Žensko iskustvo migracija i starenja – pogled s otokâ

Abstract

This paper is result of research on the specificities of migration and their influence on the aging of women in particular island surroundings as well as on the causes and social consequences of these processes. It also discusses certain domains of the quality of life valued by the elderly. In addition to providing a theoretical overview, the authors present data collected by methods of secondary data analysis, and observation and semi-structured interviews in an effort to provide insight into aging on the Croatian islands from a gender standpoint. The qualitative data used were collected during several researches carried out from 2003 to 2013 within the project entitled “The influence of migrations on the regional development of Croatia”. The analysis focuses mainly on the experience of elderly women who live in small island communities, defined on the basis of similar economic, social and psychological parameters regardless of the island size. The data presented in this paper indicate that the aging of women on the islands and the quality of their life in later years are dependent on a number of factors – personal or family member (non)involvement in migration, size of the community in which they live, degree of island isolation, quality of existing infrastructure, personal health, degree of participation in social life etc. Additionally, notwithstanding their individual specific life cycle or the island on which they reside, a high level of activity into very old age is a common denominator for elderly island women. In conclusion, due to current demographic trends, the authors expect the continuation of the process of population aging on the Croatian islands, increase in the number of predominantly female single households and continuation of equality in the division of roles between island males and females outside the home, with concurrent maintaining of “female roles” in the home and in caring for the elderly (professionally or volunteer), which will strengthen some quality of life related issues for the inhabitants of small island communities.