An insigh in o he li e o Albanian women
in adi ional and mode n socie y
jessica Cenek Kop lo á
ABSTRACT
The goal o he ini ial s udy and his pape is o explo e he li e o Albanian women in adi ional
and mode n socie ies. The s udy con ains empi ic indings b ough by a ield esea ch, which he
esea che conduc ed wi h Albanian women om Koso o and Albania, who li ed in he Czech Re-
public and Koso o, be ween Augus 2015 and Ap il 2016. The in e iews we e conduc ed wi h a o al
o 9 esponden s, 4 o hem being om Albania, h ee om Koso o and 2 om he Czech Republic.
Apa o his esea ch also consis ed o pa icipan obse a ion, especially while conduc ing e-
sea ch ega ding Koso a women.
KEYWORDS
Albanian woman, mode n socie y, Koso o, Albania, adi ional socie y
To in oduce he esea ch, Iwould like o explain he speci ics o wo king as a ield
esea che wi h Albanian esponden s. Albanian socie y, be i in he Czech Repub-
lic, Koso o, o Albania, ends o be closed and o p o ec i s p i acy o ala ge deg ee.
I is he e o e challenging o ind Albanian esponden s willing o coope a e, ei he
women o men. I he esea che is ape son ha is unknown o he Albanian espon-
den , is i di icul o secu e his us and openness, which is in many ways he mos
impo an ac o o he esea che . The esea che o en has o ind a hi d pa y,
which has a ela ionship wi h bo h him and he esponden . Tha being said, no e en
his always means ha he he will be able o ob ain in o ma ion ha he needs. The
esponses o Albanian esponden s I egis e ed we e o en e y b ie , sho o e en
alse— he esea che he e o e has o ace adi icul ask o a emp ing o ell which
esponses a e hones and which no as much in he gi en con ex . I was no possible
o me o conduc pa icipan obse a ion in an Albanian amily in Koso o, Albania,
be i in aci y o in he coun y— he e o e, Iconcen a ed p ima ily on in e iews
wi h Albanian women, who came om Albania o Koso o o he Czech Republic.
THE CITY AND THE VILLAGE.
ALBANIAN WOMEN FROM ALBANIA OR KOSOVO?
In o de o be e unde s and he li e o con empo a y Albanian women, i seems
necessa y o i s ly di e en ia e be ween Albanian women om Albania and hose
om Koso o, and also o conside i hey come om he coun yside o u ban en i-
onmen ( he conse a i e o libe al se ing o he amily also plays a ole). I is also
impo an o ake in o accoun he economical s anding o he amily, educa ion o
he pa en s and also li es yle o he gi en amily ( espec i ely i he amily li es by
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96 STUDIA ETHNOLOGICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
ce ain mode n o adi ional s anda ds). The eason why I ind his impo an a e
he his o ical conno a ions. A e he Wo ld Wa II, in bo h coun ies (Koso o and
Albania) acommunis égime ose o powe — al hough i s emmed om he same
oo s in bo h cases, he e we e signi ican di e ences in he leade ship and he s yle
o go e nance o hese espec i e coun ies. Bo h sys ems played hei pa and had
an impac on he li e o Albanian speaking popula ion in many ways, as some o he
esponden s om Albania also claimed in his esea ch.
This is also connec ed o ano he ac o , which had an impac on he o ming o
con empo a y Albanian socie y— ha being he mode niza ion o he adi ional
amily model in he Balkans. This happened o ala ge ex en du ing he second hal o
he 20 h cen u y. The pa ia chal Albanian socie y o ha ime began o be in luenced
by imp o ing li e acy o he popula ion, possibili ies o educa ion, he manda o y
mili a y se ice and o he ac o s. Also, he Albanian ex ended amilies also s a ed o
all apa , adi ional ways o li e s a ed o ade, he popula ion s a ed mo ing away
om illages o ci ies and he ole o women also s a ed o change— hey s a ed o
play amo e signi ican ole in he educa ional and wo king p ocesses. Le us men ion
ha he e we e also excep ions o his, which we e no ouched by hese new ends.
These we e mos ly he no he n si ua ed pa s o Albania and small illages, be i in
Albania o Koso o. In mos cases, hese we e si ua ed a away om ci ies and schools
and he economic si ua ion he e was much wo se ha in he ci ies. Rega ding he
no h o Albania, he socie y li ing in hese pa s was s ill s ongly pa ia chal and
adi ional, e en du ing he second hal o he 20 h cen u y. The people he e li ed and
some also s ill li e while ollowing he adi ional ways o li e. Ei he way, alking
abou Albania, he s a e wan ed o b ing achange o his si ua ion in he no h o he
coun y and he e o e, eache s we e sen he e om Ti ana and also ce ain la ge
sou he n Albanian owns (Kop lo á 2016: 100).
