Diasporas, Transnationalism, and Globalization

Until the 1960s, the term “diaspora” referred only to the dispersed communities of Jews, Armenians, and Greeks living outside their homelands. Since then, some 35 dispersed, migratory, and exilic peoples have been designated as “diasporas” or “transnational communities.” Such growth is attributed to globalization, among other factors. This talk will focus on the causes and consequences of this increase, discussing diasporas and their links with the other two phenomena that are shaping “a new world order.”

Presenter: Khachig Tololyan, Professor of English, who teaches the modern novel and cultural theory, and does research primarily on diasporas; founding editor of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies.