DIGITAL TRANSNATIONALISM: SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS OF AZERBAIJANIS IN EUROPE

Abstract

Contemporary globalization and digitalization processes have significantly transformed migration and diaspora relations. The rapid spread of social media platforms has created new forms of communication that influence everyday interaction, collective behavior, and identity formation within diaspora communities. This article examines the use of social media among Azerbaijanis living in Europe and its influence on their social behavior within the framework of digital transnationalism. The study analyzes how diaspora members use digital communication technologies to preserve national identity, maintain cultural ties, and strengthen collective solidarity. The research demonstrates that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube have become important parts of the everyday social life of Azerbaijanis living in Europe. Through these digital environments, individuals remain connected to Azerbaijan while simultaneously adapting to the social and cultural realities of European societies. The findings show that social media contributes to the formation of hybrid identity models, particularly among younger generations, where Azerbaijani cultural elements are represented together with European lifestyles and values. Digital communication also plays an important role in public mobilization, information exchange, and emotional solidarity within diaspora communities. At the same time, the study highlights certain negative aspects of online interaction, including social comparison, misinformation, and digital fragmentation. The article concludes that digital transnationalism provides an important theoretical framework for understanding the social relations, cultural transformation, and identity processes of the contemporary Azerbaijani diaspora living in Europe.