Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein

About the Author

Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein was a pioneering sociologist and historian whose groundbreaking work reshaped our understanding of global capitalism and world systems. Born in 1930 in New York City, Wallerstein earned his PhD from Columbia University and spent much of his career at institutions like McGill University and Binghamton University, where he founded the Fernand Braudel Center for the Study of Economies, Historical Systems, and Civilizations. His world-systems theory, which views the modern world as a single capitalist economy divided into core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral zones, challenged traditional Eurocentric narratives and emphasized long-term historical processes. Wallerstein's prolific scholarship, spanning over five decades, influenced fields from economics to political science, advocating for a holistic approach to global inequalities. He passed away in 2019, leaving a legacy of critical thought on globalization and social change, exemplified in collections like The Essential Wallerstein.