Kommentar |
In this seminar, we will critically review the central ideas of the various sociological perspectives on world society that recognize the relationship between center and periphery as a crucial dimension. Three currents will be distinguished: 1) the world systems current (WSC), 2) the Marxist current of dependence (CMD), and 3) the heterodox current of dependence (CHD). All three had their temporary center of gravity in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s, but have remained active to the present day. These currents are based on a rejection of the various theories of modernization and on a critical dialogue with the Marxist tradition. In the case of the CHD, the appropriation of Max Weber's sociology and Keynes' economic theory are also central.
The seminar will deal with the main authors of each current: In the context of WSC, texts by Andre Gunder Frank, Immanuel Wallerstein, Giovanni Arrighi, and Samir Amin will be addressed. Regarding the CMD, contributions by Ruy Mauro Marini, Thetonio dos Santos, Vania Bambirra, and Agustín Cuevas will be analyzed, and regarding the CHD, the works of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Enzo Faletto, Raul Prebisch, and Celso Furtado will be consulted.
Then, the central debates that have developed between these three currents will be discussed, as well as the main criticism that each of them has received from other positions in the field of global social sciences. The seminar has two central objectives: 1) to offer a unique reading of this sub-universe of sociology by highlighting the ways in which each current conceptualizes the relationship between the centers and the peripheries of world society; 2) to demonstrate the limits and the value that the central theses of these currents could have for understanding the current processes of transformation of world society.
The seminar will take place as a block on a weekend from Friday to Sunday. The exact date will be announced at the beginning of the semester. An introductory seesion will be held at the end of October. |