ABSTRACT
In the sixth chapter, a series of ideal types of transnational activists is developed based on the fieldwork done for this book. The chapter first focuses on commonalities between activists. The research shows that transnational activism is a minority phenomenon within migrant communities and tends to emerge especially among the educated middle classes. Activists expressed four main motivations for engaging in transnational politics that targets their home country: first, to offer symbolic support for activists on the ground; second, to serve as advocates for political activists and movements abroad by influencing public opinion in the receiving country; third, to provide the European – and sometimes Egyptian – public with alternative information about Egypt; and fourth, to participate in shaping the image of Egyptians living in the host country. The chapter then introduces six categories of transnational activists, their social milieu, and political positions: the Revolutionary Traveller, the Politicised Student, the Coptic Community Leader, the R4bia Activist, and the Second-Generation Diaspora Activist. One section is also dedicated to the Female Transnational Activist and the role of gender.
