Digital Diasporas: The Yemeni Diaspora and the Political Marketplace

Abstract

This thesis critically examines the role diasporas play in political marketplaces in the 21st century. It explores the ways the internet and social media are now reshaping how diasporas identify, form communities and mobilise in homeland conflict, using the Yemeni diaspora as a case study. Drawing on desk research of Yemeni diaspora actors and interviews with Yemenis in the diaspora, it seeks to add to the theoretical literature on diaspora studies and conflict transformation, as well as building on existing empirical research towards the conflict in Yemen.
Adding nuance to traditional diaspora scholarship, the thesis uses Alex De Waal’s concept of the political marketplace as a theoretical framework to explore the ways in which diasporas engage with the political dynamics of the homeland, and how they mobilise in conflict management and resolution in political marketplaces like Yemen’s. It studies the Yemeni diaspora in the UK in particular as a microcosm of diaspora activity, testing the conclusions drawn from the research by applying them to a host state which is home to longstanding and well-established Yemeni communities, as well as waves of migrants displaced by conflict and instability since 2011. It also considers the gendered nature of Yemeni diaspora mobilisation in the ongoing conflict. The thesis concludes that the internet and social media are fundamentally reshaping diasporic processes such as identity and community formation and mobilisation in conflict, with important implications for scholars of diaspora and conflict transformation, as well as practitioners in the conflict and peacebuilding fields.
On a theoretical level, this thesis applies a unique and innovative approach, combining key elements of the diaspora studies and conflict transformation literatures to create a new theoretical framework for understanding diaspora mobilisation in homeland conflict. This framework enables the researcher to capture the complex and constantly evolving ways in which the Yemeni diaspora identifies, forms community, and engages with the politics of its homeland. However it also offers a versatile model for future research seeking to understand the role of diasporas in other fragile, conflict-affected, or patrimonial states. On an empirical level, this thesis contributes new knowledge of how Yemeni diaspora communities have evolved globally - but particularly in the UK - since 2011, in the context of the ongoing conflict and the explosive proliferation of the internet and social media. It therefore provides valuable insights and evidence for diplomats, policymakers, journalists and programming professionals working to deliver peacebuilding, humanitarian and development agendas in Yemen.