Demographic Change and The Integrity of Tradition in Croatia

Abstract

This thesis approaches Croatian emigration not simply as to why people leave, but how they come to understand leaving as rational, necessary or inevitable. It examines each of the forces that shape this decision: economic structures, political corruption, historical memory and generational divides that all play a part in one's decision. Experience reveals the complexity of choices regarding migration that are often reduced to simple binaries of ambition versus loyalty. The research that is being used to write this thesis is based on fieldwork I conducted in Croatia during the winter of 2026. The goal of this study is not to offer solutions but rather understand how migration operates as a social, cultural and economic process. It is to further understand what choices the people of Croatia have, how they interpret said choices and what those choices reveal about themselves, as well as the political and economic system they operate within. Understanding why some people leave and why others stay, requires a serious interpretation of their calculations and the meanings associated with those calculations.