Conclusion: Towards a new world - the origins and effects of transnational activities

The preceding set of articles is reviewed with a focus on the forces affecting the rise and character of grass-roots transnationalism and its effects in countries of origin and destination. The increasing visibility of the phenomenon has led to recent attacks based on its alleged disintegrative consequences for the host society and culture. From a review of the evidence in this volume and the recent literature on immigrant adaptation, I conclude that the opposite is the case. Implications of findings presented in this collection for official policies towards transnationalism and the latter's effect on sending countries are examined.