ABSTRACT
Migrant organizations are of crucial relevance in the everyday life of people, as interaction partners of other collective or corporate actors, and for societies and states. This might not always be evident in public life, and some scholars and politicians might consider them as an ephemeral phenomenon losing importance once migrants fully integrate. From a transnational perspective, migration has always been and in times of globalization is even more an integral part of human life. Consequently, transnational migrant organizations (TMOs) are a relevant part of cross-border economic, social, political and cultural activities. They have effects on social spaces in countries of origin, transit and arrival. They are relevant for managing remittances, act as instruments or outcomes of social movements, work in humanitarian crises, organize interest representation and claims-making and (re)produce feelings of belonging. Starting from sociology of organizations and transnational studies, in this chapter, we define concepts of organizations, of cross-border and of transnational organizations. Based on a broader and a narrower concept of TMO, we present relevant empirical findings from various regions and areas of activities, and we discuss their relevance in the context of emerging transnational social spaces and the future of globalization.
