Tactical cosmopolitanism and idioms of belonging: Insertion and self-exclusion in Johannesburg

There are of course those working between these extremes, but rarely do those engaged with cosmopolitanism step down from generalization long enough to explore 'actually existing cosmopolitanism' or 'empirical-analytical cosmopolitanism'. But it is only by doing so can we move beyond rhetoric, speculation, and proselytising in ways that recognise how migrants, refugees, and other transnational actors are already forging new forms of cosmopolitanism.

Through its focus on inner-city Johannesburg's foreign-born population, this paper discusses a kind of 'cosmopolitanism from below' that is often lost amidst discussions of 'elite' cosmopolitanism and other debates over human rights, crime, or urban degradation/regeneration.