Taking Time to Know the Island: Multiple temporalities and changing mobilities on Dugi Otok, Croatia

Abstract

This article is based on the results of field research conducted on several occasions in 2020 and 2021 on the island of Dugi Otok, situated off the Dalmatian coast in Croatia. The article explores the notion of multiple temporalities emerging through the entanglement of spatial transformations, diverse forms of mobility and the lived experience of islanders. The concept of ‘multiple temporalities’ introduced in this article approaches these three aspects as heterogeneous temporal modalities that point to the coexistence and interplay of diverse, sometimes even opposing and contradictory, temporal rhythms. Inspired by theoretical and methodological approaches arising from the temporal turn while rethinking their potential in the context of Island Studies, the article focuses on the specific relations emerging from infrastructural development and the embodied experience of islanders. In order to grasp the complexities of what is popularly referred to as ‘island time’, the aim of the article is to show how processes of transportation development shape islanders' experiences of time.