Immanuel Wallerstein was one of the most influential intellectuals of his generation. The extraordinarily prolific scholar published countless books and articles and was a pathbreaking historical sociologist and a pioneer in African Studies, among other fields. While his career has been well-known, especially his development of world-systems analysis, there is much more to discover about Wallerstein’s impact and legacy. One relatively unexplored aspect of his career is his formative years as a student and faculty member at Columbia University, a period when the university, and the world, were radically transformed by the upheavals caused by World War II, the outbreak of the Cold War, and the advent of decolonization. Toward the end of his time at Columbia, Wallerstein sought to interpret how these world historical events transformed the American university.

This conference aims to explore the transformations that influenced, and were influenced by, Immanuel Wallerstein during his years at Columbia. It was during this period that he helped transform sociology as an undergraduate student of intellectual giants like C. Wright Mills, and later as a graduate student, when he made his turn toward politics and history while studying with Seymour Martin Lipset, Hans Zetterberg, and Robert S. Lynd. As a faculty member at Columbia in the 1960s, Wallerstein’s career was profoundly shaped by the outbreak of “antisystemic” movements throughout the world. Wallerstein’s engagements with the movements for African independence led him to offer foundational analyses of the politics of decolonization on the continent. And it was also in this period when Wallerstein was influenced by, and a participant in, the outbreak of what he called the antisystemic movements of 1968. Indeed, the conference will be timed with the republication of Wallerstein’s University in Turmoil: The Politics of Change, which was originally published in 1969 the aftermath of the protests at Columbia.

The conference aims to provoke urgent conversations in another moment when world historical events are dramatically transforming the American university. The conference, together with the republication of Wallerstein’s still-timely book, also offers an occasion for colleagues and students at Columbia and beyond to reflect on recent events and their implications both locally and globally.

Conference organizers

Frank Guridy, Columbia University
Reinhold Martin, Columbia University
Bruce Robbins, Columbia University
Katharine Wallerstein, Wallerstein Institute, Paris

Please email [email protected] to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs. This event will be recorded. By being present, you consent to the SOF/Heyman using such video for promotional purposes.