ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses a rich combination of theoretical reflections and grounded studies of transnational processes. It examines five main analytical themes: the political organization of transnational space; the centrality of "locality" in a historicized sense; the constitution and reproduction of transnational networks through material and symbolic exchange; transnationalism and identity politics; and the development of viable approaches for studying transnationalism. The book illustrates a dimension of locality and translocality, namely, that the historically particular forging of translocal relations significantly mediates the patterns of global investment as well as migration. It addresses three factors connected to the processes of migration, namely: the micro-dynamics of migration; the globalization of capitalism and economic reorganization of the economy; and the technological revolution.
