At the core of this book is the argument that, though the word "socialism" is widely held in disdain in the current discourse about the world's past and its future, the idea of socialism as collective rationality and popular democracy is far from dead.
Boswell and Chase-Dunn describe a spiral of capitalism and socialism—of economic expansion and social progress—that creates repeated opportunities for positive transformation at the global level. They contend that social democracy is both desirable and possible at the level of the world-system. And they present a straight-forward, compelling case in support of that contention.
The first section of the book explains the structural dynamics of the world-system. The second explores the great failures, and the limited successes, that were the outcome of efforts to build a state socialist "second world." A final section addresses the possible futures of the world-system and, especially, how to move realistically toward global democracy.
Terry Boswell was professor of sociology at Emory University. He wrote America's Changing Role in the World-System and Revolution in the World-System. Christopher Chase-Dunn is professor of sociology at the University of California, Riverside. His recent publications include and Global Conflict in the Future.
"Boswell and Chase-Dunn's contribution is not their articulation of a possible future, but their attempts to operationalize how global democracy can work and the institutions that are required to make such a social-political setup endure. They have taken up what Marx did not do..... Provides hope in a hope-less era of homogenization and continuing globalization."—Sing C. Chew, Journal of World-Systems Research
"Teaching this title generated interesting conversations and got students excited...my experience with the book was great!"—Bruce Podobnik
"However one feels about the relative virtues of socialist strategies per se, Boswell and Chase-Dunn definitely contribute to the theoretical "globalization" of our perspectives about what sort of critical process and dynamics we are attempting to survive in the short run. In the longer run, the goal of a better world in which to live can hardly be sneered at."—American Political Science Review
"Detailed, provocative, controversial.... A book all those interested in achieving a more democratic, more egalitarian world should read, and debate."—Immanuel Wallerstein
"Boswell and Chase-Dunn offer both a sober assessment of the historical limitations of state socialist experiments within a world capitalist system and an empirically grounded analysis of the long-term dynamic of world capitalism. This is a highly provocative book that deserves the closest attention."—Giovanni Arrighi
"In a stimulating argument, [Boswell and Chase-Dunn] suggest that even though 1989 marked the death of state socialism, the future is still open to a new global system built on both political and economic democracy."—Jack Goldstone
"Bold, provocative, and ultimately upbeat—a clear demonstration that macrohistory need not be abstract."—Janet Abu-Lughod
