Cosmopolitanism in situ: conjoining local and universal concerns in a Malmö neighbourhood

Abstract

This article explores an in situ approach to the emergence of cosmopolitanism as domains of common interest and aspiration. Adopting a cosmopolitan lens that does not assume the central role of categories of diversity in structuring social relationships, the article captures the dialectics between the material place, which facilitates interactions and the social space created in the course of engaged practice in a specific urban setting. The cosmopolitan lens made visible the ways in which local and global concerns and dynamics of power are emplaced in Möllevången, in Malmö, Sweden, a neighbourhood defined by a local history of immigration and activism as well as by the globe-spanning processes of urban restructuring. Locally organised cultural and political events and initiatives promote a sense of belonging to the neighbourhood and conjoin particular and universal commitments towards environmental issues, human rights, equality and social justice.