Task – ‘Open-source’ task. Theory – 10 point task – a ‘Open-source’ task. Find/identify main postulates of given great thinker/scholar [from Martin Griffiths

immanuel wallerstein
Immanuel Wallerstein is a prominent figure in the world-systems theory, which is a Marxist-oriented approach to analyzing the history and development of the modern world.

1. 
   Modern World-System: Wallerstein argues that the modern world is a single interconnected economic system, made up of core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral regions. These regions are defined by their position in the system, not their geographical location.
   
2. 
   Capitalist World-Economy: Wallerstein argues that the modern world-system is a capitalist world-economy, which is based on the exploitation of the peripheral regions by the core regions.
   
3. 
   Historical Materialism: Wallerstein's approach is based on the Marxist concept of historical materialism, which argues that economic conditions play a fundamental role in shaping human history.
   

Illustration of events/cases in IR:

1. 
   The rise of China and India as economic powers in recent decades can be seen as a challenge to the existing world-system, as they move from being peripheral regions to semi-peripheral regions.
   
2. 
   The global financial crisis of 2008, which had its roots in the US sub-prime mortgage market, is an example of how economic events in one part of the world can have far-reaching effects on the entire world-system.
   
3. 
   The ongoing conflict in Syria is an example of how the interests of core regions can collide in peripheral regions, leading to instability and violence. Wallerstein would argue that this conflict is not just a result of local factors, but is also shaped by the larger dynamics of the capitalist world-economy.
   

benedict anderson
Benedict Anderson is a prominent political scientist and international relations (IR) scholar. His main postulates include:

1. 
   The concept of "Imagined Communities": Anderson argues that nations and national identity are imagined constructs created by people and maintained through shared cultural practices and symbols.
   
2. 
   The role of print capitalism: Anderson argues that the rise of print capitalism and mass media played a critical role in the creation of imagined communities by spreading national ideologies and symbols across vast distances.
   
3. 
   The importance of language: Anderson asserts that language, particularly written language, is a key factor in the formation of imagined communities and the development of national consciousness.
   

Illustration of Events/Cases in IR:

1. 
   The rise of national identities in Europe: Anderson's ideas can be applied to the emergence of nation-states in Europe, where the spread of print capitalism and the standardization of national languages helped to solidify national identities.
   
2. 
   The independence of former colonies: Anderson's theory can also be used to understand the process of decolonization, where former colonies developed a national consciousness and imagined community through the spread of national symbols and ideas.
   
3. 
   The emergence of the global media and its impact on national identities: Anderson's ideas have implications for the study of the role of global media and the Internet in shaping national identities. With the rise of global media, the imagined community of a nation can now span the entire world, with people sharing symbols and cultural practices across great distances.