I own Ísafjörður and Ísafjörður owns me

Transcription

1 I own Ísafjörður and Ísafjörður owns me Place attachment and place identity in Ísafjörður Albertína Friðbjörg Elíasdóttir Advisors: Karl Benediktsson Magnfríður Júlíusdóttir

2 Er það hafið eða fjöllin sem að laða mig hér að, eða er það kannski fólkið á þessum stað, - þessum stað? Ólafur Popp Ragnarsson Is it the ocean or the mountains that attract me to this place, Or is it perhaps the people, In this place, - In this place

3 CONCEPTS & PREVIOUS RESEARCH

4 Rural research in Iceland Different approaches: Quantitative and qualitative methods Macro and micro Different explanations: Structural cause or individual choice?

5 Research outside Iceland Different methodological approaches Phenomenology Positivist Different definitions of concepts

6 METHODOLOGY

7 Viðmælendur Locals Moved there Moved away

8 Proportional population development Seinni heimstyrjöld lýkur "Hrun" Fyrri heimstyrjöld lýkur Háskólinn á Akureyri stofnaður Kvótakerfið sett á Frjálst framsal aflaheimilda Stofnun Háskóla Íslands Menntaskóli stofnaður á Ísafirði Snjóflóð í Súðavík og á Flateyri Ísland Vestfirðir Ísafjörður Fjöldagjaldþrot í kjölfar gengishækkunar Snjóflóð á Patreksfirði Vélvæðing báta Tveir nýir togarar til Ísafjarðar EG lokar í Bolungarvík

9 MAIN FINDINGS

10 Heildarkóðun Nature Community Family

11 Findings Nature Birna (B): The mountains and this positive feeling... Because now people sometimes that come here and... Feel like they are crushing them... like something intimidating... But I feel it s more like an embrace. I feel like I m protected though perhaps you shouldn t think like that of mountains. Rósa Lilja

12 Kristján Sigríður Guðrún Lilja (A): You really have everything you need here. A lot of nature, short distances. It s a short distance to go hiking, a walk in the nature, skiing or even to go out on a boat, it doesn t really matter what you want to do it s somehow all here. Pétur (H): Yes, I certainly feel a sense of attachment. I think it s simply everything, and then not in the least nature surrounding the fjord, I feel it sort of graps me so tight.

13 Findings Fríða (A): We wanted to try something new. We had never been here before when we decided to move here and we certainly haven t regretted that decision. The community here really welcomed us and we had some great friends from the early start [...] You might say that our attachment is mainly to the community in general, with our groups of friends, café s and other things, much more so then e.g. work. Society Kristján Lilja

14 Lilja Lilja (A): [...] and I ve gotten to know amazingly many people throughout these years and you always feel as welcome, it s not like when people often talk about moving to another town and the community is so closed that you can t get in... I haven t felt anything like that. Not ever since I came. One feels strong attachment to the people here. Fríða Sigríður (A): This is a community that is fighting for its life which then gives each individual more importance. Because of this we see evidence of fights and trouble which is bad but you need a certain number of people to change this so it is complicated. The town has many good things going for it as well. A rich music life, regular world class events, strong bonds between people and affection. It s especially good for children and teenagers.

15 Findings Family Pétur (H): Kristján Yes, I most (H): certainly feel an attachment.,,the same I think as I said it s everything before, I [...] have my my home roots is where my [hesitation] family is, but here there s are my an unbreakable roots and my bond between family there and friends as I m so and I strongly think attached that s simply to this the place strongest through connection my family [...] but that shouldn t be interpreted so that I m chained here. I m here because I want to. Tinna Birna

16 Findings Place identity: Home Fríða (A): Yes, not a question. I feel good here, I have great friends and my family loves it here. Ísafjörður has become my home. Rósa (H): This is of course my home, I live here, my family is here, I grew up here and yes, this is simply home. Birna (B): Yes, these are positive feelings, like the mountain that some how hug you, it s something good, this is of course simply home... Researcher: I hear you use the word home, do you still have that feeling towards Ísafjörður? Birna: Yes, I own Ísafjörður and Ísafjörður owns me...

17 Findings Place identity: Ertu Ísfirðingur? Guðrún (A): Wow, a tough question! Within me I definitely feel like one from Ísafjörður, but if anyone would ask me the answer would probably be something else, at least for now, but in couple of years I think I will feel like I ve earned the right to call myself Ísfirðingur. Birna (B):... Yes, I feel flattered when people talk about Ísafjörður. People seem to have a positive attitude towards the Westfjords or it seems hip to be from the Westfjords. It s something that people relate to being strong and nature and mountains and people being tough. Icelanders perhaps view Westfjordians like that, but maybe it s something older in relation to Hrnstrandir, fishermen and the weather and etc.

18 DISCUSSION

19 Which do you relate to more - Community or nature?

20

21 Place attachment and rural development These findings show that people form a strong attachment to Ísafjörður What does this strong attachment mean as the place has still been battling depopulation, or perhaps rather hasn t been attracting more people?

22 Takk fyrir! Finally...