I is wo h men ioning ha esponden s (women) om Albania p ope e used
ca ego ically o be in any way connec ed o women om Koso o. Women om Alba-
nia, who come om aci y o li e he e, now p esen hemsel es as s ong, educa ed,
emancipa ed, independen and wo king women, who a e p oud o hei Albanian
iden i y and he ac i sel ha he a e women. To ace ain ex en , hey also men-
ion he ac ha hey a e no dependen on hei men. These women call hemsel es
“ eal women”, ha being in compa ison o hose li ing in he coun yside. The ba -
ie be ween Albanian women coming om he ci ies and he coun yside s ill exis s
in bo h men ioned coun ies. Al hough some Albanian women om he ci ies, bo h
om Albania and Koso o, who c i icized women coming om he coun yside and
e alua ed hem nega i ely, ne e eally isi ed a illage. In compa ison, hose women
who did isi he coun yside we e no nea ly as c i ical.
I hink he e is ahuge di e ence in compa ison wi h hem. So, o make an a icle abou
Albanian women you ha e o go o Ti ana, no o Koso o…The si ua ion in illages is
poo and women depend on hei husbands, bu ha is jus aminimal pa o he whole
socie y. Ti ana is whe e mos people li e. So, please, when you speak abou Albanian
women, he p ope sample you can ind in Ti ana, no in Koso o o in he coun yside
(Kop lo á 2016: 183).
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jESSICA CENEK KOPRLO á 97
Awoman om he ci y is mo e powe ul, she can decide o he sel , she can wha she
wan s, she has he suppo o he amily. Women in he coun yside a e no well edu-
ca ed, hey miss he school, some o hem only did some ou yea s o school (Kop lo á
2016: 183).
WEDDINGS
In a adi ional Balkans socie y, he wedding is one i he mos impo an e en s in
li e (o no he mos impo an one)— he Albanian socie y does no cons i u e an ex-
cep ion. The selec ion o apa ne , he engagemen and he p epa a ions o he wed-
ding i sel we e e y impo an no only in he Sla ic socie ies, bu also in he Alba-
nian one, as was also p o ed by he ules o a ious e sions o kanun ( he Albanian
unw i en cus oma y law).
I used o be ypical o he adi ional Albanian socie y ha pa en s we e he ones
who chose he u u e pa ne o hei child en and Albanian women had no igh o
in luence his p ocess. Du ing my esea ch, Iencoun e ed in o ma ion abou ap e-
media ed wedding wice, in wo o ms. The i s o m was he adi ional one, whe e
he wedding was communica ed by he pa en s. Ine e encoun e ed asi ua ion when
he pa en s o he esponden didn’ app o e o he wedding. In case o he espon-
den s hemsel es, none o hem had ap e-media ed wedding. They acknowledged
ha his o m o p e-media ed wedding is s ill being p ac iced in he coun yside.
The second ime Iencoun e ed he p e-media ed wedding in amode n o m was
when Iwas old abou acase, when he pa en s p elimina ily mu ually acquain ed
hei child en in hope ha hey will be in e es ed o o m a ela ionship. E en ually,
he child en exchanged hei con ac s on Facebook, communica ed and ied o ind
ou i he e is acommon g ound ha hey can u he expand. I he ini ial impulse
came om he pa en s, i seems ha hese couples usually s ay oge he and ma y—
when he ela ionship becomes a ac ha is known by he espec i e amilies, he
pa ne s s a o see he ela ionship as ase ious possibili y.
His o ically, ano he way o conclude ama iage was o abduc he b ide. The cus-
oma y law Kanun sees his possibili y as alegi ima e one. E en hough such ma -
iages we e seen as legi ima e un il ecen ly, hey a e e y a e in oday’s Koso o o
Albania (Kop lo á 2016: 103). Iha e egis e ed only one men ion o acase o b ide
abduc ion om my esponden s. The esponden men ioned ha his case ook place
in he 80’s in Koso o.
