Modern World-System

The Modern World-System is a way of understanding how the global economy and society are interconnected. It describes a system where countries and regions are divided into core, semi-periphery, and periphery areas. Core nations are powerful and wealthy, controlling industries and technology. Periphery countries are often poorer, supplying raw materials and labor. Semi-periphery falls between, with some industrial capacity. This structure creates economic dependence, where wealth circulates mainly within the core, while the periphery remains less developed. The concept highlights how historical patterns of expansion, exploitation, and global trade shape economic and social inequalities today.