Diaspora transnationalism and transborder citizenship

Abstract

This project is a comparative exploration of an ongoing process of change from a mono-dimensional, victim-related Kurdish diasporic identity to a more modulated, dynamic and active form of it among Kurds in the Marseille region in France and the Stockholm region in Sweden.
Moreover, the project focus on the relationship between diaspora and tourism where diasporan groups develop various transnational networks, institutions and organizations in order to carry out various forms of journeys not only between their new and old societies but also over many state borders.
Furthermore, the project advance diaspora as a specific context of knowledge which is non-compatible with methodological nationalism; a perspective which privileges the nation-state as a conceptual reference regarding how knowledge is organized and produced by social scientists.

Keywords:

Description

This project consists of three parts. The first part of this study was carried out in order to depict the process of diaspora formation and transnational relations among Kurdish populations in France and Sweden. In doing so, the study has explored a process of change from a mono-dimensional, victim-related diasporic identity to a more modulated, dynamic and active form of it. In other words, the focus was moved from the sole experience of pain and trauma and the sense of victimhood in order to portray a multitude of other diasporic situations and trajectories such as institutional and transnational arrangements, assabiyya networks, on air and cyberspace online involvements, cultural and literary activities, and so forth, which are necessary elements for the development of the practice of transborder citizenship among diasporan groups. The study concludes that diasporan populations can conceive different diasporic discourses and develop different transnational practices due to their social background and the political environment in which they reside. Due to their uniform social background and the exc1usionary French political environment, the Kurds in the region of Marseille maintain a tangible victim diaspora discourse and limited practice of transborder citizenship. As the Kurds in Sweden are socially and politically diversified, and as they live in the more favorable Swedish political environment, they maintain not only a flexible diaspora discourse but also a more highly developed.
The second part treats the issue of Diaspora tourism. In this context, the former homeland, which traditionally - in the case of those diasporan populations who have an experience of forced migration - appears as a reference of trauma and victimhood, represents new meanings and significations for the formation of dissporic identity as it (re)becomes a pole of attractions for touristic purposes. In view of that, diasporan groups develop various transnational networks, institutions and organizations in order to carry out various forms of journeys not only between their new and old societies but also over many state borders.
Thirdly, this research project considers the formation of diaspora and maintenance of transnational relations among refugee and migrant populations as a major device of criticism against methodological nationalism as this perspective privileges the nation-state as a conceptual reference regarding how knowledge is organized and produced by social scientists. In this regard, knowledge produced about diaspora and transnational relations over state-borders appears as an instance of resistance in opposition to methodological nationalism.

Publications

Khayati, K. (2008), Between victim diaspora and transborder citizenship?, diaspora formation and transnational relations among Kurds in France and Sweden, Linköping university, 2008, liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:18336/FULLTEXT01 (full text)

Syssner, J. & Khayati, K. (2010), "Veni, Vidi, Adios" in Tesfahuney, M. & Schough, K. (red.) Det Globala reseprivilegiet, Sekel bokförlag

Khayati, K. (2010), Magdur Diasporadan Sinir-Ötesi Vatandasliga mi? Fransa ve Isveçteki Kürtlerde diasporanin olusumu ve ulus-ötesi iliskiler, Istanbul, Avests

Khayati, K (forthcoming), "Diaspora och gränsöverskridande medborgarskap, erfarenheten av den kurdiska diasporan i Sverige", in Bevelander, P., Fernandez, C. & Hellström, A. (red.), Vägar till medborgarskap, Arkiv

Khayati, K. (forthcoming), "diaspora och turism", in Syssner, J. (red.), Att studera turism och resande, Studentlitteratur