ABSTRACT
Transnational studies are playing a key role in illustrating this multiplicity. Transnational studies research "social, economic, cultural and demographic processes that take place within nations but also transcend them," that is globalization. The chapter discusses the work of the early conference planners and other scholars toward developing a useful research agenda for studying transnational migration. The introduction of radio and television into nearly every corner of the earth facilitates these grassroots politics. The "transnationalism from below" vision is profoundly democratic and empowering, a balm for those who see the world as hopelessly headed for homogeneity imposed by Western cultural and economic imperialism. To summarize, "transnationalism from below" requires, at a minimum, sensitivity to the social constellation of its actors. The courier example also raises another, related, question regarding the degree to which bodily mobility is accessible equally to all transmigrants.
