Exploring Belonging, Marginality and Transnationalism: Indian Diaspora in Denmark

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Abstract

The Indian diaspora across the globe is one of the largest, 17.5 million (UN Report, 2019) and is undergoing major transformations. Indians, mostly skilled, are invited to fill gaps in the Danish labour market in the last decade, changing the demographics and dynamics of the Indian diaspora. A psychosocial perspective on the Indian diaspora, primarily in the Scandinavian country, Denmark along with a comparative perspective in the USA, is the focus of this presentation.
The theoretical frameworks includes diasporic subjective processes of dispersal, connectedness (Dufoix, 2008) and processes of multiple inclusion/exclusion and ambivalences in the notion of belonging (Kalra et al., 2005), along with life course perspective (Levy, 2005) Furthermore transnational linkages between India (desh) and the Indian diaspora abroad (videsh) through multiple means, including on-line technology are explored.
The first person voices of the diasporic illustrate the people-centered approach as a methodological orientation. The empirical cases (Singla, 2008, 2015, Sriram, 2014) are based on qualitative- in-depth interviews with families and young people and diasporic in exogamous marriages with Danish spouses (mixed couples).
The results show Indian diaspora transformations, such as changing paradigms in India, multiple belongings, differential engagement in the receiving society and India related to generational and couple formation patterns. There is a nuanced understanding of belongings and marginalities of Indian diasporics through double belongings involving ‘emotional citizenship’ concept, ongoing negotiations at diverse levels, virtual interconnections as well as exclusion from various groups in the country of origin and in the country of residence.
Finally, some suggestions for promoting interconnections, communication and linkages between the Indian diaspora and India are delineated.
Key words:
The Indian diaspora, interconnections, double belongings, inclusion/ exclusion, marginalities, promoting linkages
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Publikationsdato1 dec. 2019
Antal sider1
StatusUdgivet - 1 dec. 2019
Begivenhed29th Annual Convention of National Academy of Psychology (NAOP),: International Conference on “Making Psychology Deliverable to the Society - Pondicherry University, Pondicherry , Indien
Varighed: 20 dec. 201922 jan. 2020
Konferencens nummer: 29
http://www.naopindia.org/convention

Konference

Konference29th Annual Convention of National Academy of Psychology (NAOP),
Nummer29
LokationPondicherry University
Land/OmrådeIndien
ByPondicherry
Periode20/12/201922/01/2020
Internetadresse

Emneord

  • The Indian diaspora
  • interconnections
  • double belongings
  • inclusion/ exclusion
  • marginalities,
  • promoting linkages in both settings

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