Fractured narratives and pop-up diaspora: Re-theorizing the capillaries of power, terror and intimacy

Abstract

The problem of terrorism is both an immediate threat and a long-term issue of safety and social cohesion, locally and globally. An immediate threat requires relatively straightforward interventions. Our public debates seem to be focusing too much on “fire-fighting” crisis management, and congratulating ourselves on instant emotional displays of solidarity, without paying enough attention to the substantial challenges of developing a broader social consensus, and a culture of mutual respect. More specifically, we need to find new ways to understand how local and global issues intersect, and why the global hegemony of one or two superpowers no longer seems to deliver stability and security (even for themselves). This is particularly true in a world where national borders have less and less relevance for the homogeneity of populations, cultures or values, and where whole communities, for instance, continue practices with impunity which are completely unacceptable to others – as well as being illegal, e.g. female genital mutilation. This paper explores some key theoretical issues which might help us to understand some of the underlying longer-term issues: the articulation of identity, culture, and power, and impact of micro-practices on global cohesion and security. The new globally connected social media have a central role to play in this analysis.