Edi o ial
The la es mono hema ic issue o he S udia E hnologica P agensia ( olume 10, is-
sue2, 2019) concen a es p ima ily on e hnology and olklo e s udies in Albania and
Koso o— no only h ough he s udy o he espec i e socie ies, cul u es and phe-
nomena, bu also h ough he p esence o wo ks by con empo a y au ho s wi h Al-
banian backg ound which o m he co e o his issue. Albei , a his poin , i ul i-
ma ely did no p o e o be possible o make use o his oppo uni y and also showcase
anumbe o s udies ega ding he opic c ea ed by Czech specialis s wi h in e es in
his a ea, he wo ks ul ima ely p esen ed in his issue pe ain o some o he mos
ele an opics connec ed o i . This includes no only ac i ical assessmen o he dis-
cou se o e hnog aphy in Albania p ope du ing he imes o socialism and he con-
inua ion and de elopmen o olklo e s udies in Koso o, bu also o he phenomena:
i s ly, Albanian mig a ion h ough he Albanian diaspo a (which has been as ong
phenomenon o a e y long ime and he con inuous expanding o which also be-
came a“signa u e” ma k o bo h pas and p esen Albanian socie y), and secondly,
also con inui y and ansmission o adi ions and alues in con empo a y imes
(which is unde s andably no ela ed o he egion i sel exclusi ely).
As was b ie ly men ioned abo e, he i s pape p esen ed in he jou nal, w i en
by A bno a Dushi, deals wi h he his o ical di icul ies and de elopmen o olklo e
s udies in Koso o, p ima y in ega ds o he Folklo e Depa men a he Ins i u e o
Albanology in P ish ina and i s special ole in ega ds o academic ea men o Al-
banian olklo e. E en hough hese we e in a a mo e li ely con ac wi h he ou side
wo ld han hei coun e pa in Albania p ope , hey we e ne e heless a ec ed by
he uns able poli ical si ua ion in he egion and only opened up o wide ends and
in luences in he 2000s.
The second con ibu ion by Albanian an h opologis Albe Doja is api o al ex ,
which, e en hough i has been indeed al eady published elsewhe e, is ag ea ly wel-
comed addi ion o his issue. I c i ically deals wi h an en anglemen o poli ics and
knowledge and he whole pas discou se o Albanian e hnology (o e hnog aphy e-
spec i ely), which has long been o med and in luenced by he poli ical and ideo-
logical con ex o socialis Albania and used o cons uc ano ion o uniqueness in
ega ds o Albanian na ional iden i y— and has only ela i ely ecen ly (du ing he
1990s) begun o d aw close o he discou se o Wes e n social and cul u al an h o-
pology.
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6 STUDIA ETHNOLOGICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
The hi d and ou h pape in his issue we e p o ided by Koso a Albanian schol-
a s Lumnije Kad iu and Leon ina Gega-Musa. The i s one o hese wo by L.Kad iu
is dealing wi h he his o y and p esen s a e o Albanian diaspo a, di e en concep s
o diaspo a in gene al (also in ega ds o a ying his o ical conno a ions) and also o
he concep ion o Albanian diaspo a i sel . Las bu no leas i d aws om ap e ious
ield esea ch and pe ains o he ques ion o na ional iden i y o Koso a Albanians
as pe cei ed, mani es ed and p ese ed in he diaspo a. The second o hese wo pa-
pe s by L.Gega-Musa eaches ou o apa icula e hnic con ex and explo es ecen
in luences on he ansmission o alues and adi ions (such as digi al echnologies),
hei con ex and also he ans o ma ion o i es which a e connec ed o hese p o-
cesses.
This issue also con ains wo o he pape s ela ed o Albanians hema ically.
Th ough a chi al ma e ials and a ailable li e a u e, he i s one o hem p esen s
and analyses p e iously un e lec ed ama eu e hnog aphy conduc ed in he No h-
e n Albanian moun ains by Czech w i e and eache Ka el Sellne , who esided he e
o an ex ended pe iod du ing he du ing he Fi s Wo ld Wa as an Aus o-Hunga -
ian mili a y enginee (while i also pe ains o he his o ical and geopoli ical con ex
o he gi en pe iod). The second o hese wo con ibu ions ye again pe ains o Al-
banian diaspo a ( his ime la gely o he one ha is p esen in he Czech Republic)
and by means o a ield esea ch, i a emp s o shed new ligh on he li e o Albanian
women in ega ds o mode n socie y and he legacy o he adi ional one.
Robe Dob a
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