Political transnationalism as a matter of belonging: Young kurds in Finland

Abstract

This chapter presents an empirical study of transnational political ties among the diaspora-originated but ‘home-grown’ generation of Kurds in Finland. More specifically, it looks at how a sense of belonging is constructed and enacted through transnational political engagement and how overlapping memberships in various polities can shape transnational practices and citizenship feelings. The study draws conclusions from interviews and observation data gathered from young Kurdish-origin adults that are active in Kurdish diaspora parties in Finland. Toivanen will employ the intersectional frame developed by Nira Yuval-Davis on belonging and politics of belonging, which allows approaching individual-level constructions of belonging and how they intertwine with collective, political projects of belonging. Furthermore, this chapter explores alternative perspectives to study young adults’ transnational relations and memberships in a way that takes into consideration the national, transnational as well as the local context in which they are formed.