The Global City as a Space for Transnational Identity Politics

Main author: Adamson, Fiona
Other authors: Koinova, Maria
Format: Monographs and Working Papers           
Online access: Click here to view record


id eprints-17378
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Global Cities are key nodes in circuits of transnational political activity. As dense spaces of political interaction, cities provide bundles of material, political and ideational resources that allow for the generation of new identities and frames of meaning, shifts in tactical and strategic alliances, and network brokerage activities. The key function of cities in facilitating transnationalism has not been adequately explored in the existing International Relations literature on transnationalism. In this paper, we use the case of London as a Global City to examine how its features as a dense institutional context; a node in multiple global networks; and as a resource-rich environment creates a creative space for innovations in transnational politics. We focus on the strategies employed by identity-based transnational political entrepreneurs and discuss four mechanisms of mobilization: brokerage (the linking of disparate networks), strategic framing (the use of symbolic politics), coalition-building (the forging of alliances between organizations) and social learning or mediated diffusion (the adoption of new ideas and practices). Our analysis challenges both standard state-centric and single-case study accounts of transnational activity, suggesting a novel site of investigation for IR scholars.
format Monographs and Working Papers
author Adamson, Fiona
author_facet Adamson, Fiona
Koinova, Maria
authorStr Adamson, Fiona
author_letter Adamson, Fiona
author2 Koinova, Maria
author2Str Koinova, Maria
title The Global City as a Space for Transnational Identity Politics
publishDate 2013
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/17378/