Saskia Sassen
Dutch-American sociologist who coined the term 'global city'.
Saskia Sassen, born January 5, 1947, is a Dutch-American sociologist known for her work on globalization and international migration. She holds professorships in sociology at Columbia University in New York City and at the London School of Economics. Sassen introduced and popularized the concept of the "global city" in her 1991 book *The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo*.
Sassen began her higher education in 1966, studying philosophy and political science for a year each at the Université de Poitiers in France and the University of Buenos Aires. From 1969, she studied sociology and economics at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, earning an M.A. in 1971 and a Ph.D. in 1974 under Fabio Dasilva. She also received a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Poitiers in 1970.
After a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs, Sassen held various academic roles, including the Ralph Lewis Professorship at the University of Chicago. She is currently the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia and a Centennial Visiting Professor of Political Economy at the London School of Economics. During the 1980s and 1990s, she became a prolific writer in urban sociology, examining how globalization reshapes economies and how labor and capital movements affect urban life. She also explored the impact of communication technology on governance, observing that nation-states lose control over these developments, and studied rising transnationalism, including migration. Her 1991 book *The Global City* made her a widely cited authority on globalization; an updated edition followed in 2001. In the early 2000s, her research focused on immigration and globalization through her "denationalization" and "transnationalism" projects. Her books have been translated into 21 languages.
Sassen was born in The Hague, Netherlands. In 1948, her parents—Willem Sassen, a Dutch collaborator, Nazi journalist, and Waffen-SS member, and Miep van der Voort—moved the family to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She spent part of her youth in Italy and says she was "brought up in five languages." She is married to sociologist Richard Sennett.
Sassen has received several honorary degrees: in urbanism from Delft University of Technology (2004); from the Universidad de Murcia and École normale supérieure in Paris
- born
- January 5, 1947
- field
- Sociology
- nationality
- Dutch-American
- known_for
- Coining and popularizing the term 'global city'
Lore & Background
Saskia Sassen was born in The Hague, Netherlands in 1947. In 1948, her parents moved to Argentina, and she spent part of her youth in Italy, being brought up in five languages. From 1966, she studied philosophy and political science at universities in France and Argentina, then earned an M.A. in 1971 and a Ph.D. in 1974 in sociology and economics from the University of Notre Dame, under Fabio Dasilva. She also received a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Poitiers in 1970.
After a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard's Center for International Affairs, Sassen held academic positions including Ralph Lewis Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago. She is currently Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and Centennial Visiting Professor of Political Economy at the London School of Economics. During the 1980s and 1990s, she emerged as
Reader's Guide
Saskia Sassen's significance lies in her foundational work on globalization and urban sociology, particularly her identification and description of the 'global city' as a new type of urban center that serves as a command point for the global economy. Her 1991 book The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo became a widely cited text, and the term itself entered common academic and policy discourse. Sassen's research on the mobility of labor and capital, economic restructuring, and the influence of communication technology on governance challenged traditional nation-state-centric views. She studied how transnational human migration and the movements of capital reshape urban life and sovereignty. Her concepts of 'denationalization' and 'transnationalism' further influenced immigration and globalization studies. Sassen's work has been recognized with multiple honorary degrees and the Premio Princesa de Asturias in social sciences in 2013. Her legacy endures through her extensive publications, which have been translated into 21 languages, and her ongoing role as a professor at Columbia University and the London School of Economics.
Did You Know?
- Sassen was born in The Hague, Netherlands in 1947.
- Her father, Willem Sassen, was a Dutch collaborator, Nazi journalist, and member of the Waffen-SS.
- She earned a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Poitiers in 1974.
- She received the Premio Princesa de Asturias in social sciences in 2013.
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