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Journals / Türk Akademik Sosyal Bilimler Araştırma Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2

The Dialectic of World-System Analysis and Area Studies: Re-evaluating the Categories of Core, Periphery, and Semi-Periphery

Dünya-Sistem Analizi ve Bölge Çalışmalarının Diyalektiği: Merkez, Çevre ve Yarı-Çevre Kategorilerinin Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi

Ali Kiriktaş0000-0003-4209-0094
Pages
83–95
Publication Date
2026-08-20
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Consequently, it is argued that understanding the complex global dynamics of the 21st century requires developing analytical frameworks that sustain this dialectical tension between structure and agency, the universal and the particular.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This article examines the apparent epistemological opposition between the macro-structural logic of World-System Analysis, developed by Immanuel Wallerstein, and the micro-contextual depth of Area Studies.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The Turkish example demonstrates that the semi-periphery category is a contradictory space between structural pressures and strategic manoeuvres.
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Conclusion & Impact:Consequently, it is argued that understanding the complex global dynamics of the 21st century requires developing analytical frameworks that sustain this dialectical tension between structure and agency, the universal and the particular.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dünya-Sistem Analizi · Bölge Çalışmaları · Merkez-Çevre

Abstract

This article examines the apparent epistemological opposition between the macro-structural logic of World-System Analysis, developed by Immanuel Wallerstein, and the micro-contextual depth of Area Studies. It argues that the tension between these two approaches constitutes a productive dialectic that reveals the limitations of analysing the global order through either a universalising or a particularising lens. The article argues for the necessity of a synthesis that treats Wallerstein's categories of core, periphery, and semi-periphery not as static geographical destinies but as dynamic relational processes shaped by both global structures and local agency. This synthesised framework is used to analyse the contemporary positions of Turkey and China. The Turkish example demonstrates that the semi-periphery category is a contradictory space between structural pressures and strategic manoeuvres. China's rise, meanwhile, questions the flexibility and limits of the hierarchical structure of World-System Analysis, highlighting the critical role of the state in changing a region's position within the world-system. Consequently, it is argued that understanding the complex global dynamics of the 21st century requires developing analytical frameworks that sustain this dialectical tension between structure and agency, the universal and the particular.

Özet

Bu makale, Immanuel Wallerstein tarafından geliştirilen Dünya-Sistem Analizi’nin makro-yapısal mantığı ile Bölge Çalışmaları’nın mikro-bağlamsal derinliği arasındaki görünürdeki epistemolojik karşıtlığı incelemektedir. Bu iki yaklaşım arasındaki gerilimin, küresel düzeni yalnızca evrenselleştirici ya da tikelci bir mercekle analiz etmenin sınırlarını ortaya koyan üretken bir diyalektik olduğu savunulmaktadır. Makale, Wallerstein’ın merkez, çevre ve yarı-çevre kategorilerini statik coğrafi kaderler olarak değil hem küresel yapılar hem de yerel faillik tarafından şekillendirilen dinamik ilişkisel süreçler olarak ele alan bir sentezin gerekliliğini öne sürmektedir. Bu sentezlenmiş çerçeve, Türkiye ve Çin’in çağdaş konumlarını analiz etmek için kullanılmaktadır. Türkiye örneği, yarı-çevre kategorisinin yapısal baskılar ile stratejik manevralar arasındaki çelişkili bir alan olduğunu göstermektedir. Çin’in yükselişi ise, Dünya-Sistem Analizi’nin hiyerarşik yapısının esnekliğini ve sınırlarını sorgulamakta, bir bölgenin dünya-sistemindeki konumunu değiştirmede devletin kritik rolünü ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuç olarak, 21. yüzyılın karmaşık küresel dinamiklerini anlamanın, yapı ve fail, evrensel ve tikel arasındaki bu diyalektik gerilimi sürdüren analitik çerçeveler geliştirmekten geçtiği iddia edilmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kiriktaş, A. (2026). The Dialectic of World-System Analysis and Area Studies: Re-evaluating the Categories of Core, Periphery, and Semi-Periphery. Türk Akademik Sosyal Bilimler Araştırma Dergisi, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2, 83–95. https://doi.org/10.59372/turajas.1861425

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