World-Systems Theory in Practice: Leadership, Production, and Exchange

In the quarter century since Wallerstein first developed world systems theory (WST), scholars in a variety of disciplines have adopted the approach to explain intersocietal interaction on a grand scale. These essays bring to light archaeological data and analysis to show that many historic and prehistoric states lacked the mechanisms to dominate the distant (and in some cases, nearby) societies with which they interacted. Core/periphery exploitation needs to be demonstrated, not simply assumed, as the interdisciplinary dialogue which occurs in this volume demonstrates. World-Systems Theory in Practice will appeal to individuals with an interest in the application of WST in both the Old World and the New World. The papers in this volume reflect the vitality of the debate concerning the use of such generalizing theories and will be of interest to archeologists, anthropologists, historians, sociologists, and those involved in the study of civilizations.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 World-Systems and Evolution: An Appraisal Chapter 3 Goodness of Fit: On the Relationship Between Ethnographic Data and World-Systems Theory Chapter 4 Legitimation Crises in Prehistoric Worlds Chapter 5 The Changing Structure of Macroregional Mesoamerica: The Classic-Postclassic Transition in the Valley of Oaxaca Chapter 6 Negotiated Peripherality in Iron Age Greece: Accepting and Resisting the East Chapter 7 Production Within and Beyond Imperial Boundaries: Goods, Exchanges/ and Power in Roman Europe Chapter 8 The Emerging World System and Colonial Yucatan: The Archeology of Core-Periphery Integration, 1780-1847 Chapter 9 Thoughts on the Periphery: Ideological Consequences of Core/Periphery Relations Chapter 10 Rethinking World Systems: Power, Distance, and Diasporas in the Dynamics of Interregional Interaction Chapter 11 Multiple Levels in the Aegean Bronze Age World-System Chapter 12 World Systems Theory, Core Periphery Interactions and Elite Economic Exchange in Mississippian Societies Chapter 13 The Inca Empire: Detailing the Complexities of Core/Periphery Interactions Chapter 14 The Evolutionary Pulse of the World System: Hinterland Incursions and Migrations, 4000 B.C. to A.D. 1500 Chapter 15 Abuses and Uses of World Systems Theory in Archeology Chapter 16 Does World-Systems Theory Work?: An Ethnographer's Perspective Chapter 17 Conclusion Chapter 18 Index

About the Author :
P. Nick Kardulias is professor of anthropology at Wooster College.

Review :
...very useful teaching materials... The more general papers by Thomas Hall and Andre Gunder Frank are also potentially useful as they provide stern critiques of the theory and how it is evolving into what seems like a paradigm..... Stylistically, the papers hang together very well and the level is appropriate for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and scholars in the fields of anthropology/archaeology and world history. Historians will find this work useful both as a crib source for both lecture detail and, more importantly, as a theoretical overview to their World Civilizations survey courses. Perhaps this is the most useful contribution of archaeology to World-Systems Theory. Unsurprisingly, most of the book's authors adopt diverse intermediate positions. In this sence, the book works wonderfully well as an update in both the fundamental concepts of WST, and in the plethora of invigorating archeological responses to it.The central paper of the volume, both literally and conceptually, is Gill J. Stein's 'Rethinking World-Systems'. The editor, P. Nick Kardulias, should be commended for corralling between a single book's covers not only many of the most vocal participants in current debates about WST (Thomas D. Hall and Chris Chase-Dunn among them), but also a broad spectrum of archaeologists, historians, and social scientists with an interest in seeing if WST works for them. Nonetheless, as a primer on where wenow stand with WST, one could hardly have hoped for a more thorough and stimulating collection of papers.. Unsurprisingly, most of the book's authors adopt diverse intermediate positions. In this sence, the book works wonderfully well as an update in both the fundamental concepts of WST, and in the plethora of invigorating archeological responses to it. The central paper of the volume, both literally and conceptually, is Gill J. Stein's 'Rethinking World-Systems'. The editor, P. Nick Kardulias, should be commended for corralling between a single book's covers not only many of the most vocal participants in current debates about WST (Thomas D. Hall and Chris Chase-Dunn among them), but also a broad spectrum of archaeologists, historians, and social scientists with an interest in seeing if WST works for them. Nonetheless, as a primer on where we now stand with WST, one could hardly have hoped for a more thorough and stimulating collection of papers. ...very useful teaching materials... The more general papers by Thomas Hall and Andre Gunder Frank are also potentially useful as they provide stern critiques of the theory and how it is evolving into what seems like a paradigm.