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The Greeks abroad as a mobilized diaspora

• Καζάκος, Πάνος

The article deals with the government attitudes towards the Greek diaspora and the factors affecting the latter’s responsiveness to «national issues». It is argued that, in the postwar period, the Greek governments adopted different concepts («philosophies») concerning their relations with the diaspora, sometimes addressing mainly social and economic problems of the diaspora, sometimes giving priority to mobilizing it for foreign policy objectives (Cyprus issue, FYROM recognition). In all cases, however, governments behaved in a paternalistic manner, monopolizing competence in defining problems and cources of action.On the other side, the Greek diaspora has exhibited a willingness to mobilize in support of foreign policy objectives as chosen by Greek governments. Mobilization is defined as active support, whenever an external threat to the fatherland is perceived. The general hypothesis advanced here is that weaker and threatened ethnicities tend normally to have more strongly organized and more easily mobilized diasporas. However, the practice of the Greek parties, to intermingle national issues with party tactics, adversely affects the mobilization potential. Despite that, the Greeks abroad belong to the «mobilized» type of diaspora.The intensity and the forms of mobilization differ from host country to host country. This is exemplified in the cases of the Greeks in Germany, E- gypt, South Africa and Latin America. Economic success in the host countries, the latters’ policies towards immigrants, the political status of the immigrants, as well as dispersion and distance are among the factors which play an important role in explaining these differences.

• Political Science
• Sociology

• Πολιτική επιστήμη
• Κοινωνιολογία

απόδημος ελληνισμός

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