Abstracts

In rural areas and small towns of Iceland, the in- and out-migration is quite fluid but also gender biased where women are more likely to migrate to urban areas. To gain a better understanding of the individual- and community level process in small towns and villages a survey was conducted in small towns around Iceland, collecting quantitative information. In order to get some insight to in- and out migration, to what extent community-level attitudes influence individual migration intentions, the questions also focused on “the stayers”, active and passive stayers, the role of interpersonal relations, changes in service provisions and changes in labour market. In those areas there is a disproportion of female out-migration and the data collection aimed at finding a gender difference in equality views, social status, social responsibilities, household responsibilities and work market, and if those factors affect women’s willingness to stay. The in-migrants are quite a few in the areas in question and their resilience is something that could cast a light on the stayers, are family relations the main factor or are those communities attracting in-migrants for other reasons? This survey is a part of a larger project conducted by the Icelandic Regional Development Institute where migration and migration attentions in Iceland are analysed. This small-town survey will lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive data collection where these results give important information about the views and social status of small-town inhabitants, gender differences, their place attachment and place identity, belongfulness and happiness.