Diasporas and National Interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Era of Globalization

Document Type : Science - Research (Political Science)

Author

Ph.D in America Studies from Tehran University

Abstract

Diasporas are a unique type among non-governmental actors in global politics and international relations. They have become a focal point for research centers, power clubs and media across the world in the last two decades. Given these points, this paper explores the relationship between these emerging actors and national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the context of globalization. The paper argues that their influence depends on a number of factors including a proper understanding of diasporas in the current era and then deliberating an efficient strategy to deal with them. On this basis and in the first level of analysis, this paper presents conceptual and applicable explanations of diaspora as a scientific term. On the second level, an appropriate analysis will be presented to explain the increasing influence of these new-emerged actors in relation to national interests of Iran.

Keywords

 
حائری، عبدالهادی (1387)، تشیع و مشروطیت در ایران و نقش ایرانیان مقیم عراق، تهران: انتشارات امیرکبیر، چاپ چهارم.
سجادپور، سید محمدکاظم (1387)، «مهاجرت و سیاست خارجی ایران»، فصلنامه سیاست خارجی، سال بیست و دوم، شماره 1، بهار 1387، 1-15.
«رقم هنگفت ایرانیان خارج از کشور»، خبرگزاری فارس، 19 شهریور 1391:
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13910619001077 (12 خرداد 1395).
Aikins, Kingsley and White, Nicola (2011), Global Diaspora Strategies Toolkit, Dublin, Diaspora Matters.
Al-Ali, Najde S. (2007), “Iraqi Women in Diasporic Spaces: Political Mobilization, Gender and Citizenship”, Revue Des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée: 3, See Online: http://remmm.revues.org/3371  (12 خرداد 1395).
Anderson, Fiona B. (2008), “Constructing the Diaspora: Diaspora Identity Politics and Transnational Social Movements”, Paper prepared for presentation at the 49th Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, (March 2008): 2.
Butler, Kim D. (Fall 2001), “Defining Diaspora, Refining a Discourse”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, V. 10, N. 2: 189-219.
Cakmak, Cenap, (2007), “Civil Society Actors in International Law and World Politics, Definition, Conceptual Framework, problems”, International Journal of Civil Society Law, Vol.1, N. I7-35.
Clifford, James (1994), “Diaspora”, Cultural Anthropology, Vol. 9, N. 3, 302-338.
Cohen, Robin, (2008), Global Diasporas: An Introduction, New York Routledge.
Cochrane, Feargal and Baser, Bahar, and Swain, Ashok (August 2009), ‘Home Thoughts from Abroad: Diasporas and Peace-Building in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka’, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Vol. 32, Issue 8, 681-704.
Dewind, Josh and Segura, Renata (2014), Diaspora Lobbies And The US Government: Convergence And Divergence In Making Foreign Policy, New York University Press.
Doorley, Michael (2005), Irish American Diaspora Nationalism: The Friends Of Irish Freedom (1916-1935), Four Court Press.
Fayyaz, Sam; Shirazi, Roozbeh (2013), "Good Iranian, Bad Iranian: Representations of Iran and Iranians in Time and Newsweek (1998–2009)", Iranian Studies, volume 46, number 1: (Jan 2013), 53-72.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Forum on Remittances 2007, available at: https://www.ifad.org/documents /10180/66f0e206-bef4-4072-90cc-2e90552063b3 (15 July 2014).
IOM (2003), Migration and Research Series (MRS), N 14, available at: http://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/mrs_14_2003.pdf  (12 خرداد 1395).
Ionescu, Dina (2006), Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries:  Challenges for Policymakers, (Geneva: International Organization for Migration), 13.
Jentleson, Bruce W. (2004), American Foreign Policy: The Dynamic of Choice in the 21st Century, 2nd edition (New York: W. W. Norton): 33.
Karim, Persis M. (2013), “Iranian Diaspora Studies”, Iranian Studies, volume 46, number 1, January 2013.
Liddell, H.G. and Scott, R. (1996), A Greek-English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 148.
Mearsheimer, John J. and Walt, Stephen M. (2006), “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”, London Review of Books, V. 28, N. 6 (March 23, 2006).
Mostofi, Nilou (2003), “Who We Are: The Perplexity of Iranian-American Identity”, The Sociological Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Autumn, 2003), 681-703.
Oxford English Dictionary Online (2013): http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ definition/learner/diaspora (12 خرداد 1395).
Pirkkalainen, Päivi and Mahdi‎, Abdile (2009), “The Diaspora – Conflict – Peace – Nexus: A Literature Review”, DIASPEACE Working paper no. 1, (March   2009): 5.
Ratha, Dilip (2007), “Leveraging Remittances for Development,” Paper presented at the Second Plenary Meeting of the Leading Group on Solidarity Levies to Fund Development, Oslo, 6–7, February 2007.
Rosenau, James N. (2006), The Study of World Politics: Globilization and Governance (Volume 2), (New York: Routledge), 29.
Safran, William (1991), “Diasporas in Modern Societies: Myths of Homeland and Return”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, V. 1, N. 1, (Spring 1991): 83-99.
Schnapper, Dominique (1999), “From the Nation-State to the Transnational World: On the Meaning and Usefulness of Diaspora as a Concept”, translated by: Denise L. Davis, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, V. 8, N. 3, (Winter 1999): 225-254.
Shain, Yossi (1994), “Marketing the Democratic Creed Abroad: US Diasporic Politics in the Era of Multiculturalism”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, V 3, N 1, 85-111.
Shain, Yossi (2002), “The Role of Diasporas in Conflict Perpetuation or Resolution”, SAIS Review, V. 22, N. 2, (Summer-Fall 2002):  115-144.
Shain, Yossi (2007), Kinship And Diasporas In International Affairs, the University of Michigan Press.
Sheffer, Gabriel (2003), Diaspora Politics At Home Abroad, (New York: Cambridge University Press), 40-45.
Smith, Hazel and Stares, Paul (2007), Diasporas In Conflict: Peace-Makers Or Peace-Wreckers? United Nations University Press.
Tölölyan, Kachig (1996), “Rethinking Diaspora(s): Stateless Powers in the Transnational Moment”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, V. 5, N. 1, (Spring 1996): 10.
United Nations (2013), Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 3 Revision, at: http://www.oecd.org/els/mig/World-Migration-in-Figures.pdf
Vertovec, Steven (1997), “Three Meanings of Diaspora, Exemplified Among South Asian Religions”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, Vol. 6, N. 3, (Winter 1997):  277-299.
[1]
Volume 12, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24
ESSAY
November 2016
Pages 91-116
  • Receive Date: 16 December 2017
  • Revise Date: 11 January 2018
  • Accept Date: 10 February 2018