Why Write About Translocality?
“Translocality” has come into vogue. As a catchword, it appears in the writings of scholars from
a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, such as geography (Brickell and Datta 2011b; Castree
2004; Conradson and McKay 2007; Featherstone 2011; 2012b; Steinbrink 2009; Verne
2012), history and area studies (Freitag and von Oppen 2010b; Oakes and Schein 2006b), cultural
studies (Bennett and Peterson 2004; Ma 2002), anthropology (Appadurai 2003; Argenti
and Röschenthaler 2006; Escobar 2001; Gottowik 2010; Greiner 2010; Marion 2005;
Núñez-Madrazo 2007; Peleikis 2003) and development studies (Grillo and Riccio 2004;
Zoomers and Westen 2011). Sometimes, translocality (or translocalism) is merely used as a synonym
for transnationalism. In most cases, however, it is used to build upon and extend insights
from this long-established research tradition. As such, the term usually describes phenomena
involving mobility, migration, circulation and spatial interconnectedness not necessarily limited
to national boundaries. But what can the idea of translocality offer beyond these obvious
similarities? How is it defined by those authors who employ it? Is it merely an extension of
transnationalism, or should it be understood as a theoretical concept in its own right?
In this review, we critically engage with these questions. We start by tracing the conceptual
relation between transnationalism and translocality and explore how the latter serves to
overcome some of the conceptual weaknesses of the former. We then turn to the current
literature in order to determine the similarities and differences between the various current
definitions of translocalism and to explore two central dimensions of the concept: mobility
and place. We briefly review research areas where the concept has been applied so far and
by extension postulate that the concept should be considered a research perspective in its
own right (rather than merely an extension of transnationalism). We conclude by pointing