Transnational Social Fields: A Bourdieusian Perspective against Territorial Trap

Year 2024, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 84 - 97, 15.05.2024

İdil Ataoğlu

Abstract

Transnational phenomena, like the movement of people, goods, and information, have arisen from the global shift and led to intense mobility across national and territorial borders. The social capital and resources gained through social interactions and social networks like family, friends, and occupational associations bridge physical boundaries and link people from different regions. This study focuses on how different types of capital, with a specific focus on social capital and networks, shape transnational social fields and investigates how the territorial trap can be overcome when analyzing transnational social fields. The main objective is to demonstrate how social capital influences transnational communities by criticizing traditional ideas based solely on regional proximity. The study focuses on a theoretical examination of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, and habitus in the axis of transnational social fields. In conclusion, it is argued that incorporating Bourdieu’s concepts into the conceptualization of transnational social fields could help transcend the limitations of the territorial trap.

Keywords

Territorial trap, transnational social field, capital, habitus

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