Between national rootedness and cosmopolitan openness: Investigating the politics of belonging as an 'overseas Filipino' in Australia

Cosmopolitanism has been acknowledged as being more suitable for investigating the ways in which migrants respond to the challenges brought on by neoliberal globalisation. However, despite its popularity, social scientists have criticised the concept of cosmopolitanism for reinforcing a binary of difference through its rejection of ethnic separateness and national transcendence. This thesis aims to make a theoretical and empirical contribution to Philippines studies and cosmopolitanism research by investigating the politics of belonging to three 'overseas Filipino' community organisations. This thesis draws on empirical data to illuminate a pluralistic view of collective domains of commonality in an age of globalisation.