FACULTY OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY | Seminar
Migration seminar: Weaving the Tapestry

This dissertation provides a comprehensive examination of the driving factors behind the emigration of diasporic Somalis, with a particular focus on Turkey's evolving role as a destination. It investigates critical research questions concerning the viability of autoethnography; the intricate interplay between social, historical, and political factors influencing migration patterns; the factors that shape parental decisions to move; and the emotional landscape experienced by children of diasporic Somalis.

Conventionally, the Somali diaspora has been depicted as nomadic. However, this dissertation challenges such notions by suggesting that families continue to migrate due to factors such as war, discrimination, insecurity, and limited opportunities. In this context, hypermobility emerges as a persistent condition and a way of life, characterised by an 'existential restlessness' and a pursuit of ontological security and the preservation of Somali cultural heritage and identity. Through the development of the concept of ‘hypermobility’, this study provides a unique lens for comprehending the ongoing migration of certain diasporic Somali families.

Drawing from extensive fieldwork in Istanbul and Ankara during 2021 and 2022, comprising 39 semi-structured interviews and participant observations within Somali families, this study offers insights into the decision-making processes behind the choice of Turkey as a place of residence over European or North American alternatives. Notably, this dissertation employs decolonial autoethnography, presenting innovative avenues for further exploration and development in the field.