Rethinking Diaspora

Migration, Borders, Diaspora - Lecture 2

Lecturer: Dr Ipek Demir

11 January 2022

The field of diaspora studies, despite its transnational promise, has too often got trapped in methodologically nationalist perspectives, confining discussions of diaspora to nation-centric understandings and discourses. This has happened despite many diaspora theorists, Avtar Brah, Robin Cohen, Paul Gilroy and others having discussed diaspora within the context of empire.

In this session we will examine the spatial and temporal limitations this has brought to our understanding of the migrations of peoples and how ignoring the colonial and empire axis of diaspora contribute to North-centric (Eurocentric) perspectives and fail to recognise the pivotal role of diasporas in decolonising the Global North.


Reading

  • Anthias, Floya (2001) ‘New Hybridities, Old Concepts: The Limits of “Culture’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 24:4, 619–41.
  • Brah, Avtar (1996) Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting Identities, London: Routledge.
  • Brubaker, Rogers (2005) ‘The “Diaspora” Diaspora’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 28:1, 1–19.
  • Cohen, Robin (1996) ‘Diasporas and the Nation-State: From Victims to Challengers International Affairs, 72:3, 507–20.
  • Cohen, Robin (1997) Global Diasporas: An Introduction, London: Routledge.
  • Demir, Ipek (2022) Diaspora as Translation and Decolonisation, Manchester University Press (WILL BE open access in late January 2022).
  • Gilroy, Paul (1997) ‘Diasporas and the Detours of Identity’, in Kath Woodward (ed.), Identity and Difference, London: Sage, pp. 301–43.
  • Hall, Stuart (1990) ‘Cultural Identity and Diaspora’, in Jonathan Rutherford (ed.), Identity: Community, Culture, Difference, London: Lawrence and Wishart, pp. 222–37.

Questions for discussion

  1. Who do you think of when ‘diaspora’ is mentioned and why?
  2. What kind of consequences emerge if diaspora is trapped in methodologically nationalist understandings and discourses?
  3. What does ‘we are here because you were there’ mean?
  4. What are some examples of how diasporas have expanded ideas about freedom, dignity and equality in the Global North?