ABSTRACT
Cosmopolitanism crops up regularly in debates about modern societies, and over the last few years social scientists have been exploring it afresh. Historically, the concept was used in opposition to nationalism, particularly by the anti-Semitic right in France at the turn of the last century who denounced the superficiality and rootlessness of international elites (Winock 1997). Vertovec and Cohen (2002) identify several trends among the recent perspectives on cosmopolitanism. It has been understood as an individual attribute of openness towards other cultures, as a project uniting political bodies across national borders and as a project of citizenship that can cope with subjects’ multiple affiliations, especially their ethnic or cultural ones. Some therefore see cosmopolitanism as an alternative to ‘tired’ models of multiculturalism. Globalization frames these discussions and brings out the urban dimensions of cosmopolitanism, given the concentration of ethno-cultural diversity in large cities and the role that cities play in advanced economies.
