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The movement of people is becoming an increasingly common thing; from moving cities to find work, or study to the extremes of seeking asylum in another country to flee war. These are all things that contribute to population shifts. Historically population groups which identify as the same culture or homeland of origin have left out of a necessity, be it war, famine or bleak job opportunities. To define a group of people leaving to another place to seek a better life for themselves is diaspora, a Greek word meaning 'dispersion' or 'scattering'. 'Diaspora is often a result of a migration chain where the first migrant made their close relations come, resulting the building of a community' (Mung, 2005).
Due to the civil war, and the war against ISIL extremism in Syria and Iraq, there has been an explosion of people seeking refuge from the war. Though there is much debate around the issue in terms of legitimacy, the fact remains that there is a definite diaspora action happening. Australia's effort to help those in need has seen the Abbott government commit to an extra intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees. Much like the Greeks, Italians and Vietnamese before them, this will create a large community of Syrians in cities in which they will reside. 'These communities have become culturally and economically important in the adopted communities' (Kuttainen, 2015). How then does this pertain to notions of the virtual world then?
In a world that is increasingly globalised and 'connected' (via the Internet), it has become incredibly easy to connect with friends, loved ones and even people you've never met, but just conform to the same identity as you. Within this groups communities are formed around that shared identity; clans for a game, guilds for a role-playing game, etc.
References
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 7 notes [PowerPoint slides. Retrieved from http://learnjcu/jcu.edu.au
Mung, E. (2005). Comparative European in Migration, Diversity and Identities. University of Deusto. Retrieved from http://learnjcu/jcu.edu.au
There is even a greater connection with virtual diaspora, with many people leaving their home of origin to seek greater adventures or to move for work purposes, as you’ve mentioned as well as Kuttainen (2015). Using social media site Facebook as an example, there are large groups of people who are studying abroad and posting hundreds of pictures of their journey to their home friends and families. The internet makes it so easy to connect with someone on the other side of the globe that it can almost feel as if you never left home, with constant posts from your friends and their final year of university, to your mum having a couple of glasses of wines with her friends on the weekend. We never miss out on the action even if we are miles away. So whilst we may be dispersed in a literal sense, metaphorically it could be like we never left home or the community with all the networks set up in place to keep you connected.
ReplyDeleteKuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Space: Networks, Narratives, and the making of place, week 7 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au