| Current international politics---and globalization in particular---are best understood by tracing their historical development. Consequently, this researcher undertakes a structured, comparative case study analysis of four regions---the northwest coast of America, the Asante Kingdom of West Africa, Abyssinia/Ethiopia, and Japan---and examines how they were absorbed into the expanding European-centered state system. In addition to textual analysis, historically contemporary maps help 'operationalize' the stages of systemic expansion. Socio-cultural, political, and economic change occurs upon contact between civilizations and these early changes are largely overlooked in current literature; this research seeks to redress this deficiency.; The case studies illustrate several findings. First, information and disinformation act as mechanisms for initial expansion into the zone of ignorance that surrounds any system. Second, high-risk, high-return behavior characterized by a trade in bullion, luxury goods or myths of such goods' existence drives early contact. Third, significant state-building activity occurs well before a region is considered incorporated. Fourth, relative systemic status is a continuously mediated process, and external polity strength is crucial to determining systemic incorporation. Fifth, traditional views of international systems are overly Eurocentric and historically limited.; Understanding systemic change offers insight for grasping the nature of globalization and suggests possible future scenarios of systemic development. Thus, the dissertation calls for a paradigm shift away from traditional power issues of international politics toward a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding global relations. Refining and expanding the current body of world-systems theory furthers this goal and offers a more complete, broadly historical picture of global relations. |
