Digital Space, Belonging and Translocational Positionality: A Study on the Nepali Diaspora in Norway

Abstract

Abstract

This study explores the notion of identity and belonging of the Nepali diaspora living in Norway. It focuses on Nepali digital diaspora's engagement in social site network Facebook in connection with diasporic identity and transnational belonging. The thesis analyzes the online contents –– photographs, Facebook posts, opinions, interactions, and debates circulated over the period of one year. Through thematic content analysis of the data acquired from online ethnography, three different themes are generated concerning the presence of Nepali diaspora in the online space –– community formation, transnational engagement, and performativity of socio-cultural life. At the same time, translocational positionality framework (Anthias, 2002, 2008, 2013a), in combination with the theoretical tool of belonging (Yuval-Davis, 2006, 2011) have been employed in this study to see how the multifarious Nepali diasporic identity –– which is constituted of categories such as gender, ethnicity, religion, and cultural background –– influences the belonging of diaspora. In the research process, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 different Facebook users representing the Norwegian Nepali Diaspora. The findings foreground the multifarious, overlapping, and contentious nature of Nepali diasporic identities and belongings. Furthermore, the study problematizes the Nepali diasporic identities shaped by narratives of nationality, contradictions, and asymmetric power relations. In the meantime, the research confirms that Nepali diasporic identities are not essentialized entities; instead, they are gradually evolvingand shaped by the interplay of different actors' positionalities in the present situations – everyday practices, daily routines, and living moments.

Keywords: diaspora, identity, belonging, transnationalism, translocational positionality, digital space, digital diaspora

Abstract

This study explores the notion of identity and belonging of the Nepali diaspora living in Norway. It focuses on Nepali digital diaspora's engagement in social site network Facebook in connection with diasporic identity and transnational belonging. The thesis analyzes the online contents –– photographs, Facebook posts, opinions, interactions, and debates circulated over the period of one year. Through thematic content analysis of the data acquired from online ethnography, three different themes are generated concerning the presence of Nepali diaspora in the online space –– community formation, transnational engagement, and performativity of socio-cultural life. At the same time, translocational positionality framework (Anthias, 2002, 2008, 2013a), in combination with the theoretical tool of belonging (Yuval-Davis, 2006, 2011) have been employed in this study to see how the multifarious Nepali diasporic identity –– which is constituted of categories such as gender, ethnicity, religion, and cultural background –– influences the belonging of diaspora. In the research process, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 different Facebook users representing the Norwegian Nepali Diaspora. The findings foreground the multifarious, overlapping, and contentious nature of Nepali diasporic identities and belongings. Furthermore, the study problematizes the Nepali diasporic identities shaped by narratives of nationality, contradictions, and asymmetric power relations. In the meantime, the research confirms that Nepali diasporic identities are not essentialized entities; instead, they are gradually evolvingand shaped by the interplay of different actors' positionalities in the present situations – everyday practices, daily routines, and living moments.

Keywords: diaspora, identity, belonging, transnationalism, translocational positionality, digital space, digital diaspora