Interaction networks and structural globalization: A comparative world-systems perspective

The historical trajectory of structural globalization is an attribute of the modern interstate system and earlier systems of societies. We define structural globalization as the increasing spatial scale and intensity of interaction networks. We contend that interaction networks are far superior to cultural area and regional approaches for bounding human social systems. This article discusses methodological and conceptual issues in bounding human social systems and their interactions with the natural environment and examines several recent innovations in information technology that facilitate the study of interaction networks.