This is a post for Anne-Laure, since she has been asking me about this diagram… if I had published it anywhere. I am currently writing a paper: Neo-nomads — a definition. for a publication edited by Dido Tsigaridi and Jan Jungclaus that will contribute to the Harvard Technology and Design Report Series.

Physical mobility relates to the movement of bodies, objects and spaces from a point to another. Mental mobility refers to the transfers of belonging occurring when being a hybrid or living in a foreign culture (Abbas, 2009). Digital mobility describes social hypertexting — navigating digital platforms, changing social groups and identities. When one remains still — in place, attached to one culture, and faithful to one community — physical, mental and digital mobilities align (Figure 1: Still state).

Mobilities misalign when one gets displaced physically, mentally or digitally, as anxieties arise such as the inclination to longing in belonging (Ilcan, 2002) and being a stranger to ourselves (Kristeva, 1991) (Figures 2: Displaced state).

Neo-nomads have a need and a propensity for re-adjustment. They re-create a still state, the re-adjusted state (Figure 3: Re-adjusted state).

Anyway, the 2 books I co-edited with Fred Dervin are out! Can’t wait to share a picture with you when the French one arrives! I wrote two chapters:

“Mobilization: an investigation of Barack Obama Presidential Campaign and Peer-to-peer Identity” in Abbas, Y. and Dervin, F (Eds.) Digital Technologies of the Self (Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009); pp. 85-106

“Les néo-nomades sont-ils immortels ? La mort en réseau” in Dervin, F. and Abbas, Y. (Eds.) Technologies numériques du soi et (co-)constructions identitaires (Paris: L’Harmattan, 2009); pp. 104-120