Table Of ContentDisaggregating Diasporas as a
Force in Role Contestation
Using a Role Theory lens, this book investigates Tamil diaspora mass
movements and interest groups as marginalised forces of domestic for-
eign policy influence. Until now Role Theory has not considered diaspora
mass movements as collective action actors, nor looked at how marginal-
ised diasporas influence elite foreign policy decision-making.
Matthew K. Godwin employs a comparative, micro-level decision-
making narrative that looks incisively at decisions faced by the British
and Canadian governments in 2009 and 2013 towards the Sri Lankan
civil war and its aftermath. Through qualitative, elite-level interviews
and content analysis of other primary source data, Godwin convincingly
argues that when diaspora interest group elites are leveraging the power
of mass movements in concert with credible partisan advocates, they can
influence role contestation. However, international institutional con-
straints on role behaviour may stymie their preferred role performance,
especially if states are indispensable to the institutions their behaviour
may unravel. Ultimately, Godwin concludes that some states can’t behave
“badly,” even when they want to.
This book will be of interest to students and researchers of International
Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, Comparative Politics, Migration
Studies and to non-government organisations who seek to influence
governments.
Matthew K. Godwin holds a PhD from the School of Public Policy, University
College London (UCL). He currently works as part of the Tony Blair Insti-
tute for Global Change. His research focuses predominantly on diasporas,
civil wars and on aspects of far-right movements. He has been recently
published in Politics and Governance, Globalizations and Israel Affairs.
Role Theory and International Relations
Edited by Cameron G. Thies, Arizona State University,
and Juliet Kaarbo, University of Edinburgh
The Role Theory and International Relations Series aspires to attract and
publish the latest and best research integrating knowledge in the field
of International Relations with role theory. This aspiration cuts across
a wide swath of subfields, including foreign policy analysis, peace and
security studies, international political economy, diplomatic studies, and
international organization. While each of these subfields of study is pres-
ently organized as an “island of theory,” this series intends to integrate
their signature phenomena within a system of knowledge, a “theory com-
plex” or an alliance among different subfields. This series showcases the
ability of role theory to generate useful theoretical insights on its own or
in combination with existing theories across these traditional subfields.
Role theory’s conceptual repertoire, plus its ability to span multiple levels
of analyses and the major meta-theoretical divides in the discipline posi-
tion it to be an important integrative force in the study of International
Relations.
13. National Role Conceptions in a New Millennium
Defining a Place in a Changing World
Edited by Michael Grossman, Francis Schortgen & Gordon Friedrichs
14. Role Compatibility as Socialization
The Case of Pakistan
Dorothée Vandamme
15. Role Theory and Russian Foreign Policy
Rolling Changes in National Role Conceptions
Damian Strycharz
16. Disaggregating Diasporas as a Force in Role Contestation
Mobilising the Marginalised in Foreign Affairs
Matthew K. Godwin
Disaggregating Diasporas as a
Force in Role Contestation
Mobilising the Marginalised in
Foreign Affairs
Matthew K. Godwin
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 Matthew K. Godwin
The right of Matthew K. Godwin to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 9780367544904 (hbk)
ISBN: 9780367544928 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781003089490 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003089490
Typeset in Times New Roman
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Contents
List of figures and tables ix
List of abbreviations x
Acknowledgements xi
1 Marginalised diasporas: A force in role contestation? 1
Surface-level similarities? Examining Tamil diaspora
mobilisation in Canadian and British role contestation 5
Case selection 7
Organisation of the book 10
2 Diaspora role contestation in Canada and the UK:
Theoretical and analytical frameworks 18
All the world’s a stage: Role theory, diasporas and
foreign policy analysis 19
Diasporas and foreign policy analysis 22
Disaggregating agency in foreign policy analysis:
Diasporas as role-makers in domestic role contestation 23
Role theory and agency: Mass movements
as role-making foreign policy agents 24
Role theory and agency: Government and
non-government elites as role-making
foreign policy agents 25
Role theory and agency: Interaction at the
intersection of mass movements, government
elites and diaspora interest groups 30
Disaggregating institutions in foreign policy analysis:
