Diaspora, Introduction: Sociology YouTube Lecture Handouts
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Introduction
- Ventured out of their homeland in large numbers
- Scattering of people with a common origin, background, and beliefs etc.
- Continue to maintain a relationship with the motherland
- De-territorialized and transnational
- Social, economic, religious and political networks being transnational too
- Involuntary mass dispersion
- Settled overseas
- Live and work in other countries
DATA
- 1.36 crore Indians living abroad, one-fourth of them in UAE
- Ministry of External Affairs 2018 - 2019, $ 76.4 billion was received as remittances from Indians abroad.
- Based on writings⟋literature:
- Historical – phases of emigration
- Diplomatic – statistics and data of issues faced abroad
- Anthropological – continuation or change of culture
Settling of Indians Abroad
- Colonial
- That Indians went broad by their economic compulsions
- Greed and carried away by the desire to earn wealth
- Blaming on culture and religion
- Not being able to cope up on the economic front
- Nationalist
- Indians did not go abroad on their own
- Taken under various arrangements as instruments of colonial domination
- Lured by colonial designs
- Served their development needs worked hard
- Not lazy but industrious
- To study Indians abroad functionalist orientation no other orientation or perspective was used in old times
- Social cultural perspective
- Political economic perspective
- Theoretical significance of the study of Indian immigrants
Socio-Cultural Perspective
- Retentionist perspective
- Cultural identity and integration
- They recreate Indian social structure wherever they settle at
- Hold on to their own culture
- Inclined towards economic gain not cultural assimilation
- Adhering to traditional culture – food, saris, endogamy practices, kinship, etc.
- Maintaining ties with homeland
- Spouse selection
- Sending remittances home
- Maintaining property
- Visits
Role of Culture Abroad
- Defence mechanism against insecurity
- As a compensation for loss of status
- Adhesive nature of Indian culture
- Sense of belongingness
- Oblivious of change in culture since they left
Issue of Cultural Identity
- Self-identity
- Pan Indian or Parochial⟋narrow ethnic category?
- Whether Indian or Punjabi, Bihari?
- How others identify them?
- Does each generation stick to their roots?
- Inter-generational conflict
Political Economy Perspective
- Captive labours
- Impact of Imperialism
- Traced back in history
- Displaced ethnic group
- Survival on plantation as occupation
- Racial discrimination, exploitation
- Power of institutions and State to influence lives of immigrants
MCQs
Q.1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Diaspora?
a) Dispersal from original homeland
b) Idealized wish to return to homeland
c) Renewing linkages with homeland
d) Dispossession of collective memory
Answer: d
Q.2. The view that Indians have the ability to retain, reconstitute their cultural aspects in overseas settings discusses which perspective?
a) Marxist
b) Retentionist
c) Adaptationist
d) Plural society perspective
Answer: b
#Sociological Concepts
#Social Structure
#Diaspora (New 2019)
UGC-NET
✍ Manishika