SDD OAAA Soe BEFORE EUROPEAN HEGEMONY ‘The World System A.p 1250-1350 JANET L. ABU-LUGHOI) New York Oxfond OXFORD UNIVERSTTY pegs 1949Lay oe ‘To the memory of my parents who encouraged in me an josatiable curiosityPreface 1 his The Smee of Scientfc Revolutions, Thoms Kun se El that one of the major ways in which corte pats ‘hout he work changes through the aecumulaton of aman thats observations and pees of dts that 8 ot "tk it ex ‘sting theories and generations or canna be accounted for by existing pratigns. The Kansan postion, however, areas overis nth "eal work” tat fore ehinking of approaches, This coves the hase postivism of his atumptons sts pt an be taken only ine bev awe Maton eal real tra “This book hens from » somewhat diferent premise. Pat larly inthe soil and cura scenes, anomalous fining ea nse from what sin he oberer a well hat tobe observed, This more relativistic ew ssumes tat scenic knowledge fe soxily constructed. ITknowlede sot sme deme a ‘ct womorphie witht word but rather i poco thc lective definition, that, it represents tansen hon “consensus abou the West the lows that malo ese information hut new vantage pens rom which clerce ‘xing ones can produce paraipmatc revolutions Several recent tansormatiany in sociisorcal work ine forced reformation of prior knowlege, Some hive ane fn now fats, tt most have Been made pile by changes th he ienies of knowers or have derived foun changes In ways owing Let me single out ow