In the lecture and the readings this week the key concept
was diaspora. According to the lecture
the two main features of diaspora are the hub of origin and the links (real or
imagined) between the members of the dispersed community (Kuttainen, 2015). These
links can be communicative (keeping in touch), religious (maintaining it in a
new area) or monetary (sending money back home or giving financial support to
groups who will lobby for the homeland in their current country).
"Asylum seeker enters Austria by foot" Photo by Leonhard Foeger
As such it stands to reason that these days’ social media
can play a big part in being able to keep in touch with the old country for
dispersed peoples and can be used to help them keep their sense of self and
community. I have in previous blogs mentioned the effect of social media on the
war in Syria at its beginning and now I wonder whether social media will have
an effect on the refugees fleeing that continuing conflict. There are hundreds
of thousands of refugees from this conflict attempting to find new lives in
Europe and its getting so bad even Australia is going to pitch in with the
settling. That is to say nothing of the actual problems the refugees themselves
are facing which are too numerous to get into here. When (or if) these people
are finally settled it seems likely they will start using their social media to
see if they can connect with the people they left behind as they are clearly a
group of people who are used to using social media. While it’s possible they
may leave all ties to their homeland behind this seems unlikely because as it’s
mentioned in the Ma Mung reading “the total assimilation of ethnic minorities
is no longer conceivable” (Ma Mung, 2005).
References
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Our Space: Network,
narratives, and the making of place: People Networks. [PowerPoint slides].
Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Ma Mung, E. (2005). Diaspora, spatiality, identities.
Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Henderson, A. (2015) Asylum seeker intake explained.
Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-09/refugee-intake-plan-who-will-come-to-australia/6762278
Image credit
Leonhard Foeger (2015) Asylum seeker enters Austria by foot
Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-11/asylum-seeker-enters-austria-by-foot/6766826
You have mentioned a few great points regarding the power of social media and how it can be used to help refugees and migrants to both Australia and European countries. I think that it may also help to spread the word about a better place to live (being Australia and other place) and attract more refugees who were either forced to or made the choice to disperse from their country.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for migrants to hold connections to their country until they establish their narrative and place within their new country. Social Networking Sites (SNS) such as Facebook; are the most common form of communication as users can set up groups, and connect with their families on not just a cultural level, but also to keep in touch. The feeling of being part of a group from the same origin, forms a collective identity (Ma Mung, 2015) for the community and also helps to form place both online and in their new geographical location.
References:
Ma Mung, E. (2005). Diaspora, Spatiality, Identities. Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au