Migration and Diaspora Studies

Migration and diaspora studies examines the movement and settlement of peoples and the transnational communities and identities they form.

Scope

It covers diaspora and transnationalism, migrant identity and belonging, homeland relations, and the cultures of displacement.

Core questions

• How do migration and displacement shape identity?
• What defines a diaspora?
• How do transnational communities maintain ties?
• How do migrants negotiate belonging?

Key concepts

• Diaspora
• Transnationalism
• Homeland and return
• Hybrid identity
• Displacement
• Belonging

Key theories

The Black Atlantic

Gilroy theorized a transnational Black diasporic culture beyond the nation-state.

Defining diaspora

Safran specified the features distinguishing diasporas, shaping the field.

History

Migration and diaspora studies developed concepts of diaspora (Safran) and transnational cultural formations (Gilroy), central to understanding global mobility and identity.

Debates

Diaspora as descriptive or normative

Whether 'diaspora' is an analytic category or an identity claim.

Key figures

• Paul Gilroy
• William Safran

Seminal works

• gilroy-1993
• safran-1991

Frequently asked questions

What is a diaspora?

A dispersed population that maintains a collective identity and ties (real or imagined) to a homeland.