In this article, we incorporate the study of diasporas into international relations (IR) theory by focusing on diasporas as independent actors who actively influence their homeland (kin-state) foreign policies. We argue that diasporic influences can best be understood by situating them in the ‘theoretical space’ shared by constructivism and liberalism; two approaches that acknowledge the impact of identity and domestic politics on international behavior. We also maintain that the exploration of diasporic activities can enrich both constructivism and liberalism. First, diasporas' identity-based motivations should be an integral part of the constructivist effort to explain the formation of national identities. Second, diasporic activities and influences in their homelands expand the meaning of the term ‘domestic politics’ to include not only politics inside the state but also inside the people For the liberal approach, this is a “new fact” in the Lakatosian sense of the word. We theorize that the extent of diasporic influence on homeland foreign policy is determined by three components that make up the ‘balance of power’ between homelands and diasporas. We then test this theory by delving into the interaction between the newly established state of Armenia and its powerful diaspora, and by comparing this case with examples taken from the relations between Israel and diaspora Jews.

Using data from studies of the Armenian-American and Jewish-American diasporic involvement in conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh and the West Bank and Gaza, a hypothesis can be developed about the role diasporas play as a distinct third level between interstate and domestic peacemaking in these regions. There are several possible factors that could determine the nature and direction of diasporic involvement in homeland conflicts. By examining the phenomenon of diasporic activism in the homeland state, the host state, and at the international level, further research directions for those interested in integrating the study of ethnic conflict and national identity more completely into the study of international relations become apparent.

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