WORKING PAPERS
Between Frontlines and Home: the Effect of Soldiers Returning from Refugee Camps on Pro-Palestinian Views in Norway with Madiha Z Sadiq
Abstract: How does a nation’s support for one side of a conflict shift dramatically to the other? This paper examines a rapid shift in Norwegian public opinion between 1978 and 1980, from strong pro-Israel sentiment to widespread criticism of Israel’s actions in the occupied territories. We propose a bottom-up explanation of opinion change: the diffusion of counter-narrative information through trusted in-group members who—by virtue of their mobility—become informationally distinct from their peers. Specifically, we focus on Norwegian UNIFIL peacekeepers returning from Lebanon after 1978 who, through their direct exposure to the conflict and continued embeddedness in local communities, came to serve as informational brokers. Combining cross-sectional data on public opinion with original survey data on former veterans, we leverage geographic variation in returnee intensity to show that counties receiving more returnees experienced sharper declines in pro-Israel sentiment. The findings demonstrate how short-term mobility can drive attitudinal change by enabling trusted in-group members to introduce new information into otherwise homogeneous environments.
Why Chile’s Voice Echoed Louder: the Impact of Refugee Influx on Transnational Solidarity
Abstract: Why do only some distant political crises elicit widespread transnational solidarity? In this paper, I offer a bottom-up explanation where interpersonal contact with individuals fleeing a crisis activates local solidarity mobilization. Focusing on activism against the 1973–89 Chilean dictatorship, I use a difference-in-differences design with a novel city-level panel dataset covering 23 countries to show that cities receiving Chilean refugees were significantly more likely to host solidarity protests. Complementary qualitative evidence reveals that formal resettlement programs fostered repeated interactions between refugees and local residents, allowing firsthand accounts of repression to circulate. These interactions, in turn, embedded the Chilean cause within local social networks, intensified its moral salience, and spurred collective action among host populations. The findings reveal that refugee inflows can reshape the geography of political concern, prompting host communities to engage with global struggles rather than simply reacting defensively.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Echoes of Inception: The Lasting Impact of Diaspora Formation on Transnational Mobilization
Abstract: Why do only some diasporas mobilize? Previous research has predominantly answered this question through a synchronic lens, focusing on emigrant groups' immediate readiness to mobilize. This paper argues that the extent of a diaspora's mobilization at its inception—or lack thereof—shapes its long-term capacity for collective action. Through a comparative study of five Latin American diasporas, I highlight the exceptional transnational mobilization of the Chilean diaspora during the 1970s, set against a broader historical context of regional dictatorships. This distinctive mobilization is linked to the formation of transnational activist networks and the development of a cohesive framing narrative, factors absent in the other cases. Turning to the Chilean diaspora's response to the 2019 uprisings in Chile, I demonstrate how these early foundations sustained their capacity for collective action over decades. By highlighting the enduring impact of initial mobilization dynamics on contemporary diaspora activism, this study addresses a critical gap in research on diaspora re-mobilization.
