wonders if Giovanni Arrighi's book, _The Long Twentieth >Century_ (Verso 1994), employs a world-systems perspective >and asks "what does it mean to adopt a 'w-s' perpective." I do not find any >ambiguity here. Arrighi says he is theorizing about the modern world-system >and I accept his word for it. I also accept his word for it (and I don't mean to split hairs) but I would point out that GA discusses the "world system:, i.e. _sans- hyphen, (see page xi) and not the "world-system." As I recall, the hyphen is very impoprtant: IW told us about the difference a hyphen makes and CC-D insisted that the hyphen appear in the title of Journal of World-System Research. Chris than asks: "What key elements of the world-systems perspective are >absent that would make Carl ask this question? My answer to this bears, in part, on my answer to Chris's next point - >Carl questions the use of the term "evolution" .... I questioned Chris's use of the term `evolution' in the study of history becuase I believe that the term has an implicit teleological assumption, namely, what comes `after' or later in a process is in some way (and I admit that `some way' is a broad term) `superior' or better to what came before. (For that matter, the word `development' also has a similar, but weaker, assumption). Hegelians may talk about historical evolution but I think that socil scientists can only talk about historical change. >.... and contends that Immanuel >Wallerstein holds that the "the system does not 'evolve' - it expands and >deepens but the basic structures function in the same manner." Well I have >also been a big proponent of this continuity thesis. Chapters 3 and 4 of > my _Global Formation_ argue that the various "stages of capitalism" >approaches are wrong and that the basic model of world-system cycles and trends has >operated unchanged for 500 years as the system expanded and deepened. I have always believed that a crucial component of the world-system perspective (with hyphen) has been a rejection of qualitative historical change, i.e., stages of capitalism and Chris, I think, verifies my belief. Hence, I would argue that it is GA's central concern with qualitative development, what Chris calls stages and I call "incarnations" (I prefer this term for the same reason I reject the term "evolution"), sets GA's work "apart" from the world-system perspective. It is thus not a matter of 'absence' that makes me ask the question of "whether GA's book is w-s ? (as Chris puts it " What key elements of the world-systems perspective are absent that would make Carl ask this question ) but rather what is included, so to speak, over, above and beyond the w-s perspective. >But I >wrote that >before reading about Arrighi's systemic cycles of accumulation. >Arrighi's model gets the continuities and the changes right. His >specification of >accumulation regimes does not wipe out the validity of the basic cycles and >trends model. But it adds to it those qualitative organizational changes >that have allowed capitalism to adapt to its own contradictions. The >question that now needs to be addressed is what, if any, changes did the >different accumulation regimes make in the basic cycles and trends model? I personally don't think that suggesting, as Chris does, that GA's book is so revolutionary that it has has revised thinking about the world-system ( in the sense of a dialectical _aufhebung_ )is a solution becuase if important and fundemental (what can be called _grund_) premises of a theory/perspective are revised, we no longer have the same perspective. (I maintain that w-s's rejection of qualitative change is perhaps on of the most funamental principles of the perspective) I am also interested in what IW would say - would he say that his thinking on these issued has changed? >I now realize that the basic model was formulated with the British hegemony >in the foreground and that is why there is so much emphasis on production. I agree wholeheartedly but this has always been a problem in historical interpretation, namely, that general "hsitorical theories, are derived from specific instances" and violence is often to other realities to make them `fit' the theory or model." (what better example of this then Rostow's "stages of growth" model. I'll end here - there is more that I want to say but I have to go to class. I also ask, with Chris (and Pink Floyd) "is there anybody out there?" Carl Dassbach > ----------------------------------------------------------------- Carl H.A. Dassbach E-mail: DASSBACH@MTU.EDU Dept. of Social Sciences Phone: (906)487-2115 Michigan Technological University Fax: (906)487-2468 Houghton, MI 49931 USA From brmcf@utkux1.utk.edu Thu Jun 29 09:35:58 1995 Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 11:38:57 -0400 (EDT) From: Bruce McFarling To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK Subject: Re: Giovanni Arrighi's _Long 20th Century_ In-Reply-To: <199506291458.KAA02029@youth.yth.mtu.edu> content-length: 2590 On Thu, 29 Jun 1995, Carl H.A. Dassbach wrote: >... > Chris than asks: "What key elements of the world-systems perspective