Transnationalism

Transnationalism is a framework for analyzing social, economic, and political processes that unfold across borders, emphasizing the maintenance of ties that span national boundaries. Rather than treating migrants as briefly passing through host countries, transnationalism views them as active participants in multiple locales—home and host societies, as well as other places connected through kinship, trade, or the circulation of information and capital. Core elements include cross-border family networks, remittances, homeland politics, transnational entrepreneurship, and the movement of ideas, culture, and practices across borders. The concept challenges assimilationist models and the view that national belonging is tied to a single place of residence.

Scholars in sociology and anthropology popularized transnationalism in the 1990s, notably Basch, Glick Schiller, and Szanton Blanc in Nations Unbound (1994). They argued that migrants live in transnational social fields that connect households, organizations, and institutions across borders. Subsequent work refined concepts such as transnational social capital, diaspora politics, and cross-border governance, applying them to labor migration, refugee movements, and immigrant entrepreneurship.

Today, transnationalism informs research across disciplines, with methodological approaches ranging from multi-sited ethnography to quantitative analyses of remittances and digital connectivity. It complements and sometimes contrasts with assimilation or universalist theories by emphasizing the variable intensity of cross-border ties, which depend on policy regimes, economic conditions, and technological change. Critics argue that the concept can overstate continuity of ties or overlook structural constraints; scholars respond that transnationalism is a spectrum rather than a binary condition. The rise of digital platforms has amplified transnational networks, giving rise to digital transnationalism and online social fields.