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A Study of Kurdish Diaspora in London

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A Study of Kurdish Diaspora in London School of Law and Social Sciences Transnational Migration, Integration, and Identity: A Study of Kurdish Diaspora in London PhD Thesis Ayar Ata March 2017 Table of Contents Declaration .......................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................... 5 Abstract ............................................................................................... 7 Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................... 9 Foreword ........................................................................................... 11 Reflexivity .......................................................................................... 12 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................. 14 1.1 Research Question ...................................................................... 14 1.2 Definitions .................................................................................... 15 1.3 Epistemology ............................................................................... 16 1.4 Rationale ...................................................................................... 17 1.5 Aim............................................................................................... 18 1.6 Objectives .................................................................................... 18 1.7 Personal Narratives: case studies ................................................ 19 1.8 Different Perspectives: theory, policy, person .............................. 21 1.9 The Kurds: different perspectives – .............................................. 22 group and individual, first and second generation .............................. 22 1.10 Chapter Outlines ........................................................................ 24 Chapter Two: Theoretical Framework: migration, .............................. 30 diaspora, and integration ................................................................... 30 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 30 2.2 Main Theoretical Trends on Migration .......................................... 33 2.3 The Diaspora and Transnational Debate ...................................... 36 2.4 The Integration Debate: global, local and state policies and migrants ............................................................................................. 45 2.5 A New Home ................................................................................ 54 2.6 Conclusion ................................................................................... 60 1 Chapter Three: Methodology ............................................................. 62 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 62 3.2 Methodological Philosophy ........................................................... 63 3.3 Methods: sample, access Issues, and coding themes .................. 66 3.4 Case Studies: lived experiences .................................................. 72 3.5 Ethnography: personal narratives ................................................. 74 3.6 Auto-ethnography: the voice of the researcher ............................. 76 3.7 Data Collection and Ethics ........................................................... 79 3.8 Conclusion ................................................................................... 80 Chapter Four: The Geopolitics of the Middle East and Modern History of the Kurds after WW1 ..................................................................... 83 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 83 4.2 Land and Ecology ........................................................................ 84 4.3 Language ..................................................................................... 85 4.4 Religion ........................................................................................ 86 4.5 Kurdish Cultural Diversity ............................................................. 87 4.6 Kurdistan as a Buffer Zone During the ‘Cold War’: division, displacement, and dispossession post-WW1 ..................................... 89 4.7 New Nation-States versus the Kurds since the 1920s .................. 91 4.8 Turkey .......................................................................................... 94 4.9 Iraq............................................................................................... 95 4.10 Syria ........................................................................................... 97 4.11 Iran ............................................................................................. 99 4.12 Conclusion ............................................................................... 102 Chapter Five: Analyses - The Kurdish Diaspora: transnational consciousness and integration issues ............................................. 105 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 105 5.2 Living in Diaspora: new identities and realities ........................... 107 5.3 Kurdish Diaspora: understanding the pattern in Europe ............. 110 2 Germany .......................................................................................... 112 Sweden ............................................................................................ 113 Finland ............................................................................................. 116 England ............................................................................................ 117 5.4 Explaining the Concept of ‘Kurdish-Londoner’: I belong and I want to be equal in London....................................................................... 120 5.5 The Integration Process: diaspora identities ............................... 129 First Generation ............................................................................... 129 Second Generation .......................................................................... 134 5.6 Conclusion ................................................................................. 136 Chapter Six: Case Studies: personal narratives .............................. 140 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 140 6.2 The Concept of Kurdish-Londoner: dual identity ......................... 141 6.3 A Framework: exploring the concept of Kurdish-Londoner ......... 143 6.4 Deliberate Under-Analysis of the Personal Stories ..................... 145 6.5 Practical Considerations: some notes about the presentation structure of the cases ....................................................................... 146 6.6 First Generation ......................................................................... 147 Case Study - Number One: Rozh ..................................................... 147 Case Study - Number Two: Hasso ................................................... 155 Case Study - Number Three: Hevin ................................................. 157 Case Study - Number Four: Bawan ................................................. 161 6.7 Second Generation ................................................................... 167 Case Study - Number Five: Kory Chak ............................................ 167 Case Study - Number Six: Naz ........................................................ 169 6.8 Focus Group Meetings ............................................................... 171 6.9 Conclusion ................................................................................. 173 Chapter Seven: Conclusion ............................................................. 175 7.1 Overview of the Thesis ............................................................... 175 3 7.2 Contribution to Knowledge and Key Findings ............................. 184 7.3 Next Steps ................................................................................. 188 Tables ............................................................................................. 191 Table 1. Kurdish Diaspora in Europe ................................................ 191 Table 2. Kurdish Community Organisations in London ..................... 192 Table 3. Kurdistan Timeline.............................................................. 195 Table 4. Lists of Characteristics and mode of data collection: For all participants .................................................................................. 197 4.1 Emails ........................................................................................ 198 4.2 Focus Group in Croydon ........................................................... 198 4.3 Focus Group in Hackney ............................................................ 199 4.4 Analysis: all participants by gender, age, first and second generation ........................................................................................ 200 Table 5. SDCAS Survey Report 2013-2014: ................................... 201 Appendices: ..................................................................................... 204 Appendix 1. Dersim Massacre ......................................................... 204 Appendix 2. Halabja Tragedy ..........................................................
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