are > >absent that would make Carl ask this question? > > My answer to this bears, in part, on my answer to Chris's next point - > > >Carl questions the use of the term "evolution" .... > > I questioned Chris's use of the term `evolution' in the study of history > becuase I believe that the term has an implicit teleological assumption, > namely, what comes `after' or later in a process is in some way (and I > admit that `some way' is a broad term) `superior' or better to what came > before. (For that matter, the word `development' also has a similar, but > weaker, assumption). Hegelians may talk about historical evolution but I > think that socil scientists can only talk about historical change. I would not dispute that the term evolutionary is sometimes abused in this way, but I would hope that a social scientific study of world-systems would use the term in a way that precludes teleology. The fundamental relationship for an evolutionary theory is ancestry and descendence, so that later systems may inherit characteristics form earlier systems, but earlier systems may not inherit characteristics from later systems. Teleology makes some characteristics of the earlier system depend on characteristics of its descendent, so that a teleological theory is not being consistently evolutionary. Admittedly, the roots of this usage are more in evolutionary biology than in Hegelian philosphy, but I don't apologize for that. > I have always believed that a crucial component of the world-system > perspective (with hyphen) has been a rejection of qualitative historical > change, i.e., stages of capitalism and Chris, I think, verifies my belief. > Hence, I would argue that it is GA's central concern with qualitative > development, what Chris calls stages and I call "incarnations" (I prefer > this term for the same reason I reject the term "evolution"), sets GA's work > "apart" from the world-system perspective. Continuous and discontinuous change are two possibilities within evolutionary theory, and can play the roles of complementary explanations as well as the roles of competing explanation. Further, a theory cannot be evolutionary[*] if there is no continuity: the existance of, and if detected the scope of, discontinuous change is interesting in evolutionary theory precisely because the fundamental ancester / descendent relationship does not demand it. Virtually, Bruce McFarling, Knoxville brmcf@utkux1.utk.edu From wally@cats.ucsc.edu Thu Jun 29 10:55:21 1995 From: wally@cats.ucsc.edu Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 09:58:03 -0700 To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: out there Hi, Chris, hi, Carl, sure we're all out there (or is it here?). Shall we debate the hyphen? If you want to know GA's position on the hyphen, it seems to me the best place to look is his article with J Drangel on the semi-periphery (no problem with that hyphen). One can guess that in omitting the world system hyphen from LONG 20th C, GA was trying to reach a larger audience than the hyphenated crowd without making a big deal of it. But you could ask him. Everybody who writes seriously about capitalism, its deepening and its expansion, sees both continuity and transformation. The arguments are over how much to emphasize each of these features. What I treasure about GA's work is the analysis of the historical specificities of different periods/incarnations/regimes-of-accumulation. My own take is that this serves more as a fleshing out of the w-s version of modern world history than as an alternative w s version. In Kuhnian language, it is "normal science" of the very highest quality. w From wxhst3+@pitt.edu Thu Jun 29 11:20:28 1995 ID for ; Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 13:22:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Haller Subject: out here To: wsn Hi folks, Since Chris and Carl are both asking if anybody's out there I thought I mention that I am, but that I'll have to sit this one out as a passive observer. My time and effort simply have been stretched too thin lately to give this discussion a responsible amount time and thought. (But I'm *finally* ABD now!) Sincerely, Bill Haller ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bill Haller \/ University Center for Social Department of Sociology /\ and Urban Research (UCSUR) University of Pittsburgh \/ 121 University Place, 6th floor email: wxhst3+@pitt.edu /\ Pittsburgh, PA 15213-9972 ------------------------------------------------------------------- From mschetti@colmex.mx Thu Jun 29 11:33:20 1995 Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 11:29:50 -0900 (PDT) From: M Schettino To: Bill Haller Subject: Re: out here In-Reply-To: Also here, but I just arrived and completely ignore the material in discussion. Anyway, I read... Macario From chriscd@jhu.edu Thu Jun 29 13:29:56 1995 id <01HSA7HPUTI8IB99AN@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:32:47 -0400 (EDT) id <01HSA7HNT11CI8YTM5@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:32:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:22:35 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Immanuel Wallerstein's review of Arrighi's _Long 20th Century_ Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English Review, Giovanni Arrighi, The Long Twentieth Century (Verso, 1994) by Immanuel Wallerstein (for The Guardian) Despite its title, this book is not really about the twentieth century, long or otherwise. It is an attempt to understand the de cline of U.S. hegemony and the present dilemmas of the world-system in the light of the historical evolution of world capitalism begin- ning with Venice and Genoa. It is a historicized political economy of the world-system, a major contribution to our understanding of our world. It is ambitious theoretically, since Arrighi is trying to put together a whole series of familiar stories and theoretical propositions in a provocative and original way. It will be dis- cussed and debated and used widely. Arrighi sees a constant tension between the "revenue-maximiz ing logic of trade expansions" and the "profit-maximizing logic of capital accumulation" (p. 232) which alternately coincide with and reinforce each other and bifurcate. Lest this seem abstruse, Arri ghi immediately translates this into a concrete interpretation of 600 years of world history. He builds his story on the idea of suc- cessive, alternating forms of hegemony within the world-system, what he calls the dialectic of state and capital. He takes off from a boutade of Braudel: "[In] Venice the state was all; in Genoa capital was all" (p. 145). In Venice the strength of capital rested on the coercive power of the state; in Genoa, capital stood on its own two feet, and the state, such as it was, was dependent upon it. Arrighi's summary judgment: In the short run (in which a century is a short run), Venice's method seemed unbeat- able, but in the long run it was Genoa that created the "first world-embracing cy cle of capital accumulation" (p. 147). Then, in one of those clever antinomies of which he is fond, Arrighi says: "Just as Venice's inherent strength in state- and war-making was its weakness, so Genoa's weakness in these same activities was its strength" (p. 148). Venice became the prototype of "state (monopo- ly) capitalism" and Genoa of "cosmopolitan (finance) capitalism". So far, most readers will nod hazily in their fuzziness about the details of the fifteenth-century world. It is when Arrighi starts applying these categories closer to home that the surprises come. It turns out the "Dutch regime, like the Venetian, was rooted from the start in fundamental self-reliance and competitiveness in the use and control of force" (p. 151), which explains its hegemony and which then "backfired...[by creating] a new enticement for ter- ritorialist organizations to imitate and compete with the Dutch..." (p.158). Once again, success would mean failure, Arrighi's repeated leitmotiv. The British replaced the Dutch, and the Age of the Genoese was paralleled by the Age of the Rothschilds. They did this by reviving "the organizational structures of Iberian imperialism and Genoese cosmopolitan finance capital, both of which the Dutch had supersed- ed" (p. 177). "Control over the world market was the specificity of British capitalism" (p. 287). The Germans tried to suspend the ex cessive competition this brought about, but the U. S. "superseded" it (p.285). U.S. corporate capitalism, expanding transnationally became "so many `Trojan horses' in the domestic markets of other countries" (p. 294). This destroyed the structures of accumulation of British market capitalism but once done, "US capitalism was pow- erless to create the conditions of its own self-expansion in a cha- otic world" (p. 295). The impasse was overcome only by inventing the cold war. In the light of this history, the financial expansion of the 1970's and 1980's does not seem revolutionary but a repeat of an old story. The overall picture is of four successive hegemonies: Genoese, Dutch, British, and US, about which three major statements can be made: they successively were briefer; there was a long-term tendency for the leading agencies to be successively larger and more complex; there was a double movement, backward and forward in time, with each shift of hegemony (Venice/United Provinces/U.S. contrasted with Genoa/United Kingdom). What can we say about such a vast canvas, most inadequately summarized here? Its greatest strength is its clear vision of capi- talism as a single-mindedly rational attempt to accumulate capital endlessly, which means, says Arrighi, capitalists are interested in the expansion of production only if it's profitable, which is true only about half the time. The rest of the time, the capitalists ex- pand their money stocks by playing financial games. They can inter- nalize or externalize their protection costs (Frederic Lane's very fruitful concept) and there are pluses and minuses in each path. But it's not a matter of capricious option. The structure forces capitalists to alternate in a sort of ratchet fashion: one step backward, two steps forward. Arrighi's intellectual indebtedness to Marx and Schumpeter are well-known. What