Domestic institutions, diaspora influence and
international role performance 32
Role theory and institutions: Institutional factors
and diaspora decision-making access 33
vi Contents
Role theory and institutions: Diaspora influence on
domestic role conception and role performance 35
Role Theory and constraints on international
role performance 36
Role Theory and role position ascription 39
Role Theory and “indispensable” states 42
Conclusion 44
3 A marginalised minority: The Sri Lankan civil war, the
Tamil diaspora and transnational regimes of marginalisation 51
Defining the “Tamil diaspora” 52
The Tamil diaspora in Canada and the UK 54
The marginalization of the Tamil diaspora:
Decolonisation and regimes of migration and
securitisation 56
Theories of marginalisation 56
Colonial regimes of marginalisation and the
Sri Lankan civil war 59
Regimes of integration, settlement and
disempowering diasporas 62
Immigration, integration and settlement in Canada 62
Immigration, integration and settlement in the UK 63
Securitization: The taint of terror and the marginalisation
of the Tamil diaspora 66
The LTTE abroad: Transnational conflict and the
Tamil diaspora in Canada and the UK 66
The proscription of the LTTE and securitisation
of the Tamil diaspora 68
Conclusion 72
4 From human security to enlightened self-interest?: Canadian and
British foreign policymaking permeability and international roles 83
The porousness of foreign policymaking: Who’s “in” in
Canadian and British role contestation 85
Models and means in foreign policy analysis 85
Multicultural foreign policy and diasporas as
“active” agents in role contestation 88
Processes of Canadian foreign policymaking 90
Processes of British foreign policymaking 92
From Liberal interventionism to enlightened self-interest?
Changing role conceptions for Canada and the UK 95
Contents vii
From Middle Power to disruptor? Recent
changes in Canadian role conception 95
From intervener to convenor? Recent changes
in British role conception 100
Middle Power revisited: Ascribing Canada’s role
position 103
A major power by any other name? Ascribing
Britain’s role position 105
Conclusion 108
5 Role contestation and the end of the Sri Lankan civil war:
Protest, pressure and role performance 120
The bloody final throes of the Sri Lankan civil war:
2002–2009 122
The evolution of Tamil diaspora role-making:
Overcoming the LTTE 124
Tamil diaspora interest group organisation in
Canada: A centralised model 125
Tamil diaspora interest group organisation in
the UK: A quick line to Labour 127
Role contestation and ending the war: Role-making in
Canada and the UK 128
The Tamil diaspora and role-making in Canada:
Early success followed by a faltering strategy 129
The Tamil diaspora and role-making in the UK:
Labour inside advocates open the door 131
Vertical role contestation and influencing role
conception and performance 133
Agency factors in role contestation 134
Institutional factors in role contestation 136
Diasporas and role contestation strategies 141
Role theoretical implications for disaggregating diasporas
in vertical role contestation 143
Conclusion 147
6 Role contestation for transitional justice: Role constraints
and the Commonwealth 156
Post-civil war Sri Lanka and the pursuit of justice 158
The evolution of Tamil diaspora role-making: The
post-conflict changing landscape of Tamil diaspora
organisations 161
viii Contents
Taking the fight abroad? Post-LTTE transnational
diaspora organisations 161
Tamil diaspora role-making in Canada: Aligning
with Conservative role conception 164
Tamil diaspora role-making in the UK: The founding
of the British Tamil Conservatives 167
Role contestation and mobilising for boycott: Role-making
in Canada and the UK 168
The Tamil diaspora and role-making in Canada:
“Raising hell” at the Commonwealth 169
The Tamil diaspora and role-making in
the UK: A bridge too far 171
Vertical role contestation and influencing role conception
and performance 174
Agency factors in role contestation 175
Institutional factors in role contestation 177
Diasporas and role contestation strategies 182
Role theoretical implications for disaggregating diasporas
in role contestation 183
Conclusion 187
7 Conclusion: Diasporas are a force in role contestation,
so what’s next? 198
Theories of vertical role contestation: Disaggregating
agents and institutions 198
Expanding on non-elite role-makers: Marginalised
diasporas in role contestation 200
Diaspora role-makers and domestic and international
institutions 201
Mass movements and elite-level role-making: 2009 and
vertical role contestation to end the war 203
Elite-level role-making and mobilisation: 2013 and vertical
role contestation for justice in Sri Lanka 204
Disaggregating diasporas in vertical role contestation:
What now? 205
Appendix: Map of Sri Lanka 209
Index 210
List of Figures and Tables
Figures
4.1 Foreign policy processes 91
A.1 209
Tables
2.1 Factor comparison framework 34
5.1 2009 factor comparison 134
6.1 2013 factor comparison 175
