The Section on Political Economy of the World-System (PEWS) brings together scholars committed to the critical study of the capitalist world-economy and other historical social systems. The PEWS Section seeks to foster an intellectual tradition rooted in the anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist analyses forged during struggles for decolonization by scholars in the Global South.

With a focus on world-systemic dynamics, PEWS members are united by their use of political economy as an analytical frame, while exploring the intersection of political-economic change with race, gender, class, imperialism, neo-colonialism, and the environment.

This Section maintains PEWS’ legacy as a radical critique of disciplinary boundaries and thus embraces diverse disciplinary, epistemological, theoretical, and methodological approaches. We seek to provide a forum for intellectual exchange and debate among kindred sociologists, scholars, activist-practitioners, and teachers in both the Global North and the Global South.

We welcome members with wide-ranging substantive interests in world historical perspectives and are strongly committed to promoting a diverse membership.