he has done is this book is take Braudel seriously as a source of data and hypotheses and cast him in a Marxo-Schum- peterian mold. The work is truly a political economy, one in which successes breed failures, where "the real barrier of capitalist production is capital itself" (Marx), but [or is it and?] capital ism is the "anti-market" (Braudel). This book will not make everyone happy. There is no discussion of class, but then there is none in Marx's Capital. Perhaps more surprisingly, in a work written by Arrighi, there is scarcely a hint about the core-periphery antinomy in the organization of the world-economy. What Arrighi is concentrating upon in the organiza tion of the cycles of accumulation as the key to the story of the historical development of the world-system. And finally, for a po litical economy, which in theory emphasizes the role of political factors in the process of accumulation, there is little real poli tics in the book. Words like left and right do not appear, and ide- ology is never mentioned. The current very central concerns of rac- ism/sexism or culture do not appear in the index. Nonetheless, this is an important and exciting work, which challenges most people's approach to the understanding of the world-system. It is argued intensively, if a bit kaleidoscopically. It forces the reader to reflect, if only to locate the potential inconsistencies in the fast-moving narrative. It is not bedside reading. It is a serious book for serious people in serious times. Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From SKSANDER@grove.iup.edu Thu Jun 29 13:31:09 1995 id <01HSA5WDP5XS8WWANR@grove.iup.edu>; Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:00:52 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:00:52 -0500 (EST) From: s_sanderson Subject: World-Systems Theory as Evolutionary Theory To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Organization: Indiana University of Pennsylvania This is in response to Carl Dassbach's objection to Chris Chase-Dunn's use of the term "evolution" to characterize Arrighi's new work, or wst in general. The notion that evolutionary theories are inherently teleological apparently dies very hard. Five years ago I wrote a book -- SOCIAL EVOLUTIONISM: A CRITICAL HISTORY, published by Blackwell -- in which I argued that there is no intrinsic connection between evolutionary and telelogical thinking. It is quite true that many evolutionary theories have been teleological in nature, and indeed in my book I discuss and criticize those theories that are. But some evolutionary theories are explicitly not teleological. For example, in sociology Parsons's version of evolutionism is highly teleological, but Marvin Harris's anthropological version of evolutionism is quite definitely not. I agree with Dassbach that teleological thinking is wrongheaded thinking, but, again, that is no reason to condemn all versions of evolutionism. I just had published a new book, SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS: A GENERAL THEORY OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT, also by Blackwell, that formulates a comprehensive theory of social evolution that is explicitly nonteleological and antiprogressivist. If you want to see in some detail what a nonteleological evolutionary theory looks like, this is one place to look. I spend a long chapter in this book discussing the evolution of the modern world-system, and for me wst fits quite nicely into a broader evolutionary perspective, including one that emphasizes qualitative change. In my earlier book I claimed that Wallerstein was an evolutionist, it is just that it is the world-system as a whole rather than individual societies that do the evolving. I am pretty sure that IW sees himself the same way. He blurbed my TRANSFORMATIONS book by saying that I made a good case for evolutionary transformation in world history, and he had to be including modern world history. Surely he can't say such things while being an antievolutionist. Like Chris CD, I think Arrighi's book is a formidable contribution, and that it is also a contribution to an understanding of the EVOLUTION of the modern world. Stephen Sanderson From chriscd@jhu.edu Thu Jun 29 14:20:36 1995 id <01HSA99J7G0WIB98ON@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 29 Jun 1995 16:23:27 -0400 (EDT) id <01HSA99F8Z1CI8YVCF@jhmail.hcf.jhu.edu>; Thu, 29 Jun 1995 16:23:23 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:13:08 -0400 From: chris chase-dunn Subject: Re: Discussion of Arrighi's "Long 20th Century" Sender: chriscd@jhu.edu To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu X-NUPop-Charset: English ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:05:41 -0500 (EST) From: David Kelly To: World System Net Subject: Discussion of Arrighi's "Long 20th Century" I've enjoyed the discussion to date, but suspect that I have a slightly different interest from those heard from so far. Being a proponent of leadership long cycles I am far less concerned with whether or not GA fits into a Wallersteinian "world-systems" lineage. My primary