Migration, Diaspora, Citizenship and Identity

Murray.Leith@uws.ac.uk

School of Education and Social Science

Emilia.pietka-nykaza@uws.ac.uk

School of Education and Social Science

• Typologies of migration and mobility, exploring the diverse drivers behind migration patterns, including international/internal/circular and seasonal migration and their interrelated characteristics
• The politics and policy of migration
• Integration and social inclusion/exclusion of migrant communities and individuals
• Experiences and practices of ‘superdiversities’ in rural and urban contexts
• The lived experience of migration
• Education and language activity within migrant communities

• The complex socio-political and economic relationships between diaspora and home communities
• Diaspora engagement with the homeland
• Diaspora connectivity with homelands in the everyday
• Diaspora governance from and across local, national, and international levels
• The actions and behaviours of diaspora communities
• The ‘voice’ and presence of diasporas in the homeland and abroad

• Forms of civic participation and ‘acts’ of citizenship among home, migrant and diaspora communities
• The changing nature of citizenship in the context of growing mobility within contemporary societies across the world
• Citizenship rights and practices among home and migrant communities
• Citizenship formation among home, migrant and diaspora communities
• Health and wellbeing as citizenship activity and engagement

• Role and meanings of identity in forming, developing, and maintaining communities
• The consideration of multiple forms of belonging in context of growing mobility and ‘superdiversity’ in the contemporary world
• Identity performance among, and between, community groups
• Social and community activities, practices and norms
• The everyday lived experience of identity

• “Rural Living and Place Making among Migrant and Non-Migrant communities in Scotland” (PI: Dr Emilia Pietka-Nykaza, funded by Carnegie Trust). This research project captures the experiences of diverse rural stayers (both migrants and non-migrants) living in the Inner Moray Firth area of the Scottish Highlands.  The project findings provide insights into factors shaping the process of staying among diverse rural stayers and their contribution to rural community living. Further details about the project are available via https://www.rurallivingscotland.com
• “Refugee integration in Scotland, long-term perspective” (PI: Dr Emilia Pietka-Nykaza, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Workshop Grant). This project brings together scholars, practitioners and refugee-lead groups through series of workshops to co-produce research proposal on refugee staying and integration in a longer-term perspective.

• Scottish Connections Research (PI: Professor Murray Leith, commissioned by the Scottish Government). This research provided insights into what a successful diaspora policy should consider and include. A wide ranging analysis, conducted among the worldwide Scottish diaspora, involved speaking to leading groups and individuals in several countries, as well as undertaking a comparison with three international Government’s policy behaviours. It underpinned the development of a framework around Scottish diaspora activity, which was published by the Scottish Government in early 2023. Further details about the project final report are available via: https://www.gov.scot/publications/literature-review-scottish-governments-scottish-connections-diaspora-work-2/

• ‘Assistive Technology and Health Telecare for Veterans’ (PI: Professor Murray Leith, funded by the Cabinet Office for Veterans). This research sees Centre evaluate health services for ex-service men and women (provided by Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) and NHS Lanarkshire) within the community through the innovative utilisation of assistive technologies to better support their health care and wellbeing of ex-armed forces veterans with complex needs. It specifically considers the support provided for these citizens as a result of their previous military service.
• ‘Unforgotten Forces’, PI: Dr Liz Frondigoun, funded by the Aged Veterans Fund/MoD Libor funds) .This 3 year evaluation project undertook an assessment of a Poppyscotland led consortium delivering health, social and community services to older (65 years plus) ex-armed forces men and women within Scotland. The evaluation considered the support offered to these older citizens as a result of their previous military service and status as Veterans. The UWS Team assessed the service delivery and support available to older veterans and their overall service delivery experience. Further information is available here.

• ‘RU EU? A game-based Approach to exploring 21st century European Identity and Values’ (Co-PIs: Dr Elizabeth Boyle & Prof Murray Leith, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU). This project developed an innovative digital game, the RU EU? game, to provide an engaging platform for students across Europe to confront some of the complex issues surrounding National and European identity. The goal was to help these young Europeans to develop a better understanding of their own and others’ feelings of belonging to, or alienation from, the EU and assist them in understanding their attitudes towards their identity and citizenship.

Professor of Political Science and Director

Email: Murray.Leith@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/murray-leith

Murray Leith is Professor of Political Science, and Director of CMDCI, at the University of the West of Scotland. He researches on national identity, nationalism, belonging, politics, and veteran studies, and he lectures widely on Scotland, the broader UK and the USA. He has worked with numerous charities, organisations and governments on such issues. Over the last few years, he has strongly focused on the topic of the Scottish diaspora and its relationship to Scotland, as well as Scotland’s relationship with, and understanding of, the diaspora itself. 

Senior Lecturer and Co-Director

Email: emilia.pietka-nykaza@uws.ac.uk


PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/emilia-pietka-nykaza

Dr Emilia Pietka-Nykaza is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy and Co-Director of the Centre of Migration, Diaspora, Citizenship and Identity at University of the West of Scotland. Emilia’s expertise focuses on migrant’s practices and lived experiences of settlement and integration, role of social connections in shaping mobility and settlement patterns and practices and forms of citizenship practices and leadership among migrant communities. Her recent studies particularly focus on rural context and impact of migration on sustainable rural communities.

