Diaspora philanthropy and volunteerism as a contestable process: Tracing connections and disconnections between diaspora and homeland in the Greek education sector

Abstract

This paper examines the factors influencing the transmission of social remittances from the diaspora to the homeland, focusing on interactions in the Greek education sector. Concretely, it explores homeland-diaspora interactions in one public and one private educational institution in Greece and the differences found therein. In addition, it explores how institutional developments in both the public and the private spheres shape and are shaped by diaspora engagement in the governance of those educational institutions, as well as the contestation surrounding diaspora philanthropy and volunteerism. The paper focuses on elite, first generation transnational members of the diaspora and is conceptually situated in the discussion of diaspora philanthropy and grounded in the theories of diaspora engagement. Methodologically it draws on ten qualitative interviews with key actors who have engaged in diverse capacities in the case studies of this research, namely, Athens College and the University of Athens as well as secondary data such as court proceedings and print media reports.

Keywords

Diaspora philanthropy, volunteerism, social remittances, transnationalism, public and the private spheres, education.