I write with a request for help from members of the listserv on two related inquiries. I regularly teach a course on the origins of capitalism in Europe, which presents major theories including those of Smith, Marx, and Weber among others. I’m looking for recommendations for assignable, survey-level undergraduate reading on the following two matters:
First, I am hoping that members of the list could recommend an article-length survey of the state of scholarly opinion about development economics. I understand that views in the field have changed greatly over the past several decades, with left-wing and right-wing positions. My understanding is also that the universalist model of stadial change (primitive agricultural society => industrial revolution => modern commercial or service society) has also changed or become seen as discredited by many scholars.
My second inquiry is related. I am interested in “world systems” theory – not so much as a presentist critique of global capitalism but more as a historical theory about the emergence of capitalism. I have not found any reading on the topic which is accessible to average American college students. (I teach in History, not Economics.) Most of my students have great difficulty understanding Immanuel Wallerstein’s own work. Could anyone recommend works on this topic which they or others have successfully assigned to college students?
Any recommendations would be most appreciated. Thank you all in advance!
Colin Wilder
Colin F. Wilder
Assistant Professor, Department of History
Associate Director, Center for Digital Humanities (cdhsc.org)
Technical Director, Victorian Lives and Letters Consortium (vllc.org)
University of South Carolina