Paradise Lost?
The Relational Topologies and Conjunctural Paths of Stateless Diaspora Cohesion and Fragmentation in light of Factionalised Contention
by Franca Kappes
Ex aequo winner of the Global Migration Award 2021
Abstract
Intra-ethnic conflict is not only an important phenomenon in itself but it is also intimately linked to dynamics of inter-group conflict. Although a growing body of scholarship is increasingly more aware of the relevance of individual and group-level processes for the explanation of macro-level outcomes, the lack of systematic comparative assessments of intra-movement fractionalisation has led to a neglect of one sub-group’s agency in particular: Since a stateless diaspora’s ontological security depends on the continued existence of a united “homeland”, imported schisms pose an interesting puzzle: What impact do partisan fractions have on the cohesiveness of stateless diasporas and what factors condition their behaviour? The study adopts a frame-based relational approach and deploys a sequential-mixed-methods-design combining Qualitative Social Network Analysis with Qualitative Comparative Analysis. It relies on data collected through online ethnography and the consultation of secondary sources. The thesis’ main findings suggest that (a) diaspora groups rarely display high levels of factionalisation, and (b) that this is conditioned by host land related constrains and the presence of external incentives provided by transnational advocacy networks and diaspora governance policies.
About the Author
Franca is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the International Relations/Political Science department at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Her research focuses on nomadic mobility, the impact of (stateless) diaspora groups on intra-state conflict and separatist movements, the role of non-state actors within (security) governance networks, and the consequences of regime complexity on the ground. Her dissertation seeks to map and trace the ties between disparate "milieus of nomadic connectivity and differential speed" and the state apparatus in the context of post-Irma and Maria Puerto Rico (2017-today). She holds a Master in International Relations/Political Science from the Graduate Institute and a Bachelor in Political Science from the Free University Berlin.
