Suppressing transnationalism: bringing constraints into the study of transnational political action
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Studies of transnationalism typically account for homeland-oriented transnational political action (TPA) as the product of varying political opportunities. Yet, the opportunity-driven perspective overlooks why some immigrant and diaspora communities refrain from engaging in homeland politics or are forestalled in their attempts to do so. We address this shortcoming by theorizing how sociopolitical conditions can constrain TPA. Drawing inductively from primary data on Pakistani, Syrian, Libyan, and Yemeni diasporas as well as secondary sources, we identify four sources of constraint: 1) geopolitics and interstate relations; 2) origin-country authoritarianism; 3) weak origin-country governance; and 4) exclusionary receiving-country contexts. By demonstrating how these socio-political forces suppress TPA, we contribute a new theoretical approach that emphasizes the conditions and relations that hinder cross-border political action. In sum, the article illustrates the theoretical importance of understanding variation in TPA and the utility of examining negative cases in the study of immigrant and diaspora transnational politics.
Source: Comparative Migration Studies
Authors: Ali R. Chaudhary, Dana M. Moss
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $955
Funders: American Institute for Yemeni Studies, European Commission, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, University of California, Davis, University of California, Irvine, Office of the President, University of California, FP7 People: Marie-Curie Actions, Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine
Awards: G3045675802, G6149835823, G8405637342
OpenAlex ID: W2929647155