Vol. 26, No. 3 (1999)

The articles in this issue attempt to add specificity and nuance to our understanding of the range of social processes implicit in the terms "globalization" and "transnationalism." Globalization and, to a lesser extent, transnationalism are terms deployed with increasing frequency as shorthand for complex social processes that occur beyond national boundaries.

Globalization suggests a qualitatively significant acceleration and intensification of economic, cultural, and political practices that extend across the globe. Transnationalism suggests the extent to which the social, economic, and political relations of migrant communities, as manifested in their daily lives, represent social fields that cross national boundaries. Although globalization often emphasizes the power and scope of hegemonic social forces, transnationalism more frequently refers to subaltern populations and raises the prospect of counter-hegemonic practices.

Contributors focus on collective identities, social problems, and movements, alliances, and organizations that are to some extent transnational in scope.