This article offers a new account of localization as a focal point of social research.

What is it about?

Localism is prominent in Euro-skepticism or American protests against neoliberalism, whereas ultra-right parties and groups, ranging from France to the US, deploy the local as a key ingredient of their worldview. Its presence is visible on the political agendas of most nations, and it takes many different forms. Thus far, theoretical explorations of the local do not by any means come close to the detailed and voluminous literature on cosmopolitanism and globalization. To address this lacuna, the following discussion aims to: (a) present the main strands or interpretations of the local as they have emerged in social scientific discourse, (b) explore the repercussions of treating the local as a secondary or derivative category in sociological analysis and argue in favor of its analytical autonomy, and (c) offer a different account of the local and localization as a focal point of research. In this regard, the argument covers the theoretical terrain from glocalization to the notion of localization.

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Photo by Matt Donders on Unsplash

Photo by Matt Donders on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Theoretical explorations of the local do not by any means come close to the detailed and voluminous literature on cosmopolitanism and globalization. The article aims to: (a) present the main strands or interpretations of the local as they have emerged in social scientific discourse, (b) explore the repercussions of treating the local as a secondary or derivative category in sociological analysis and argue in favor of its analytical autonomy, and (c) offer a different account of the local and localization as a focal point of research.