Organisation and Identity of Slovenian Emigrants in Toronto

Diplomsko delo obravnava tematiko organiziranosti in identitete slovenskih izseljencev v Torontu. Delo temelji na biografsko-narativnem metodološkem pristopu, ki prek individualnih zgodb migrantov predstavlja izseljensko tematiko z vidika migrantov samih in nam hkrati omogoča pristen vpogled v določene družbene izzive, s katerimi se spopadajo izseljenci in njihovi potomci. Pripovedovalci so izpostavili različne tematike, ki zadevajo njihovo življenje v priseljenski skupnosti, od pomena organizacije v društvih, sodelovanja pri različnih dogodkih ter v različnih glasbenih, plesnih in športnih skupinah, pomembne vloge cerkve, slovenskega jezika in slovenske tradicije, pomena medijev in socialnih omrežij, sodelovanja in odnosa z domovino ter pomena medgeneracijskega sodelovanja. Omenjene tematike smo raziskali z obstoječo literaturo in terenskimi ugotovitvami. Trenutni načini organizacije slovenske skupnosti ostajajo ključni za njeno ohranjanje v prihodnje, saj ti vplivajo na to, kako se oblikuje in spreminja posameznikova identiteta, v tem primeru pripadnost slovenski kulturi. Iz tega izhajajo izzivi, s katerimi se sooča slovenska skupnost, ki so predvsem vzpostavljanje boljše medgeneracijske komunikacije ter preoblikovanje določenih načinov dela v skupnosti na način, ki bi privabil mlade k aktivnejšemu sodelovanju ter bi hkrati še vedno ohranil slovensko kulturo kot tako, ki je v Torontu prepletena s kanadskim načinom življenja.The thesis deals with the topic of organisation and identity of Slovenian immigrants in Toronto. The work is based on a biographical-narrative methodological approach that, through individual immigrant stories, presents an emigration issue from the point of view of the immigrants themselves, while at the same time providing an authentic insight into certain social challenges affecting emigrants and their descendants. The narrators highlighted various topics concerning their lives in the immigrant community, from the importance of organising in clubs, participating in various events and in various music, dance, and sports groups, the role of the church, the Slovenian language and tradition, the importance of media and social networks, cooperation and relationship with the homeland, and the importance of intergenerational cooperation. We supported the latter themes with existing literature and field findings. The current organisational forms of the Slovenian community are crucial to its preservation in the future, as they influence how individuals\u27 identities, in this case belonging to Slovenian culture, are formed and change. This poses challenges for the Slovene community, primarily in creating better intergenerational communication and reshaping certain ways of working in the community to attract young people for more active participation while preserving Slovene culture as such, which in Toronto is interwoven with the Canadian way of life