By Aydan Johnstone
The modern definition
of Diaspora can be closely aligned with the original use of the term, which
referred to the mass dispersal of the Jewish in 722BC (Mung, 2005). Modern
scholars define diaspora as the dispersion of people from their central
residence or homeland, which is a slight change from the original term that was
fundamentally the same, but was confined to explaining the dispersion of only the
Jewish (Kuttainen, 2015). The three key
elements of a diaspora are the forced migration of people, discrimination
against those people, and the people having a longing to home. When the three
elements are eliminated, the diaspora is essentially brought to an end. However,
with the incredible influence that social media has on our ability to express
our self and community identity, the relevance of a diaspora becomes lower and
will only apply to those who do not engage in social media. Facebook is a pioneering
social media network that allows users to express their community and identity
regardless of their country of origin, current residence, or cultural norms. It
allows people who were in a diaspora to connect with those from their homeland
and effectively eliminate the three elements that defined and labelled them a
diaspora. Although discrimination will still exist (Ballman, 2011), perhaps
that is not a reflection of the dynamics of the diaspora, but is a reflection of
the racism and bigotry in the particular country of destination. To conclude, social
media networks like Facebook help maintain narratives and symbols of community identity
through it allowing users to connect with distant relatives from home, and
being one step closer to eliminating the elements that make them apart of a
diaspora.
References:
Kuttainen, V.
(2015). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place, Week
7: Networked Narratives: Intertextuality. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/
Ma Mung, E. (2005). Diaspora,
spatiality, identities. Comparative European Research in Migration,
Diversity and Identities, 33-48.
Ballman, D. (2011).
Does Discrimination Still Exist? Of Course It Does. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/red-room/donna-ballman-does-discri_b_939853.html?ir=Australia
Image
Credits:
Delotavo, A. (2007). Diaspora.
Retrieved from: http://www.plantingrice.com/sites/default/files/field/image/antipas-biboy-delotavo-diaspora-detail.jpg
I completely agree with what you have said about Facebook helping to reconnect people from a diaspora with their home. Facebook and social media also helps them to create support groups to help with the change of networks. They are able to share ideas and feelings and cultural norms from their hometowns with people on the internet, helping them to feel a little more at home.
ReplyDeleteWhile they may be alienated from their host country (Kuttainen, 2015), they are able to create their own communities through uses of the real world, eventually creating these societies on social media. They are able to create a new community though networks to help them reconnect with their original country.
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place, Week 7: Networked Narratives: Intertextuality. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/