MIG@NET · Transnational Digital Networks, Migration and Gender

The project will explore two interrelated sociocultural dynamics that impact the future of European integration and have a profound effect on the development of a common European culture by challenging established ethnic, class, linguistic and gendered divisions. These are: a.  the rise in migrant mobility and the establishment of transnational migrant networks that enable the construction and negotiation of new forms of hybrid identity and a sense of multiple belonging based on the experiences of cultural diversity and intercultural communication, and b. the spread of transnational digital networks that transcend state boundaries and exclusive national identities and give users the potential to participate directly in processes of cultural production, exchange and consumption particularly through the use of new media technologies.  More specifically the project will address the question of participation of migrant individuals and groups in transnational digital networks by employing innovative methodologies combining online and offline research. Emphasis will be placed on the ability of migrants to access and produce diverse digital spaces and use them to promote their own needs and demands, but also in the possibilities for the promotion of intercultural dialogue and cooperation that open through the development of new interactive media.  Gender will be mainstreamed and treated as an integral aspect of the research design and analysis throughout the project. In particular, the project will explore theways in which changing gender power relations shape identities and performativities in transnational digital and migrant networks. In order to disseminate information and put the findings of the research into practice, the project will develop a transnational migrant digital platform and an interactive digital game.