The concept of globalization has rose dramatically in recent years throughout various academic disciplines, specifically historians interested in present time globalization. They have emphasized the roots of interactions and connections between various parts of the world that have recently modernized with new methods of communication. Donald R. Wright, author of “The World and a Very Small Place in Africa,” makes distinct links connecting local history to global history. Wright uses archival materials, oral history and theories from Immanuel Wallerstein about “world-systems.” In eight chapters he explores the process of incorporation of a small territory in Gambia called ‘Niumi’ and ties it into the world economic and political system dating all the way back to the fifteenth century. The region was assigned a specific economic role within a worldwide setting. There are two main themes incorporated in this book, world-systems analysis and its attendant dependency theories. Wright shows how Niumi succeeds as part of Wallerstein periphery to the capitalist world economic core, and how the process of dependence unfolded and afflicted the people of Niumi particularly over the …show more content…
Niumi became “one of the areas of low-cost production for the expanding world economy” specializing in large-scale peanut production and exporting, and also attracting seasonal farmers from neighboring colonies (p 126). While production was increasing, the education system and medical treatment were extremely lacking in this era for Niumi residents. A sign of globalization came into play in 1951 when the government opened a health center. The end of the chapter talks about developments in other colonies and how WWII and its consequences provided the facilitator for policy change that led to decolonization and its independence in