Opportunity Structures In Diaspora Relations

This volume consists of papers from the 2006 International Symposium on Diaspora Politics, "Opportunity Structures in Diaspora Relations: Comparisons in Contemporary Multilevel Politics of Diaspora and Transnational Identity," sponsored by the Center for Basque Studies of the University of Nevada, Reno. World renowned experts present their research on such topics as the main characteristics and organizational structures of contemporary ethno-national diasporas, and how their relationships with their homeland and host-society governments might develop; communal strategies and tactics used by diasporas, and how effective they are at influencing the foreign policy of central governments; opportunity structures for diasporas in the post-modern and trans-state social, economic, and political systems; and ways diaspora activities, and ethno-national identity maintenance in general, influence social and political security issues both domestically and in foreign policy. Papers were presented by Kim Butler, Nergis Canefe, Robin Cohen, William A. Douglass, Michel Laguerre, William Safran, Gabriel Sheffer, Khachig Tololyan, and Gloria Totoricaguena. Book jacket.

Recent studies on migration have been given a new focus and theoretical framework. The so-called “political dimension” of Diasporas, and their action at the international level as agents of para-diplomacy, as well as the introduction of analysis of the trans-national character of the migratory phenomenon, allow us to dig deeply into the field of our investigations, taking us out of the narrow frame of the Nation State.

The question of population migration and Diaspora transnationalism in the age of globalization is an area of social sciences deserving much more attention than it has received. This book deals with the advent of new ideological currents based on an assumed "e;Clash of Civilizations"e; increasingly popular in social, economic and political discourses. In this regard applicable oriental literature on migration and Diaspora formation is comparatively older than what has been produced in the west in recent years, thus deserving careful consideration. For instance when dealing with transnational communities the concept of qabiil (kinship allegiance) as a central organizational factor dominates western scholarship. Instead this book favors taking both western and non-western approaches into consideration in order to achieve deeper and richer understanding of the transnational global Diaspora condition. In order to surmount the dichotomy of essentialist versus no-essentialist frames, the epistemological approach instrumentalized in this work follows an emancipatory method critically engaging both approaches. Furthermore the book proposes a theoretical framework analytically connecting western and non-western social inquiry. Hence we should note Emile Durkheim's scheme of modern society transformation from "e;mechanical to organic solidarity"e; was preceded by Ibn Khaldun's binary scheme distinguishing "e;badawa"e; (primitive or pre-modern, i.e. symbolizing nomadism, loyalty and tribalism) from "e;hadara"e; (civilization or modern, i.e. symbolizing modernity, urbanization and individualism). Finally this book empirically examines how a host country's mobilizing, political and structural opportunities or lack of them influence transnational Diasporas' civic engagement that often include the application of combined formal and informal social, economic and political capital in addressing multifaceted challenges emanating from host and homeland environments.

As violent conflicts become increasingly intra-state rather than inter-state, international migration has rendered them increasingly transnational, as protagonists from each side find themselves in new countries of residence. In spite of leaving their homeland, the grievances and grudges that existed between them are not forgotten and can be passed to the next generation. This book explores the extension of homeland conflicts into transnational space amongst diaspora groups, with particular attention to the interactions between second-generation migrants. Comparative in approach, Diasporas and Homeland Conflicts focuses on the tensions that exist between Kurdish and Turkish populations in Sweden and Germany, examining the effects of hostland policies and politics on the construction, shaping or elimination of homeland conflicts. Drawing on extensive interview material with members of diasporic communities, this book sheds fresh light on the influences exercised on conflict dynamics by state policies on migrant incorporation and multiculturalism, as well as structures of migrant organizations. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of sociology, political science and international studies with interests in migration and diaspora, integration and transnational conflict.

This book offers an account of heart touching insights into the world of diasporas in an arcade of writers highlighting their interesting research in diaspora.

The word ‘diaspora’ has leapt from its previously confined use – mainly concerned with the dispersion of Jews, Greeks, Armenians and Africans away from their natal homelands – to cover the cases of many other ethnic groups, nationalities and religions. But this ‘horizontal’ scattering of the word to cover the mobility of many groups to many destinations, has been paralleled also by ‘vertical’ leaps, with the word diaspora being deployed to cover more and more phenomena and serve more and more objectives of different actors. With sections on ‘debating the concept’, ‘complexity’, ‘home and home-making’, ‘connections’ and ‘critiques’, the Routledge Handbook of Diaspora Studies is likely to remain an authoritative reference for some time. Each contribution includes a targeted list of references for further reading. The editors have carefully blended established scholars of diaspora with younger scholars looking at how diasporas are constructed ‘from below’. The adoption of a variety of conceptual perspectives allows for generalization, contrasts and comparisons between cases. In this exciting and authoritative collection over 40 scholars from many countries have explored the evolving use of the concept of diaspora, its possibilities as well as its limitations. This Handbook will be indispensable for students undertaking essays, debates and dissertations in the field.

African Diaspora Identities provides insights into the complex transnational processes involved in shaping the migratory identities of African immigrants. It seeks to understand the durability of these African transnational migrant identities and their impact on inter-minority group relationships. John A. Arthur demonstrates that the identities African immigrants construct often transcends country-specific cultures and normative belief systems. He illuminates the fact that these transnational migrant identities are an amalgamation of multiple identities formed in varied social transnational settings. The United States has become a site for the cultural formations, manifestations, and contestations of the newer identities that these immigrants seek to depict in cross-cultural and global settings. Relying mostly on their strong human capital resources (education and family), Africans are devising creative, encompassing, and robust ways to position and reposition their new identities. In combining their African cultural forms and identities with new roles, norms, and beliefs that they imbibe in the United States and everywhere else they have settled, Africans are redefining what it means to be black in a race-, ethnicity-, and color-conscious American society.

This book examines and systematises the theoretical dimensions of paradiplomacy - the role of subnational governments in international relations. Throughout the world, subnational governments play an active role in international relations by participating in international trade, cultural missions and diplomatic relations with foreign powers. These governments, including states in the USA and landers in Germany, can sometimes even challenge the official foreign policy of their national government. These activities, which are regularly promoting the subnational government’s interests, have been labelled as ‘paradiplomacy’. Through a systematisation of the different approaches in understanding constituent diplomacy, the author constructs an integrative theoretical explanatory framework to guide research on regional governments’ involvement in international affairs. The framework is based on a multiple-response questionnaire technique (MRQ) which provides the matrix of possible answers on a set of key questions for paradiplomacy scholarship. This comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of paradiplomacy sheds light on the development of federalism and multi-level governance in a new global environment and contributes to the debates on the issue of 'actorness' in contemporary international affairs. This book will be of much interest to students of diplomacy, federalism, governance, foreign policy and IR, as well as practitioners of diplomacy.