Doctoral Dissertation Research: Diasporas' Participation in Social Change

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During the 2011 and ongoing "Arab Spring" period, revolutions against dictatorships emerged in Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Anti-regime activism, however, was not constrained by state borders. Members of these countries' diasporas in the United States and Great Britain also mobilized to support the revolutions, but did so in very different ways over time. Scholars argue that transnational diaspora movements in Western, democratic states can and do shape homeland conflicts in significant ways. However, existing studies have not systematically analyzed how diasporas mobilize to assist their respective homelands during crisis periods. Nor have such studies compared diaspora movements' efforts over time, or explained variation in their collective action dynamics and roles in homeland conflicts. This research project, therefore, addresses the following questions: 1) how do diasporas mobilize to support revolutions in the homeland, and 2) why do their respective movements and potential for influence differ significantly, specifically in the scope, intensity, and duration of their collection actions?This research will address these questions with an in-depth comparative case analysis of these countries' diasporas' anti-regime movements across the U.S. and Britain using more than two hundred original interviews with activists, as well as the public statements and calls to action produced by diaspora advocacy organizations. The data will be coded using qualitative analytical software in order to discern the scope, intensity, and duration of diaspora movements. Using the constant comparative method, this study will test theoretically-derived propositions explaining movement dynamics and refine these arguments based on the empirical analysis. Based on theories of social movement mobilization, it is proposed that four primary factors shape anti-regime movement trajectories: 1) the biographical and identity-based characteristics of the anti-regime activist community; 2) the pace and degree of violent repression in the homeland; 3) the relative opportunities and constraints posed by diasporas' domestic contexts; and 4) the types of resources channeled into the anti-regime effort. The findings will be used to extend and refine theories of transnational social movements, diaspora mobilization, and social change.