The project carries out ethnographic research of the experience of islandness of island inhabitants, with the purpose of contributing to island and Adriatic studies. The concept of islandness as the experience of living in the context of insularity encompasses explorations of geographical, social, historical, economic and ecological characteristics and particularities of islands, along with the emotional aspect related to the feeling of place and identifications. Croatian islands have traditionally been emigrational areas that have shared longstanding negative demographic trends. The interdisciplinary research will encompass contemporary island migrations and new immigrants to islands, their motives for migration, quality of life, experience of islandness, identifications and integration into island communities. We are interested in three groups of new islanders: 1) immigrants or settlers who arrived from the mainland or another island (marital, working immigrants and immigrants descendants of islanders), 2) lifestyle migrants born in other parts of Croatia or in other countries (working-age and retired) and 3) emigrants returnees to islands. Besides exploring the motives for moving to an island, the research interests will be focused on identifications related to island space, time (rhythm), culture, heritage and tradition, and the integration (or reintegration in the case of retired settlers and emigrants returnees) into island communities. We are also interested in the perceptions of island communities regarding the immigrants, and their view of a “desirableˮ new islander and neighbour. The project envisions a four-year organization of the international scientific and professional symposium Anatomy of Islands on the Island of Hvar and the thematically related workshops, round table discussions and exhibitions. The project ETNOTOK is a collaborational project with the related project BAŠOTOK (Etnographies of Islandness – Island Heritage and Environmental Futures as Drivers of Island Communities Development), led by Marina Blagaić Bergman, PhD of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research. The project will connect researchers that conduct island research by bringing together current research results, enabling joint dissemination and future project proposals.
