Anti-Systemic Movements Pa

Antisystemic Movements is an eloquent and concise history of popular resistance and class struggle by the leading exponents of the "world-systems" perspective on capitalism. Basing itself on an analysis of resistance movements since the emergence of capitalism, it shows that while some early forms were successful in their own terms, ultimately they did not impede the consolidation of the modern capitalist world-system. Taking the year 1968 as a symbolic turning-point, the authors argue that "new" antisystemic movements have arisen which challenge the logic of the capitalist world-system more centrally than ever before. These new movements have a different ethnic and gender composition and different ways of organizing, while their key inspirations show an increasing ability to cross national boundaries. The authors suggest that the new assertiveness of the south, the development of class struggle in the east and the emergence of rainbow coalitions in different world zones might hold out the promise of a future socialist world-system.

Giovanni Arrighi (1937–2009) was Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. His books include The Long Twentieth Century, Adam Smith in Beijing, and, with Beverly Silver, Chaos and Governance in the Modern World System. His work has appeared in many publications, including New Left Review—who published<a href="http://www.newleftreview.org/?page=article&amp;view=2771"> an interview on his life-long intellectual trajectory</a> in March–April 2009, and <a href="http://www.newleftreview.org/?view=2814">an obituary</a> in Nov–Dec 2009—and there are more accounts on his <a href="http://www.sympathytree.com/giovanniarrighi1937/">memorial website</a>.

Terence K. Hopkins is the author of The Age of Transition and co-author of Anti-Systemic Movements.

Immanuel Wallerstein is director of the Fernand Braudel Center at the State University of New York. His books include a three-volume study, The Modern World-System, Historical Capitalism, and, cowritten with Etienne Balibar, Race, Nation, Class.