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The Role of Linguistic Resources in the Institutional Organisation of the Armenian Diaspora in Finland

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Diaspora Networks in International Business

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

This chapter presents a linguistic ethnographic case study exploring the role of linguistic resources in the institutional organisation of the Armenian diaspora within the Finnish context. Even though the Armenian diasporas across the globe have been extensively studied in various countries, relatively little research has been conducted on linguistic resources employed in the institutional organisation of the Armenian diasporas. In addition, to our knowledge, no single research has focused on the Armenian diaspora residing in Finland or organisational work done at the institutional level within the Finnish context. The study reported here attempts to address these gaps by drawing upon multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork, more precisely, participant observations and informal interviews conducted with Armenian volunteers of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) promoting the organisation of the Armenian diaspora at the institutional level in Finland. To do so, we examine the landscape of the Armenian diaspora, which is shaped on the basis of different generations of historical and contemporary Armenian diasporas, who have increasingly diversified backgrounds regarding their migration grounds and legal statuses in addition to their linguistic and socio-economic characteristics. Some activities, events and festivities arranged by the NGO are then described to illustrate organisational work done by the volunteers with the cooperation of individuals, institutions, associations and schools, apart from with the support of the Armenian diaspora based in Finland. Finally, we discuss linguistic resources that are used by the volunteers in organisational work carried out through internal and external communication within the offline and online contexts. Overall, the study findings indicate that the volunteers of the NGO make use of different linguistic repertoires in organisational work as not all the Armenian diaspora members master Armenian, which is the shared main language for the majority of them. The study, thus, confirms that linguistic, especially multilingual, resources promote the institutional organisation of the Armenian diaspora since linguistic diversity is commonplace among the diaspora members. This chapter contributes to understanding of how the diaspora can be organised at the institutional level through multiple linguistic resources that provides new insights into diaspora communities with little or no common language.

Sonya Sahradyan (MA, University of Turku) is a doctoral candidate in Applied Linguistics at the Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä. Her main research interest lies in linguistic ethnography in multilingual institutional contexts, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). She is currently working on her doctoral research, which explores migrant NGO practitioners’ trajectories of language, employment and integration in the receiving society. Her doctoral research also focuses on language policies and communication practices within the physical and digital settings of the NGO as a workplace.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See more on criticism of the concept of superdiversity in Meissner, F. (2015). Migration in migration-related diversity? The nexus between superdiversity and migration studies. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 38(4), 556–567, and Ndhlovu, F. (2016). A decolonial critique of diaspora identity theories and the notion of superdiversity. Diaspora Studies, 9(1), 28–40.

  2. 2.

    Homophily refers to the principle that a contact between similar people, here of similar heritage or origin, occurs at a higher rate than among dissimilar people, i.e. people of diverse backgrounds.

  3. 3.

    See more in http://www.tenk.fi/en/ethical-review-in-human-sciences

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Acknowledgements

The chapter draws on the empirical data collected and translated by the first author, Sonya Sahradyan, who would like to thank the Armenian Diaspora in Finland, the Finland-Armenia Association and the Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä, for assisting this research and making this publication possible. The second author, Maria Elo, would like to thank the Foundation for Economic Education, Finland (Grant no. 1-222-28) and the George Washington University, USA, for the support in writing this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Sonya Sahradyan

  2. School of Economics, Belt & Road Institute of International Business, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Maria Elo

  3. Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

  4. Migration Institute of Finland, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

Authors
  1. Sonya Sahradyan
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  2. Maria Elo
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Correspondence to Sonya Sahradyan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics, Belt & Road, Institute of International Business, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Maria Elo

  2. Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

  3. Migration Institute of Finland, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

  4. Mona School of Business and Management, The University of West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

    Indianna Minto-Coy

  5. International Migration Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada

    Indianna Minto-Coy

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Sahradyan, S., Elo, M. (2019). The Role of Linguistic Resources in the Institutional Organisation of the Armenian Diaspora in Finland. In: Elo, M., Minto-Coy, I. (eds) Diaspora Networks in International Business. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91095-6_15

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