Defining and Re-Defining Diasporas

15 Dec 2012
Paperback At the Interface English
Edited by Marianne David , Edited by Javier Munoz-Basols

Diasporas – from the Greek verb speiro (to sow) and the preposition dia (over), signifying ‘dispersion of seeds’ – seem to be integral to the human condition, existing as far back as recorded history and surely before that. This book examines diasporas in the context of globalization as they exist today and with an eye to the future. Each article represents a distinct point of view and brings a particular understanding, theoretical or practical, to bear on the diaspora narrative. Each one emphasizes the specificity of diaspora to culture, place and moment, its multi-faceted and interdisciplinary nature, and the significance of how identity is negotiated within the triadic space of self, home and ‘host’ nation. Taken together in this volume they function as a ‘conversation’ about the process of trying to define and re-define the elusive, unstable concept of diaspora with its diverse and evolving forms.