interests in reading this book were Arrighi's ideas on transitions at the apex of of the system and his ideas on the role of finance capitalism in leadership succession. The slow down of material expansion (MC phase) signals two things: the maturity of a regime of accumulation and the rise of finance over commerce and industry. As the current system leader has the largest reserves of liquid capital it is in a position to derive the greatest benefit from competition. However, this is also a period when the weaknesses of the current regime are exposed and exploited by rising powers. This is where Arrighi becomes interesting for long cyclists. Current long cycle (Modelski and Thompson, 1995) models of rising and declining leaders say only that the rising leader is able to capitalize on innovative industries or organizational skills. There is no hint as to how this fits into the structure created by the previous leader. Arrighi suggests two ways in which it is connected: the exploitation of neglected or inefficiently exploited areas of the economy and financial investment by capitalists in the lead state in the rising states/economies. Leadership succession becomes, therefore, less a matter of geographical happenstance or fortune of war (although Arrighi notes that new leaders only consolidate their position after a global war). Since leadership, according to Arrighi, is dependent on commercial, agro-industrial, AND financial power, investment choices made by the declining leader serve as a "vote" in the resolution of the leadership succession by strengthening a particular candidate. The choice of investments is based on the probability for greatest return on invested capital. It seems unclear, however, if calculations of return are based on short, medium, or long-term probabilities. The alliance of investments explains the pattern observable in global wars of declining and rising global leaders allying against other rising powers, ones which threaten the economic system which is benefitting both leaders. Global wars are the means by which the rising leader clearly establishes its predominance over the other actors in the system. I'll stop there. Any comments or critiques? David Kelly Indiana University Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn Department of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu From wally@cats.ucsc.edu Thu Jun 29 15:47:55 1995 From: wally@cats.ucsc.edu Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:50:55 -0700 To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: hyphen I am told on good authority that the missing hyphen in "world-system" in GA's book was done by the publisher without authorization and it will be corrected in the second edition w From dassbach@mtu.edu Fri Jun 30 13:12:36 1995 Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 15:15:46 -0400 To: WSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: dassbach@mtu.edu (Carl H.A. Dassbach) Subject: GA's Long 20th c It seems that I have said enough wrongheaded things to provoke responses. Wally asks - shall we debate the hyphen - we could because it seems to be important to some people but I'd rather not. He also says that he has it on "good authority" that the hyphen will be in the next edition. There is only one "good authority" on this question, hence I assume that Wally is referring to Giovanni Arrighi.. I am at a loss on how to reply to the question/issue of world-system theory and qualitative change. It only seems to me that after denying the centrality of qualitative change - at least that's my reading of IW formulations - suddenly the importance of qualitative change - manifested in stages of accumulation, industrial revolutions and the specificity of hegemonies (or as Chris put it, that Great Britain is not the model of all hegemonies) is right "up there" (in importance and theoretical centrality) with the concepts such as core, periphery and semi-periphery. It was not my intention to raise a debate about whether GA's book is world-system. Instead, I raised the question to try and find out what it means to adopt a "w-s" perspective. In my own case, I never saw myself as working from a w-s perspective because my concerns included things such as stages of accumulation, industrial revolutions or the historical specificity of hegemonies, concerns which I gathered, from listening to IW in classes and seminars and reading his work, were anathema to the w-s perspective. Now, I suddenly find that these were always central concerns. It certainly strikes me as either a strange (fluid, flexible) perspective or no perspective at all, if it can accommodate and incorporate such contradictory assumptions. Apparently, I have also `offended' some people in raising a question about the term `evolution." These were largely off-hand remarks and I have never studied or devoted a great deal of thought to the uses and abuses of the concept of evolution. Perhaps, my ignorance is a bliss because I have no preconceived notions nor specific body of literature to guide me, only logic. Moreover, because I admit to being ignorant about the subtleties, I really don't want to engage in a debate about the term Instead, two brief observations: 1. Bruce's clarification/distinction between evolution and teleology is is not especially convincing because, on the one hand, everything seems to be evolving. Moreover, I have a hard time understanding a distinction between continuous change and discontinuous change because the former is true by definition and the latter is a contradiction in terms. 