The researcher, Serkan Yolacan, under the direction of the PI, Ho Enseng of Duke University, will investigate the factors that contribute to the formation and maintenance of transnational networks in a context of resource conflict. The research will take place in Azerbaijan, a state with rich oil reserves off the shores and a region that attracts foreigners of competing agendas and projects. The investigators analyze how external geo-strategic rivalries are driving and becoming entangled with internal rivalries. While some groups within the state ally with the West through oil-driven business networks and military agreements, other more politically and economically marginalized groups have forged regional networks. The increasing visibility of these marginalized groups in the national public space constitutes a challenge to the regime. This project intends to answer how sectarian allegiances with external powers help them build political confidence at home. It aims to explore social networks, historical narratives, and cultural resources that are mobilized vis-Ã -vis the state elites.
The investigators will undertake a multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork. The research comprises (1) collecting biographical and family histories, (2) following individual itineraries, (3) analyzing textual and oral stories of religious significance as well as actors' own interpretations of these stories. In exploring the mobility, connections, and oral histories, the investigators look to cast new light on the layered landscape of sovereignty in the Middle East and central Eurasia; to have a better insight into the dynamics behind the resilience of regions in a globalized world; and to understand the role of ordinary people in international relations. The research contributes to the education of a graduate student in anthropology. In addition, the research will help us understand an area of the world is strategically important to U.S. national security.
