The ‘Iranian Diaspora’ and the New Media: From Political Action to Humanitarian Help |
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| Authors: | Halleh Ghorashi Kees Boersma |
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| Institution: | 1. holds the chair in Management of Diversity and Integration in the Department of Culture, Organization and Management at the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (e‐mail: H.Ghorashi@fsw.vu.nl). She is the author of Ways to Survive, Battles to Win: Iranian Women Exiles in the Netherlands and the United States (ova Science Publishers, 2003), as well as several articles on identity, diasporic positioning, cultural diversity and emancipation issues both inside and outside organizations. Her present research focus is on the narratives of identity and belonging of migrants, and the processes of exclusion and inclusion in the context of growing culturalism.;2. is Associate Professor and research manager in the Department of Culture, Organization and Management at the VU University, Amsterdam (e‐mail: FK.Boersma@fsw.vu.nl). His research interest is in science and technology studies, and organizational culture and politics. He has published widely on the history of technology, organizational learning and new media, and organizational change. He is co‐editor of ICTs, Citizens & Governance: After the Hype! (with A. Meijer and P. Wagenaar, IOS Press, 2009). |
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| Abstract: | This article looks at the shifting position of the ‘Iranian diaspora’ in relation to Iran as it is influenced by online and offline transnational networks. In the 1980s the exilic identity of a large part of the Iranian diaspora was the core factor in establishing an extended, yet exclusive form of transnational network. Since then, the patterns of identity within this community have shifted towards a more inclusive network as a result of those transnational connections, leading to more extensive and intense connections and activities between the Iranian diaspora and Iranians in Iran. The main concern of the article is to examine how the narratives of identity are constructed and transformed within Iranian (charity) networks and to identify the factors that contribute to this transformation. The authors use the transnational lens to view diasporic positioning as linked to development issues. New technological sources help diaspora groups, in this case Iranians, to build virtual embedded ties that transcend nation states and borders. Yet, the study also shows that these transnational connections can still be challenged by the nation state, as has been the case with recent developments in Iran. |
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