Origins & Early Life

Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein ( also ; September 28, 1930 – August 31, 2019) was an American sociologist and economic historian. He is perhaps best known for his development in sociology of world-systems approach. He was a Senior Research Scholar at Yale University from 2000 until his death in 2019, and published bimonthly syndicated commentaries through Agence Global on world affairs from October 1998 to July 2019. He was the 13th president of International Sociological Association (1994–1998).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His parents, Sara Günsberg (born in 1895) and Menachem Lazar Wallerstein (born in 1890), were Polish Jews from Galicia who moved to Berlin, because of World War I, where they married in 1919. Two years later, Sara gave birth to their first son, Solomon. In 1923, the Wallerstein family emigrated to New York, where Immanuel was born. On the "list of alien passengers for the United States" at the time of his family's emigration, the nationality of his mother and brother was described as Polish. Having grown up in a politically conscious family, Wallerstein first became interested in world affairs as a teenager.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He received all three of his degrees from Columbia...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1930 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1930
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• 2019 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2019
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