Conclusions: Transitions and the ‘Transatlantic’ Playground

Abstract

Five contributions beg attention: (a) the transatlantic geographical boundaries were extended far beyond the ocean itself; (b) the pre-1945 history is shown to be not just relevant, but in many cases crucial to understanding/refining contemporary concepts, institutions, and behavioral patterns; (c) several new analytical dimensions were postulated, with the mind-set leading them all; (d) although transatlantic dynamics could not be placed under any specific theoretical arrangements, the recurring resort to self-help by disparate players suggest ‘realism’ of whatever stripe, should not be fully dismissed or remain far from any interpretive framework; and (e) the ever-present influence of transitions, of both short-term and long-term duration, with the key one being the global→ regional→ global, exposing how enveloped ‘transatlantic studies’ has been by globalizing forces. Policy-making implications at the global-local interface, national, regional, multilateral, and transnational levels then get surveyed. Together, the demand for another ‘family’-based rubric to encapsulate ‘transatlantic studies’ rings too loud to ignore.