The Problem of Adaptation of the Diaspora Armenians in Transition Armenia (original) (raw)

Syrian-Armenian Immigrants in Armenia: A Sociological Analysis of Social Alienation

In the past few years Armenia has faced the challenge of Syrian-Armenian immigrants who escaped from the civil war in Syria. In Armenia they faced a plethora of problems that have formed barriers for integration and resulted in a complex and multilevel phenomenon such as social alienation. Thus, this article focuses on the reasons of alienation of Syrian-Armenians who actually form a new subgroup in the Armenian society. For the purposes of this research, the typology of social alienation introduced by M. Seeman and R. Middleton has been used. The method of in-depth interviews was applied to identify the main issues and expressions of social alienation among Syrian-Armenians. Overall 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted taking into consideration age and gender of respondents. According to the research findings Syrian-Armenians mainly face socio-cultural, legal and economic problems in Armenia. These problems are causing social alienation.

Migration Trends in Armenia: Issues and Challenges

Scholars Bulletin, 2023

The article is dedicated to the study of the types of migration, the current challenges of emigration and immigration, and the reasons for migration in Armenia, as well as its consequences on the economy and demography. The methods of comparative studies, general scientific analysis, groupings, and generalizations were mainly used in the framework of the research. Emigration has become one of the most drastic challenges in Armenia for almost three decades. There are a lot of reasons for emigration to Armenia: social, economic, psychological, and security. From 2012 to 2019 about 91% of those who emigrated from Armenia were in the 15-59 age group, and more than 65% were in the 20-49 age group. The latter significantly influenced the formation of the age structure of the population. In other words, the negative impact of emigration has begun to be reflected in demographics as well.

Consolidating Diaspora and Developing Armenia: A Mutual Road Ahead

Diaspora's engagement in the life of the Republic of Armenia has been on the political agendas of all the three administrations since the country's independence in 1991. It has been included in the National Security Strategy, a state level Concept on Armenia-Diaspora Partnership Development has been produced and a Ministry of Diaspora formed. Yet, the government of Armenia has largely fallen behind the goals set out in the Concept, the statutes of the Ministry and the National Security Strategy. Equally challenging has been the Diaspora's path towards building a meaningful relationship with the state. Diaspora has often been criticized for the lack of clear and unified vision towards Armenia. At the same time Diasporic communities around the world have themselves been hurt by the lack of leadership and poor governance of the existing Diaspora organizations. More importantly, recent developments both in Armenia and the Diaspora have also revealed that the existing formalized platforms or networks (both in Armenia and the Diaspora) are not sufficient or are not 'up to date' to ensure proper engagement of both parties concerned. The civil societies on both sides of the fence have grown and matured and are now seeking more meaningful, more lasting and more importantly a cooperation or a relationship which entails a durable and a sustainable engagement. This paper examines the challenges that both the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora faced in the various attempts to strike a meaningful cooperation since the inception of Armenia's independence in 1991. In examining these challenges the paper identifies and offers strategies for Diaspora's effective engagement in the processes of developing Armenia. Lastly, the paper argues that with the development of a 'two way street', i.e. consolidation of Diaspora and development of Armenia, the mutual road ahead can and will be successful.

“Diaspora Design versus Homeland Realities: Case Study of Armenian Diaspora”, Caucasian Review of International Affairs (Frankfurt), vol. 3, no. 1, Winter 2009, pp. 45-61, with Bahar Baser.

Recently the concept of "diaspora" has become a popular subject and two polarized views dominate the study on diaspora behavior: the categorization of the diaspora as good or bad, conflict or peace promoter, spoiler or peace-maker. The majority of the research on diaspora politics places emphasis on its conflict-promoting character. Researchers argue that a diaspora may even act against its homeland's interests. This paper aims to further explore this behavior of diaspora groups and try to locate the reasons behind this phenomenon. The focus is the Armenian diaspora and its policies, particularly targeting the foreign policy of the host country. Some of the critical issues are the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh and Turkey-Armenia relations, which includes the issues of "genocide" recognition, normalization of diplomatic relations and opening of the borders. With the help of theoretical frameworks, the Armenian diaspora's positions will be analyzed in this paper.