Daniel Chernilo workshop

Author´s main point is that social sciences need a cosmopolitan turn (global transformation of
thinking needs it). Big cultural problems of nowadays are not on nation-state level anymore. To
redefine cosmopolitanism is goal of many branches including geography, anthropology, ethnology,
international relations, and last but not least sociology and social theory. He warns we must
differ between cosmopolitanism and globalization and related terms like transnationalism,
universalism or glocalization. The term isn´t tied with cosmos or globe, doesn´t talk about
anything what includes everything.

Cosmopolitanism is a critique of a methodological nationalism, which in a fact means that social
scientists equate society with national society, they expect that actions of social actors occurs
within these divisions primarily. This critique doesn´t attack an opinion that nation-state reaches
its end, it is all about national-state organization can´t be a reference point for the social
scientific observation anymore. Almost all debates about globalization is now interpreted through
methodological nationalism. It is quite difficult to leave nation-state discourse, because of
character of research – the statistic data are based on nation’s base.

On the other hand, there is critique of cosmopolitanism for its evaluation position. It cannot
separate what is and what should be. Beck differs between methodological and normative nationalism,
but still, it doesn´t mean, that cosmopolitanism can or should ignore varieties in national law,
history or politics.

Beck says, we have to differ between cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitanization, same as we differ
between modernity and modernization. Process of cosmopolitanization is bound up not just with
ideas, but also with symbols and ritual, these are relevant for social analysis. Thank to them, now
many people feel like national identity is natural and cosmopolitan identity is an construct. But
nowadays people can feel as a part of a threatened world, even if their local roots and history is
important for them. Traditionally Beck talks about risk society and calculates risks – ecological,
economic, terrorist, and moral. These global risks can sharp global consciousness. People share
same memory (for example of some disaster) and this cosmopolitanization of memory can create new
solidarity.


Beck, U., N. Sznaider. 2006. Unpacking cosmopolitanism for the social sciences: a research agenda.
The British Journal of Sociology 57(1).