2. Stephen Sanderson cites two of his books that deal directly with the question of evolution. At present, I have neither but I do have his MACROSOCIOLOGY text where he devotes a section to discussing "the nature of socio-cultural evolution." According to Sanderson, socio-cultural evolution is not teleological nor should it be confused with progress. Instead it is a "a process of change whereby one sociolcutural form is transformed into another" and specifically a process of qualitative change "that exhibits a certain directionality." Why then use the term evolution and raise all those nasty spectres which seem to be implicit in the term? Evolution, in this usage, seems to refer to how I understand change - as a DIALECTICAL PROCESS - i.e, a process of transformation in a certain direction and where the subsequent stage/state maintains some type of identity with the preceding state (as opposed to being absolutely different and absolutely random). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Carl H.A. Dassbach E-mail: DASSBACH@MTU.EDU Dept. of Social Sciences Phone: (906)487-2115 Michigan Technological University Fax: (906)487-2468 Houghton, MI 49931 USA From brmcf@utkux1.utk.edu Fri Jun 30 19:13:32 1995 Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 21:16:34 -0400 (EDT) From: Bruce McFarling To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK Subject: Re: GA's Long 20th c In-Reply-To: <199506301915.PAA01239@youth.yth.mtu.edu> content-length: 3245 On Fri, 30 Jun 1995, Carl H.A. Dassbach wrote: > Apparently, I have also `offended' some people in raising a question about > the term `evolution." These were largely off-hand remarks and I have never > studied or devoted a great deal of thought to the uses and abuses of the > concept of evolution. Perhaps, my ignorance is a bliss because I have no > preconceived notions nor specific body of literature to guide me, only > logic. Moreover, because I admit to being ignorant about the subtleties, I > really don't want to engage in a debate about the term Instead, two brief > observations: > > 1. Bruce's clarification/distinction between evolution and teleology is is > not especially convincing because, on the one hand, everything seems to be > evolving. I'm waiting to hear what is on the other hand. Perhaps I left my argument too soft: to me if the theory is teleological, it is not a sound evolutionary theory. And obviously not everything evolves, because not all systems are descendents of prior systems of the same type. To have evolution, you have to have a unit of evolution -- the evolving system -- that reproduces variably, with survival of descendents depending to some extent on the (variable) characteristics of the descendents. I am more accustomed to looking at economic institutions and looking up at the society in which they are found (where I would argue long and hard that the institutions evolve, instead of emerging from resource distributions and individual preferences as mainstream economic theory would have it); I am not yet sufficiently comfortable looking down at these individual societies in the context of a world-system to establish to my own satisfaction whether world-system are evolving in this sense. I would certainly not be offended by an argument that they are not evolving. If conditions of inter-societal relations in the absence of a world-system are conducive to emergence of a world-system, and conditions in the presence of a world-system are conducive to its maintenance, one would expect to see world-systems emerge, to be replaced by others if they are for some reason disrupted, and while the interacting societies would be evolving, later world-systems need not be descendents of earlier world-systems. So the question is open. And, beyond all that, I have not settled to my own satisfaction whether in _The Long 20th C_ evolution is being used in such a well-defined way. So there's that as well. > Moreover, I have a hard time understanding a distinction between > continuous change and discontinuous change because the former is true by > definition and the latter is a contradiction in terms. For discontinuous change, read punctuated evolution (I spoke too loosely here) where periods of relatively slow rates of change are interupted by periods of rapid rates of change. If the rapid rates of change are due to the innovation of a new technical or organizational technology, for example, comparison of periods before and after the diffusion of the technology will show different technological 'stages' when examination of the process of change reveals no sharp breaks. Virtually, Bruce McFarling, Knoxville brmcf@utkux1.utk.edu