ABSTRACT
The fundamental thesis of this book suggests that German society has experienced a radical transformation process over the course of the past few decades. It has become heterogenized, spatially and socially expanded, transnationalized. These changes cannot be ascribed solely to the influx of migrants; they also arise from horizontal networks established by Germans with other countries and with people from other cultures, and by new forms of mobility. A previously enclosed and nationally self-contained society now represents itself as increasingly involved in transnational social fields. A large part of the population is embedded in transnational contexts, be it in the context of families and family networks, circles of friends and acquaintances, the work environment, or during leisure activities.
