Introduction

This chapter explains the rationale of the book. First it discusses the theoretical foundation of the work and argues that return is not just a stage of a static cycle but becomes a political act per se. The chapter then asserts the relevance of the Somali case to develop further studies on the link between migration, return and social change in contexts of origin. By providing ethnographic material on political and social remittances that concern this region of the world, this book distinguishes from other publications that deal mainly with the financial and economic involvement of diaspora actors in the country. The chapter also explores the ways the Somali case contributes in three major topics and bodies of literature: 1) current understandings of migration and return studies; 2) questions of place and identity within theories of transnationalism and globalisation; and 3) issues of state and sovereignty in contemporary world. Finally, a methodological reflection is provided.