World Systems Theory originated in the work of the late Immanuel Wallerstein, and before him, from the related theory of development: “Dependency Theory.” This program discusses how these theories explain the inequality between richer and poorer nations, providing an important corrective to both classical development perspectives and Marxist ones. It traces the history of how the underdeveloped nations developed in a direct relationship to the development of the richer nations, with the latter preventing the former from developing.
