GSSC Seminar Series
17 September 2024
Hybrid Identities of Euro-Arab Rappers in Cybersphere
Alia Turki Rabio (University of Milan)
12:00-13:00
This doctoral research examines Euro-Arab rappers in Germany post-Arab Spring, focusing on their use of rap to express hybrid identities and transnational experiences. It explores how social media facilitates cultural dialogue, community building, and political activism among these artists. Set against Europe's evolving migration landscape, the study investigates how these rappers blend their cultural heritage with contemporary European realities. It analyzes themes such as socio-economic integration and political critique, and the use of Arabic and European languages in their music.
Using digital ethnography, this research examines lyrics, music videos, and digital distribution to capture the essence of the Euro-Arab rap scene. It contributes to discussions on cultural identity, digital diaspora, and transnationalism, highlighting how these rappers influence and reshape their host cultures while advocating for a nuanced understanding of the Arab experience in Europe.
Alia Turki Rabio is a fervent researcher of digital sociology, radicalization, and transitional justice. With a cum laude in MS Sociology from Padova University to her credit, she is a PhD scholar at the University of Milan. Ms Rabio examines Euro-Arab rap music in Europe and its impact on forming hybrid identities of Arab youth in Germany. A Syrian by birth, Alia Rabio has worked in over half a dozen countries as a researcher or journalist in the Middle East and South-Central Asia. Besides some prestigious fellowships, she is also a recipient of the UN X-Cultural Reporting Award 2010.