THE PROCESSES OF SYSTEMIC INTEGRATION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

<div>The paper discusses some aspects of integration of different regions and societies</div><div>in the course of historical globalization. Within historical globalization</div><div>one can observe a close correlation between such important processes as technological</div><div>transformations, urbanization, political integration, struggle for political</div><div>hegemony, etc. In the paper we analyze these correlations to associate</div><div>historical globalization with phases of expansion. Within the expansion process</div><div>we point out seven levels from the local level through the planetary one.</div><div>The most significant changes were associated with crucial technological</div><div>breakthroughs, or production revolutions, and other related transformations</div><div>like the Urban Revolution. The latter can be regarded as a phase transition of</div><div>the Afroeurasian world-system to a qualitatively new level of complexity. There</div><div>are also several periods which one can define as landmarks in the worldsystem</div><div>history. The paper also offers some theoretical ideas about cycles of divergence</div><div>and convergence.