Doctoral research project
My PhD research examined the role that people with connections to Scotland’s islands (the Scottish islands diaspora) might play in the future of the islands. Scotland’s island communities face ongoing challenges linked to out-migration, ageing populations, and demographic imbalance which threaten their sustainability. While recent policy has sought to address these issues, limited attention has been paid to the role the diaspora – those who have left but remain connected to the islands – might play in supporting these communities. My PhD research examined how individuals with long-term ties to Scotland’s islands maintain connections and contribute to island life while living elsewhere, and how these connections influence return migration aspirations and action.
Reading tips: Check out the comprehensive contents list at the start – it is perfectly acceptable to scan this and just dip into the bits that interest you. There will be references to other places in the text that allow you to follow threads if you like. There is a lot of academic context up front but the real meat of the research is in the findings and discussion chapters (7-10).
The research project used data from a survey of 505 members of the Scottish islands diaspora, as well as focus groups and interviews with those in the diaspora and those who have returned to live in an island. The findings of the research indicate that:
- Those who don’t live in the island but who have an ongoing connection to the community might be seen as a form of extended community which could support island life in a number of ways.
- A substantial proportion of those in the diaspora show some kind of desire to move ‘back’ to an island in the future. This might be important for islands whose populations are low and / or falling, especially when we consider that these people likely already possess existing stocks of local knowledge and networks which are known to be important to community resilience.
- For those who return, personal factors such as connection to place and people tend to outweigh economic and practical considerations, and there is evidence of returners ‘hitting the ground running’ in terms of community involvement.
In addition to these key findings the research also allowed for the first profiling of the Scottish islands diaspora by recording the characteristics of this group and the forms of activity they undertaken to maintain their island connections, both when in the islands and elsewhere. The research project also highlighted gaps in our understanding of islands due to the lack of diversity within official spatial classifications, and created a new Islands Typology to help address. Finally, the research findings also offer a new tool for understanding migration in the form of the Multi-Dimensional Framework for Migration which examines push, pull, anchor and deterrent factors through economic, psychological and personal, and situational lenses.
The findings of this research project are significant to a range of individuals and groups, including academics interested in rural and island studies, policy makers, communities, and others interested in seeking to address depopulation and support sustainable futures in the Scottish islands and other sparsely populated areas.
Interested in finding out more? The full thesis is available at:
Coming Home: Exploring island connections and return migration among the Scottish islands diaspora
For those of you new to academic texts – don’t be put off by it’s length. Very few people will ever read it from cover to cover. There is a comprehensive contents list at the start and it is perfectly acceptable to scan this and just dip into the bits that interest you – there will be references to other places in the text that allow you to follow threads if you like. There is a lot of academic context up front but the real meat of the research is in the findings and discussion chapters (7-10).
Islands Researcher 