The Modern World-System

The Modern World-System is a framework that describes how the global economy is organized into interconnected regions with different roles. It highlights a core of wealthy, powerful countries that control most wealth and technology, a semi-periphery with developing industries, and a periphery of poorer nations providing raw materials and cheap labor. This system has historically driven economic growth, inequality, and global trade patterns, shaping how countries interact and develop over time. Essentially, it explains the structured way in which the world's economies and political influence are unevenly distributed.