Društvene i Humanističke Studije (Jun 2020)
Some New Emigrants? – Attachment of Croatian Emigrants in Ireland and Germany to Their Homeland
Abstract
The paper deals with the research of Croatian emigrants and their attachment to the homeland. The aim of the paper is to investigate whether there is a difference between Croatian emigrants in habits related to their attachment to the homeland, with regard to the country they emigrated to and with regard to sex. The study was conducted on a sample of 587 Croatian emigrants in Ireland (n = 228) and Germany(n = 359) using a quantitative survey method. Survey results show that there are statistically significant differences in the frequency of socializing with other Croatian emigrants, the frequency of visits to thehomeland, the monitoring of the Croatian media and the preparation of Croatian traditional dishes, given that the emigrants are in Germany or Ireland, in the way that the emigrants who are less connected tothe homeland in Ireland than those in Germany. The study showed that there are no significant differences in the attachment to the homeland when it comes to gender, except in the case of traditional Croatiandishes that women prepare more than men do. Finally, the authors encourage further research into the topic of contemporary Croatian emigration, since such research is lacking.
