Abstract
How do social platforms such as Facebook help migrant communities cope with the adversities faced during the migration journey? This is the question that drove this study, which explores the on- and offline experiences of Malagasy migrants in France during their migration journeys. We use complementary mixed methods, including an online survey (2021, n = 340) and participant observation of in-group and public interactions on 28 Facebook groups and pages of this community. We found that peer-to-peer solidarity as a collective response to the adversities faced during migration is present and very active within the Malagasy community in France. The exchanges among the members of this community concerning matters such as administrative issues and the transport of parcels between France and Madagascar are intense and continuous. Beyond this, solidarity chains are temporarily activated in response to specific needs, and particularly in collectively challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research also found that in their groups and pages, the Malagasy in France engage less frequently in other vital issues, such as finding work.
Highlights
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led us to revisit the issues of humanmobility and online togetherness, and the question of communities
Facebook groups and pages are highly popular among Malagasy migrants in France
The Facebook groups and pages of Malagasy migrants in France are used as gathering spaces for various motives
Summary
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led us to revisit the issues of human (im)mobility and online togetherness, and the question of communities. People coming from different geographical locations, ages, genders, and other variables found themselves gathering on online platforms during the successive lockdowns In these spaces they created online and ‘imagined communities’ whose members had no previously determined relationship. ‘Imagined communities’ are composed of a mixture of people who share a common cultural identity and aspirations enabled through connection as well as ubiquity (Anderson 1983; Georgiou 2019; Tsagarousianou 2004) What makes these connected or online imagined communities different from physical and legally constituted communities is that membership in their communities goes beyond traditional access or duties. This paper elucidates the experience of a very understudied community, Malagasy migrants in France, in terms of the theoretical concept of ‘imagined communities’ It seeks to explore whether this community, whose members are heterogeneous, relies on self-organised structures on social networking platforms. It seeks to explore the self-organised communitarian actions within the community as they cope with common adversities faced during their migration journeys, during the COVID-19 pandemic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
