The contemporary concept of the nation-state arose from the Treaty of Westphalia1, and its rise to become the dominant form of social organization can arguably be considered as a direct consequence of decolonization2. The social sciences' emphasis on the nation-state as the primary unit or level of analysis can be seen as drawn from the sociological perspective of positivism, which sought to ground the social sciences in the quantifiable methodologies of the sciences. natural3, and in subsequent macrosociological developments4. However, although it provides a useful unit of categorization and compartmentalization, in the modern era the emphasis on the nation-state "...has proven taxing for the social sciences." in general and for social theory in particular. »5 As processes of globalization gain ground, it appears increasingly likely that “…the nation-state will erode as the basic unit of world politics”6, and many theorists have have proposed alternative formulations, such as Ulrich Beck's "risk society", Manuel Castells' "network society" or Samuel P. Huntington's "clash of civilizations". The positivist school of thought originated in the philosophical works of Auguste Compte, who theorized the movement as a "scientific and empirical theory of knowledge...a historical scheme and program of social reform."7 The methodologies of positivism have later employed by Émile Durkheim, who used them when studying suicide trends to argue for the existence of "social facts", which constitute the reality of a society, "...exist independently of each individual and exert on us what he calls “coercive power”8”. methodology that takes a broad view of the social...... middle of article ......first instance. However, while it is clear that the effects of globalization have produced a world characterized by myriad flows and interconnections on a global scale, the argument that the nation-state is redundant as a unit analysis can be considered fallacious. As Keith Suter notes, “[i]t is not possible to suddenly declare that the Westphalian system has ended and a new world system has taken its place.”38 Nation-states still play a relevant role in globally, although in many cases somewhat reduced capacity. As such, they remain unquestionably important in terms of social theory, although, as many theorists have suggested, it might be prudent to shift the focus of inquiry towards a global perspective. Despite these considerations, it is nevertheless clear, as Weiss argues, that "states are, and will likely remain for the foreseeable future, the principal actors in world affairs." ».”.39