ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΑΣΠΟΡΑ ΚΑΙ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΚΗ ΔΙΑΣΠΟΡΑ. ΔΙΑΔΡΟΜΕΣ, ΑΔΙΕΞΟΔΑ, ΕΠΑΝΕΚΤΙΜΗΣΕΙΣ

Abstract

The article depicts the problems and contradictions in recent Greek historiography concerning the so-called Greek diaspora phenomenon. It is divided into three parts: 1) Levantines and Europeans, 2) What we are talking about? 3) Comparative history and migration. In the first part, through a re-reading of unpublished commercial correspondence, is shown the «diaspora» of terms used by testimonies and historians. The second part criticizes the use of these terms as if they represented unchanged historical realities. Moreover, it is criticized the fact that studies with a theoretical-explanatory scheme, based on meagre research, have recently been replaced by descriptive-informative monographs, without any theoretical ambitions. There follows part three proposing a multiple-comparative analysis of groups, networks and even personal itineraries of greek immigrants which could elaborate a new conceptual base for future research.