GRADUATE SEMINAR PROPOSAL
Department of Sociology
University of Toronto
Sept.- Dec. 1996
Instructor: Andre Gunder Frank
Area: Macrosociology, Political Institutions and the State
Course: 6005/6105 Social Change and Development I or II
Content: Macrosociological Theory and the World System
PRINCIPAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
- F. Braudel - The Perspective of the World 1982
- I. Wallerstein - The Modern World-System 1974-89
- Shannon - Introduction to World-System Perspective 1989
- S. Sanderson, Ed. - Civilizations and World Systems: Two Approaches to the Study of
World Historical Change 1995
- A.G. Frank & B.K. Gills, Eds - The World System: Five Hundred Years or Five
Thousand? 1993
MAIN TOPICS AND READINGS
- Classical Social Theory on the Rise of the West and Capitalism
E.L. Jones - The European Miracle [a contemporary summary]
K. Marx - Selections
M. Weber - Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism, etc.
K. Polanyi - The Great Transformation
Tawney, Sombart, Sorokin, etc. - selections?
- Civilizationism
Toynbee - A Study of History Somervell one volume abridgement
Quigley - The Evolution of Civilizations
Spengler - The Decline of the West
Sanderson,ed.- on civilizationism [contemp statements]
D. Wilkinson - on civilizationism [a contemporary summary]
- World-Systems Theory
Braudel - The Perspective of the World
Wallerstein - The Modern World-System, Historical Capitalism & Selections
Palat/ Wallerstein-Of What World-System was pre-1500 India Part?
Shannon - Introduction to World-System Perspective 1989
- The Five Thousand Year World System
Frank & Gills-The 5000 Year World System in Theory & Praxis 1995
- The 5000 Year World System:Interdisciplinary Introduction [in Frank & Gills, eds]
- World System Cycles, Crises and Hegemonic Shifts 1700 BC - 1700 AD [in
Frank & Gills, eds]
Wilkinson-Civilizations,Cores,World Economies,Oikumenes[Frank,ed
- Early Modern World History
W. McNeill - The Rise of the West 1963 & "The Rise of the West after Twenty-five
Years" 1990
The Pursuit of Power [on China,etc] 1983
J. Abu-Lughod - Before European Hegemony 1989
K.N. Chaudhuri - Asia Before Europe 1990
Trade and Civilization in Indian Ocean 1985
J. Blaut - The Colonizer's Model of the World 1994 [critical]
A.W. Crosby - Ecological Imperialism 1986 others - ?
- Historical Critique and Defense of World-System & Social Theory
Frank - The Modern World System Revisited: Re-Reading Braudel and Wallerstein [in
Sanderson,ed]
- Transitional Ideological Modes: Feudalism,Capitalism,Socialism [in Frank,
ed]
Frank & Gills - The Modern World System under Asian Hegemony,'94
Wallerstein - World System versus World-Systems [in Frank,ed]
S. Amin -Ancient World-Systems vs.Modern Capitalist World-System
I. Zeitlin - selections
- Eurocentrism in History, Sociology/Social Theory & Alternatives?
M. Bernal - Black Athena 1989, 1993
Amin - Eurocentrism 1989
Blaut - The Colonizer's Model 1994
Frank & Zeitlin - to be written 1995?
REGIONS AND PROCESSES IN MODERN WORLD SYSTEM HISTORY & THEORY: STUDENT HISTORICAL
RESEARCH PAPERS & their seminar discussion 0N
- China
- Japan
- Southeast Asia
- Central Asia
- Russia
- India
- Persia
- Ottomans
- Africa
- Europe
- Americas and/or others of student interest
- feudalism/capitalism transition/s?
- world trade
- money
- migration
- hegemony and/or war
- cycles
- race
- ethnicity
- gender
- ecology
- culture/religion/ideology and/or others of student interest
SEMINAR PURPOSE/ORGANIZATION/SCHEDULE/EVALUATION
PURPOSE- This seminar is to assess how Eurocentric or not received
"classical" social and world-systems theory and historical writing are, and to
explore more "humanocentric" [eventually also "ecocentric"?]
alternative/s. The instructor and his writings suggest that received theory/history has
neglected the real historical role of Afro-Asia in world history and that the time is ripe
to set the record [and theory?] straight, especially now that East Asia is [again!]
pushing to the forefront of the making of world events and history.
ORGANIZATION-hopefully in consultation/agreement with students. This is to be a
COLLABORATIVE SEMINAR, for the discussion of readings and the writing and discussion of
student research papers - at or near [if possible beyond!] the frontiers of knowledge in
this area.
Basic READINGS will be common to and for discussion by all. Particular students can, by
pre-arrangment according to their interest/choice, take [major] responsibility for
particular subsidiary/exemplifying readings [on particular authors, theories, regions,
etc.] and can make short written and/or oral reports on them for seminar discussion.
A RESEARCH Paper topic [one piece of a jig-saw puzzle common to, and for eventual
assembly by, all] is to be chosen by each student by the third week. A first draft is to
be prepared for photocopying, distribution to, and reading/discussion by the entire
seminar in the 6th and 7th weeks [or thereabouts by common agreement]. A final draft is to
be presented for photocopying, distribution, reading/discussion by the entire seminar
during the final two weeks.
SCHEDULE - subject to amendment
- Wk 1 -Introduction of content,readings,organization,paper topics
- Wk 2 -Topic 1 & discussion of paper topic choice
- Wk 3 -Topic 2 & one page hand-in/discussion of paper topic choice
- Wk 4 -Topic 3
- Wk 5 -Topic 4
- Wk 6 -Discussion of paper first drafts
- Wk 7 -same continued
- Wk 8 -Topic 5
- Wk 9 -Topic 6
- Wk 10-Topic 7
- Wk 11-Discussion of paper final drafts
- Wk 12-same continued
- 13th week - contingencies
EVALUATION 25% on the basis of student reports and participation in seminars and 75% on
the student research paper. |