This research examines diasporic transformations and the construction of belongings through new technologies of communication by looking at young Kurdish diasporas in Sweden and the UK. It argues that the diaspora concept needs to be reconceptualised in light of digital information and communication technologies and in relation to the imagined community. Empirical evidence from Kurdish diasporas has drawn attention to some missing gaps in the literature. The research asks what it means to be a Kurd in diaspora and what role new media and online communities have in the renegotiation and construction of belongings. By engaging with post-colonial and feminist studies, I unpick fixed categories of identity, belongings and home, and I argue for performativities of those belongings. Based on a year-long ethnographic online study supplemented by offline face-to-face interviews with young Kurds in these locations, and with additional reference to homeland- based Kurds, the research presents three main empirical chapters based on themes derived from the online community’s concerns, and focuses on Swedish, British, and Kurdish forums. The chapters discuss gender and religious tensions; cultural elements and historical suffering; and political engagements in homeland and settlement countries. A fourth chapter takes a step back from online and offline material and examines the comparative approach between the two diasporas, diasporic and homeland Kurds, in both offline and online environments. Against the background of such a close-up comparative study, this research argues for a reconsideration of diasporic formations that are currently fixed between homeland and settlement country, and it presents new perspectives on these that relates to new definitional positions in diasporic formations that have significant implications for the concept of the imagined community.

Abstract. Diaspora members are migrants also inhabitants who contribute to the society in which they live in. It’s like a process that implies transforming the relationship between home countries and host countries. Diaspora members always try to establish a potential relationship between countries through their multiple networks, identities and share things of belonging. Though the knowledge about diaspora is still limited they play a crucial role in economic perspective. It’s really necessary to understand not only their motivations but also the modalities of the diaspora to facilitate the development is one of the most important matters. There is a strong connection between the diaspora and the financial market in developing and emerging economies. Sometimes it’s difficult to attract foreign investors due to perceptions of high risk, volatile currencies, also for asymmetric information. In a border sense, diaspora may help to overcome this situation because of various perceptions of risk, informational advantages, and a bias toward home country capitalization. In economic perspective diaspora bonds, deposit account, remittance flows, transitional loans play a vital role in every sphere of development. A deposit account is conquered both in home and host countries. Another and most important part of a diaspora is the securitization of remittance flows. It allows banks to leverage remittance revenues for greater lending. Diaspora bonds permit the government to derive long term funds. There is also one kind of investment as a diaspora fund which assembles pools of individual investors for co-operative investments. Contributions of the diaspora to the home country beyond the standard monetary assistance. Ethnic and national identity make a difference between host countries and home countries.

Motivated by the desire to see a world living up to the ideal of harmonious multicultural communities, this thesis critically assesses two contemporary approaches to multiculturalism, namely Liberalism 1 and 2. The central argument forwarded here is that although Liberalism 1 and 2 are commendable approaches to the management of difference in a polity, they are unable to secure long-term intergroup harmony owing to the static understanding of identity that underpins both approaches. To highlight the shortcomings of Liberalism 1 and 2, this thesis examines the relationship between Diasporas and more sessile communities. Diasporas have been specifically selected for this purpose for two reasons. Firstly, most comprehensive discussions on multiculturalism have not employed the experience of diasporas in their research. Secondly, as the number of diasporas are set to grow and as the term is traditionally used in a negative way in reference to a `difficult' minority, there is a need to examine approaches towards multiculturalism through diasporic eyes. Evaluation of the three diasporic experiences of the Chinese, Africans and Jews in both Liberalism I and 2 has supported the main argument of the thesis. All three experiences have revealed that Liberalism 1 and 2 are unable to attain their long-term goals for multiculturalism due to three difficulties that stem from their static notion of identity. (1) Both positions foreclose the possibility for long-term harmony in a multicultural polity due to an overly pessimistic approach to the management of difference. Due to this foreclosure, predictions of conflict unwittingly prove to be true. (2) Liberalism 1 is overly reliant on constant but unachievable enforcement with its difference-blind approach to the management of difference. (3) The need for Liberalism 2 to compartmentalise individuals into distinct groups leads to the perpetuation of stereotypes while also denying individuals the opportunity to redefine themselves.

This paper presents investigations on integration of Chilean Diaspora in Sweden. Largegroups of Chilean refugees arriving in the 1970s and 1980s in multiple waves. Sweden wasknown as a country with a very generous refugee policy allowing numerous entries to stay.Reflections are made on the refugees in the different waves, the legal view on refugee statusand the division into political and economical refugees. Interviews with Chileans how theyintegrated are included. The questions analysed are if there is any differences in integrationprocess between first and second wave and what the impact was of the first wave beingpolitical and second wave economical refugees. The paper includes a short summary of thehistorical events leading to the flow of refugees, theories behind integration and why languageand identity is important factors in the integration process. The political refugees in the firstwave had a significant influence on the awareness among the Swedish population on thesituation for Chileans after the military coup.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes special report study entitled: Evocative spaces. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-199). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-199). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Political Science. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis / Dissertation ETD / application/pdf