Cosmopolitanizing Cosmopolitanism: Toward an Inclusive Theoretical Framework of Cosmopolitanism

• In Event: New Global Mediated of Publics, Citizenship(s), and Cosmopolitanism

Abstract

Recent literature on cosmopolitanism is rife with competing conceptual definitions of the term. I suggest that working toward a single conceptual definition would be counterproductive, and instead, propose a framework capable of accommodating various conceptualizations. According to this model, the first property of cosmopolitanism is an open orientation toward Others, which consists of two dimensions: receptivity toward difference and reflexivity. The second property is intercultural mobility, which consists of two dimensions: cultural diversity of one’s social network and level of social and economic capital. I suggest that the wide range of conceptual definitions for cosmopolitanism arises from the intersection of the dimensions of these two properties, and that this model illuminates the relationships between them. I then briefly review the way cosmopolitanism has been operationalized in some empirical studies, finding that the manner in which these authors discuss cosmopolitanism fits snuggly with the conceptual framework proposed herein.

Author

• Anissa Tanweer, University of Washington