Diasporas and Transnationalism

3 units

This class provides an introduction to the study of modern diasporas and the transnational processes in which they are situated from an anthropological perspective. The ethnographic emphasis will be on South Asian diasporas, but the readings will also involve other examples. Topics will include the changing historical conditions and processes responsible for the creation of contemporary diasporas, the issue of identity formation among diasporic populations as well as the question of how diasporic communities challenge as well as contribute to our understanding of culture, nationalism, and globalization.