Lecturer

Email: rosie.alexander@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/rosie-alexander

Professor of Sociology   

Email: colin.clark@uws.ac.uk
  
PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/colin-clark

Colin Clark is Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Professor of Sociology and Social Policy in the School of Education and Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland. Colin’s research is primarily located within the connected fields of Ethnic and Racial Studies and Migration Studies, with a specialist interest in Romani Studies. Outside of UWS, he is a Director of the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights and a Trustee of Romano Lav (Roma Voice). Colin acts as research advisor to the Traveller Movement, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, and the Advisory Council for the Education of Romanies and other Travellers. X: @profcolinclark

Research Fellow 

Email: liz.frondigoun@uws.ac.uk   

Academic Development Consultant

Email: ian.gillan@uws.ac.uk    

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/ian-gillan-2

Lecturer 

Email: rebecca.gordon@uws.ac.uk   

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/rebecca-gordon

Rebecca Gordon (She/Her) is a Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland. Her research focuses on political leadership for inclusive change and the role of activism in inclusive change processes, representation and political leadership. Her latest writing has explored the role of grassroots activists in galvanising legislation on LGBTQ+ rights in Pakistan and the UK. She is currently working on a research project in the Pacific region exploring the role of participatory budgeting processes in improving connections between politicians and citizens. She is also interested in feminist epistemologies and methodologies in ethics and research and has written on these topics.

Lecturer    

Email: nicola.hay@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/nicola-hay-2

Lecturer  
  
Email: katy.highet@uws.ac.uk     
 
PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/katy-highet

Lecturer    

Email: klement.camaj@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/klement-camaj-2

Klement Camaj is a Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland. Klement is a multilingual, multimethodological, storytelling researcher focused on international migration, migrant experiences, transnationalism, diaspora, and cultural identity. Klement's main strengths consist in qualitative and multidisciplinary work, using ethnographic, narrative, and multimethodological approaches towards data collection and analysis. Klement is a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society, and a Member of The Royal Anthropological Institute.

Senior Lecturer
   
Email: Fernando.Leon-solis@uws.ac.uk


PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/fernando-leon-solis

Fernando León-Solís is senior Lecturer in Spanish and Head of Languages at the University of the West of Scotland. His research expertise falls in the field of Cultural Studies, Politics and Critical Discourse Analysis, with a special focus on narrative constructions of national identities in the media. He is the author of a number of academic works and has recently edited scholarly volumes on international media and political narratives on the covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. He lectures in politics, media studies, Spanish and English.

Lecturer

Email: charis.manousou@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/charis-manousou

Charis Manousou is a Lecturer in the MEd programme at the University of the West of Scotland's London Campus and specialises in intercultural education and inclusive environments for immigrant and diverse learners. Her research examines intersectionality in children's multicultural school experiences, advocating identity acceptance. Currently, Charis is engaged in a collaborative research project with other UK universities on authentic assessment in HE. Additionally, her interest in Inclusive Leadership Practices aligns with her commitment to fostering educational environments that are inclusive and effective in diverse contemporary educational contexts.

Lecturer

Email: diarmuid.mcdonell@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/diarmuid-mcdonnell

Diarmuid McDonnell is a Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland. My research examines a number of interrelated topics concerning the nonprofit/charity sector: funding sources and networks; measuring and modelling organisational and financial risk; evaluating regulatory interventions; and estimating geographical distribution of charitable activity. The latter is particularly concerned with diaspora and how this might encourage charity formation overseas. I also analyse how ethnic heterogeneity is associated with higher / lower levels of charitable activity across the UK.

Lecturer

Email: anna.mckeever@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/anna-mckeever

Anna is a lecturer in political science with a particular interest in immigration policy and party politics, specifically conservative and radical right parties. Her previous research examined immigration policy change in a number of West European states, including the UK, Switzerland and France. It also addressed the challenges right-wing populism presents for immigration policy-making. Anna is also interested in the issues surrounding integration of migrants, both from the perspective of migrants themselves, but also exploring how political elites shape migrant integration policies.

Lecturer

Email: david.mckeever@uws.ac.uk

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/david-mckeever

David McKeever is a lecturer in political science and social movements researcher at the University of the West of Scotland. His monograph Exiled Activism (Routledge, 2021) investigates the process of exile and its consequences for social movements. Subsequently he has published research on the Scottish independence movement and continues to work on activism in democracies. His work considers social movements broadly using quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Senior Lecturer

Email: maria.sapouna@uws.ac.uk 

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/maria-sapouna

Lecturer

Email: amanda.simpson@uws.ac.uk 

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/amanda-simpson

Honorary Senior Research Fellow

Email: Duncan.sim@uws.ac.uk

Duncan Sim is semi-retired and is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Education and Social Sciences, based on the Paisley campus. Prior to his retirement, he was Reader in Sociology. He has undertaken extensive research on issues of identity and ethnicity. Together with Murray Leith, his recent research has included investigations on Scottish national identity; diaspora policy; diaspora return; and studies of the Scottish diaspora in North America, England and in northern Europe, as well as advice to the Scottish Government on their recently approved Diaspora Connections Framework. Their work has been funded by both central and local government, Carnegie Trust and the voluntary sector.

Lecturer

Email: john.sturgeon@uws.ac.uk 

PURE profile link: https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/persons/john-sturgeon

John Sturgeon is a Lecturer in Social Work, based on the Dumfries Campus. I have undertaken and published research on the experiences and needs of elderly Scottish military veterans and on probation reform and ongoing practice development in France. This year, I have made a significant contribution to ongoing paradigm shifts in how domestic abuse is understood and challenged in French law and public protection practice. In 2018, I was a founder member of the Scottish Rural Social Work Forum and, along with others we have organised several webinars and two national conferences where we explored rural social work practice, highlighted need in rural areas, and identified the insights and practice contributions that rural social workers can bring to wider social work practice.  

https://acert.org.uk/about-acert/

https://www.crer.org.uk/about  

https://dmws.org.uk/

https://www.romanolav.org/

https://www.scottishhumanrights.com/  

https://travellermovement.org.uk/

https://www.tatdcard.org/scotland/