“Static Migration”. Reshaping Ethnic Identities in the Processes of Glocalization

Abstract

In a world that is currently undergoing new processes of socioeconomic and geo-political realignment not only migration but also continuous adaptation to the changing local environment leads people to develop multiple identities. Considering as a starting point the ongoing mutations characteristic of well-functioning multicultural and multilingual Western societies, my paper examines the shifts that occur in asserting one’s ethnic identity without physically leaving the region. The paper, based on an interdisciplinary comparative approach, aims to investigate socio-economic and communication factors related to trade and travel that influence the cultural perception of the self in an intercultural community.