Diaspora Studies

The Diaspora Studies cluster draws upon and enhances existing strengths at UIC, particularly in interdisciplinary and ethnic studies units and the research fields of migration and refugee studies, in addition to capitalizing on the global nature of the city of Chicago, home to diaspora communities from around the world.

As a term, diaspora has evolved into an exciting tool for understanding both historical and contemporary processes of de-territorialization, cultural flows and fusion, and trans-nationalism.

The field of diaspora studies is broad, interdisciplinary and global in focus with scholars representing fields as diverse as history, ethnic studies, ethnomusicology, anthropology, politics, public health, archaeology, geography, communications, art, economics and business.

Examples of ongoing contemporary issues – from rapid globalization to growing rates of population mobility, from voluntary and forced border crossings to the study of dispersed populations and their changing relations to home, homeland and notions of self and community – illustrate that further development of the diaspora studies field is vitally important.

New faculty hires in the Diaspora Studies cluster will feature scholars with research concentrations in the areas of diasporas and diaspora formation, development and technology; African diasporas and trans-oceanic studies; exile, conflict and security studies; culture flows and diasporas; and queer diasporas.

Principal Investigator:

Lynette Jackson
Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, Black Studies, and History (affiliate)
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Initiative Hire(s):

Nadine Naber (Fall 2013)
Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies and Global Asian Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences