Altug Akin
Faculty of Communications, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey
Download article
Published in: Inter: A European Cultural Studies : Conference in Sweden 11-13 June 2007
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 25:11, p. 93-101
Published: 2007-11-27
ISBN:
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
One of the defining principles about diaspora populations is accepted as “they have a strong sense of collective memory which relates to the distant Homeland”. However; migrant experiences of our epoch provide a range of evidences to challenge some of the widespread assumptions about nostalgia of homeland which is supposed to be dominating diasporic condition.
On one hand; increasing synchronization between homeland and diaspora by means of contemporary communication technologies has led the migrant populations to update the rusty collective myths about the homeland. On the other hand; immigrant groups which have spent enough time in country of settlement to qualify as “early-comers”; such as the Turks in Sweden; tend to replace the “nostalgia of homeland” with a brand new nostalgia: “nostalgia of the early years of settlement in the country of migration”.
In this paper I will present the experiences of Turks in Sweden in order to reflect on the two-folded transformation re-shaping the nature of nostalgia in diaspora. Their story since 1966 will be utilized to illustrate these effects which necessitate a reconsideration of existing comprehension of the relationship between diaspora populations and nostalgia.
Abadan-Unat N. (2004) Disputed models of integration: Multiculturalism; Institutionalization of religion; political participation presented in “Conference integration of immigrants from Turkey in Belgium; France; Denmark and Sweden” 2004 Bosphorus University Istanbul.
Akpinar; Aylin (2004). Integration of immigrants from Turkey in Sweden: The case of women presented in “Conference integration of immigrants from Turkey in Belgium; France; Denmark and Sweden” 2004 Bosphorus University Istanbul.
Aksoy; A. and Robins; K. (2002) “Banal Transnationalism: The Difference that Television Makes.” ESRC Transnational Communities Programme. Oxford: WPTC-02-08.
Appadurai; A. (1996) Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization . Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press
Bibark; Mutlu (2005) Uluslararasi Türk-Etnik Yerel Medyasi ve Adiyet Tasarimlarinin insaasinda rolü / Trans-national Turkish Ethnic Media and its role in construction of identity design. From Yurtdisindaki Türk Medyasi Sempozyumu: Bildiriler / Proceedings from conference on Turkish Media Abroad (ed.) Abdülrezzak Altun.Ankara University Faculty of Communication.
Cohen; R. (1997) ‘Global diasporas: an introduction’. London: UCL Press.
Engelbrektsson; Ulla-Brit (1995) Tales of Identity: Turkish youth in Gothenburg. Akademitryck AB; Edsbruk; Sweden
Georgiou; Myria (2003) “Mapping Diasporic Media across the EU: Addressing cultural exclusion” Key deliverable for EMTEL Network 2000-2003. London: London School of Economics
Georgiou; M and Silverstone; R. (2005) “Editorial Introduction: Media and ethnic minorities in Europe” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Vol. 31; No. 3; May 2005; pp 433-441. Routledge. Taylor & Francis group. London
Hoffman; Eva (1991) Lost in Translation: Life in a New Language; London; Minerva.
Ikiz; Osman (2005) Isveç’te Türk Medyasi/ Turkish Media in Sweden. From Yurtdisindaki Türk Medyasi Sempozyumu: Bildiriler / Conference on Turkish Media Abroad: Papers (ed.) Abdülrezzak Altun.Ankara University Faculty of Communication.
Jankélévitch; Vladimir (1974) L’Irréversible et la nostalgie; Paris; Flammarion.
Paine; S. (1974) Exporting workers: the Turkish case; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Portes; Alejandro; Guarnizo; Luis E. and Landolt; Patricia (1999) ‘The study of transnationalism: pitfalls and promise of an emergent research field’; Ethnic and Racial Studies;
Theolin; Sture (2000) The Swedish palace in Istanbul: A thousand years of cooperation between Turkey and Sweden; Yapi Kredi yayincilik AS. Istanbul; Turkey.
Westin; Charles (2003) “Young People of Migrant Origin in Sweden” in Migration and Labour in Europe. Views from Turkey and Sweden. Emrehan Zeybekoglu and Bo Johansson (eds.); (Istanbul: MURCIR & NIWL; 2003)
Online References
Milliyet.com.tr accessed on 5th of September; 2007 at 14.15 http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/08/02/ege/ege14.html
NTVMSNBC.com accessed on May 15th; 2007 at 15.00 http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/405040.asp .
Rohani.net accessed on May 15th; 2007 at 15.30 http://www.ronahi.net/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ndW5kZW1pbWl6LmNvbS9oYWJlci5hc3A%2FaGFiZXJpZD0zNDQ2NQ%3D%3D.
