Crossing borders, keeping language: ethnolinguistic vitality of Croatia’s diaspora in Sweden

Roko Uvodić and Drago Župarić-Iljić, PhD are the authors of the scientific paper “Crossing borders, keeping language: ethnolinguistic vitality of Croatia’s diaspora in Sweden“. The paper is published in “Sociology and Space“, 62 (3).

Abstract: This article revolves around the question of integration of Croatian immigrants in Sweden and is written from the sociolinguistic perspective of sustaining the Croatian language among the members of diaspora. Through the theory of ethnolinguistic vitality, the study highlights how Croatians in Sweden maintain their language and ethnic identity in transnational social space. Based on a mixed-method approach including an empirical research with 150 participants of the survey, and participants of additional focus-groups, it offers insights into the language attitudes and complexities of post-migration experiences among Croatian immigrants. The study emphasizes the level of language and identity sustainment among Croatian immigrants in Sweden, calling out the necessity for further exploration of such topics within the realms of migration, transnationalism and ethnic studies, together with sociolinguistics. Even though this research is just a beginning in studying Croatian identity abroad from a sociolinguistic point of view, it offers useful insights on the dynamics of transnational migration and post-migration processes. Croatian immigrants in Sweden maintain a high level of ethnolinguistic vitality, retaining their ethnic characteristics and behaving as a linguistically cohesive identity, at the same time forming communities that bridge the gap between their home country and their current place of residence.

The paper is available at the link.