A Cosmopolitanism from Below: Alternative Globalization and the Creation of a Solidarity without BoundsThe research for and writing of this paper were made possible by a Canada-US. Fulbright Program Fellowship and a Standard Research Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Earlier versions of the paper were presented to the Cultural Sociology Workshop, Yale University, February 2004; the International Studies Association Annual Convention, Montreal, March 2004; and the International Social Theory Consortium Annual Meeting, Toronto, June 2004. I would like to thank the participants at these events, notably Jeffrey Alexander, Feyzi Baban, Ron Eyerman, Fuat Keyman, and Philip Smith. I also benefitted greatly from Albert Banerjeeʼs and Sabina Heilmanʼs research assistance.

This paper aims to demonstrate that cosmopolitanism should be understood as a transnational mode of practice, whereby actors construct bonds of mutual commitment and reciprocity across borders through public discourse and sociopolitical struggle. This practice oriented perspective allows us to question three of the main assumptions imbedded within most frameworks theorizing global solidarity, namely cultural homogenization, political fragmentation, and social thinness. To illustrate my argument, I draw upon examples taken from the alternative globalization movement.Lʼobjectif est de montrer que le cosmopolitisme doit être compris comme une modalité transnationale de lʼagir dans laquelle les acteurs sociaux construisent les règles de leurs engagements mutuels par-delà les frontières au travers de prise de position publique et de conflit sociopolitique. Cette prise de position orientée action ouvre sur la mise en question de trois des principaux présupposés quʼon trouvc dans la plupart des théorisations de la solidarité globale: homogénéisation culturelle, fragmentation politique et étroitesse sociale. Des exemples à lʼappui sont tirés du mouvement altermondialiste.Als länderübergreifende Initiative verstanden, erlaubt der Kosmopolitismus den Tarifpartnern grenzübergreifend im Rahmen öffentlicher Auftritte und sozialer Konflikte Vereinbarungen zu treffen. Diese praxisbezogene Stellungnahme erlaubt uns drei Behauptungen zu hinterfragen, die jeder Theorie der globalen Solidarität zugrunde liegen: kulturelle Einheit, politische Zersplitterung und soziale Schwäche. Drei Beispiele, der Bewegung der Globalisierungsgegner entnommen, dienen hier als Untersuchungsmaterial.