Compaso

Abstract: The multidisciplinary making of transnational migration studies has inevitably produced different definitions of transnationalism and, consequently, several approaches of transnational dynamics, each aiming at the development of the most appropriate analytical and methodological tools. In this paper, we look at theoretical innovations and promises having emerged in the field of transnational migration studies, outlining some internal points of tension / agreement and their conceptual and methodological implications, not only for the future of transnational scholarship, but also in terms of their contribution and connection to general social theory. We do not assume the daunting task of summarizing transnational research in different domains of social inquiry (culture, economics, politics etc.) but try to highlight some of the most challenging epistemological interrogations and to identify possible paths of integration which will reflect even better the interdisciplinary vocation of transnational migration studies.

Keywords: Transnational studies, methodological nationalism, methodological territorialism, globalization, locality