IMAGINED COMMUNITY IN DARMSTADT (GERMANY)- A CASE STUDY OF THE PAKISTANI STUDENT ASSOCIATION (PSA) WHATSAPP GROUP

Abstract

This research paper looks into how the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) WhatsApp group helps Pakistani students in Darmstadt, Germany, create an imagined diasporic community. Through semi-structured interviews with three participants, this study uses Benedict Anderson's (1983) idea of imagined communities as a theoretical framework to investigate how the group's functions promote a sense of community, connectedness, and belonging. Key themes under study are; information sharing, cultural connection, and social interaction. The findings of this study demonstrate the significance of the WhatsApp group in building a network of support and in serving as a platform to stay connected socially and culturally with each other for the members of PSA in Darmstadt, Germany.