Exploring emotions in the (re)construction of diaspora identity: Croats in Australia and New Zealand (1945-1991)

The scientific purpose of the project is to explore the role of emotions in the development of transnational migrant communities through the analysis of the history of Croatian communities in Australia and New Zealand from 1945 to 1991. The basic theoretical and methodological framework of the research is set within the concept of the history of emotions. The research will provide deeper understanding of the phenomenon of migrations, as one of the key aspects of the modernization process. It will offer a reinterpretation of existing research on Croatian diaspora, which are based on the economic and ideological rationalizations of migrations, attributing thereby migrants’ identities only on the basis of their ethnic origin; and usually placing the focus on political activities within the diaspora in the narrow sense of the term. Migrants will be within this project approached as actors in economic, cultural and political processes, both in the country of emigration and in the receiving countries, while the diasporas will be approached as a process of social mobilization. According to the main thesis, emigrants from the territory of Croatia formed two diasporas in both countries in the studied period, the Croatian and the Yugoslav. A key aspect of their formation process took place in the space known as leisure. Migrants’ identities will be approached in this project as a social construct, from a theoretical perspective of the history of emotions. The research will focus on the exploration of secondary emotions, as culturally conditioned phenomena. Diasporas will be within the project approached as ”emotional communities”, while the research will be based on archival research, press analysis and the conduction of interviews with migrants.