ABSTRACT
This chapter inserts the concept of glocalization into contemporary debates about transnationalism and cosmopolitanism. Both of these terms are among the most widely employed keywords in twenty first-century social-scientific debates. They are also used in everyday language. The increasing strength of transnational connections raises the question of whether transnationalism leads to greater levels of cosmopolitanism and whether localism is a reaction to both. This chapter’s opening section is an effort to sort out varied understandings and connotations of these terms. The objective is to gain conceptual clarity regarding the differences between the two terms. Next, I introduce a theoretical framework that connects glocalization to transnationalism. The transnational experience should be conceived as involving several layers, ranging from the construction of transnational social spaces to the formation of transnational communities. Hence, transnationalism’s relationship to cosmopolitanism is less straightforward than what it may seem at first glance. The reality of glocalization is responsible for the transformation of people’s everyday lives irrespective of whether they are transnational or not.
