RN15 - Global, transnational and cosmopolitan sociology

Sociology has traditionally worked with the nation-state as its main unit of analysis. However, recent world-wide developments made it necessary to advance existing sociological methods to understand increasingly transnational and global levels of social reality. Therefore, on the one hand, this research network focuses on the study of social structures and processes that transcend or go beyond the national level. The field covers a wide range of phenomena, some of them emphasising consciousness of the world as one place, others transnational by definition, still others with a global-local relational nature, and some that may be rooted in a nation-state but have important transnational dimensions. On the other hand, the overriding reason for proposing this RN is the substantial lack of knowledge and understanding regarding the emergence of transnational shared practices, cultures and patterns of affiliation.

Over the last few decades, a sizeable body of cross disciplinary research has focused on the development and impact of a global society on individual lives. One of the widely accepted consequences of the globalized society is the development of individual outlooks, behaviours and feelings that transcend local and national boundaries. Within this broad scope, network researchers address the dynamics of formation and transnational spread of ideas, institutions and practices in a broad range of areas, for instance in social movements and civil societies, politics and policies, management and organisation, religion, and popular culture and the arts. Moreover, our proposal is to develop a transnational approach by considering Europe as part of global processes as well as by comparing it with other regions, with which Europe’s existing mobility and exchanges are now stronger than ever. The network aims to connect and synergise the independent work of members within the guidelines set by the ESA.