Igo ma ied when Iwas 15 o 16 yea s old. I didn’ make my pa en s happy. My g oom
abduc ed me om my home, i was on ae ening, he called his iends o help him. I old
my pa en s I’m going o awalk, Ididn’ ell hem ha I’m going o ma y him. He ook
me o his aun , whe e his iend and his amily we e. He old me he e is no o he home
o me o e u n o know and ha Iwill be his wi e om now on. The hing is ha Iwasn’
o age, so we had o go o he police. They in i ed my pa en s he e. My a he hen came
wi h akni e and he wan ed o kill my husband. He wasn’ hinking clea ly, he was u i-
ous. They old me i I’m going o e u n home, o i Iwan o go wi h him. Bu i ’s emba -
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assing o lea e you home in ou coun y, and like his, I’d ha e o ace i . So Is ayed
wi h him. My pa en s didn’ alk o me a all o 9 mon hs. Nobody wan ed o see me o
hea abou me. (Kop lo á 2013: 68).
Weddings a e usually popula e en s, whe e young people become acquain ed wi h
hei pee s and hey almos exclusi ely ake place du ing he summe . I is usually
ahuge e en , no only o he b ide and g oom, bu also o hei amilies, and all
membe s o he amily usually mee on his occasion— e en iends and people, who
do no know he amily a all. The numbe o gues s can each 300–400 people— o
ag ea deg ee, e e y hing depends on he size o he amily and on i s economical
s anding. The basic ule o Albanian weddings is ha he gues s a e no in i ed. Alba-
nians also o en ge o know each o he a wo k o a school. Many o my esponden s
me hei pa ne s a high school o uni e si y.
In bo h Albania and Koso o, he age when he ma iage ook place used o be e y
low— o bo h gende s, i used o be below 20 yea s o age, up un il he 1970’s. F om
he esponses Iga he ed and s a is ical in o ma ion, i seems ha his limi is nowa-
days highe in bo h coun ies. Women usually ma y be ween 20 and 28 yea s o
age, al hough he e a e excep ions, when his happens signi ican ly ea lie . (Kop lo á
2016: 104).
I is no as ea ly in ou case, because e en Albanian women a e in e es ed in hei ca ee s.
In away, i ’s acopy o he I alian s yle. Today’s Albanian women a e independen — i ’s
no as i used o be, when awoman had one ela ionship and she had o con inue ha
one wi h ama iage. Nowadays, i his i s ela ionship ails, i ’s no ap oblem o ind
somebody else. I became mo e libe al e en in Albania. We unde s and, ha i hey ha e
a ela ionship and id doesn’ wo k, i ’s be e o hem o spli up. (Kop lo á, 2016:186).
In he pas , b ide’s appa el was an impo an pa o p epa ing he wedding i sel ,
and he b ide he sel also ook ca e o his pa (Kop lo á 2016: 105). Im my esea ch,
Iobse ed i his adi ion is s ill ali e wi h young Albanian women and in which
o m. In olde gene a ions, his phenomenon was egis e ed, whe eas wi h he new
gene a ion in Koso o, he appa el is p o ided by he u u e husband. Se e al espon-
den s om Albania old me ha in his coun y, his is no he case. The b ide is also
gi en a ious gi s, such as golden jewel y and money ( he la e is usually gi en by
he wedding gues s). This adi ion is s ill ollowed. (Kop lo á 2016: 105).
In he Albanian adi ional socie y, he li e o newly wed pai s a e he wedding
used o be la gely based on he li e o husband’s pa en s. Acco ding o he esponses
o women om bo h coun ies, i used o be pe ec ly common un il he end o 20 h
cen u y, ha women’s pa en s and g andpa en s li ed in he house o husband’s
pa en s. This pa ilocali y can s ill be egis e ed in oday’s Koso o (Kop lo á 2016:
105–106). My esea ch ega ding Koso o also poin s ou ha Albanians end build
spacious houses wi h se e al loo s, whe e wide amilies li e oge he . E en ually,
b o he s build hei houses close o each o he . Families o en wo k oge he o man-
age hei land, women cook oge he and hey ca e o one ano he ’s espec i e chil-
d en. Unde s andably, his is no some hing ha can be gene alized— in bo h Koso o
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jESSICA CENEK KOPRLO á 99
and Albania, he e a e many pa ne ships nowadays, whe e he pa ne s s a o li e
oge he in anew locali y immedia ely a e he wedding.
THE MARRIAGE
The s anding o Albanian women in ma iages is s ill gene ally seen as asubo di-
na e one in he Czech socie y. Many people belie e ha an Albanian woman has no
igh s and ha she is ully subo dina ed o he husband, and ha she mus obey and
espec him. This is abelie ha Iencoun e ed no only wi h Czechs, bu e en Alba-
nians. Ibelie e ha he eason why his belie s ill exis s is he ac ha Albanian so-
cie y is e y exclusi e— many people he e o e s ill ollow he pa ia chal model o
ma iage be ween Albanians.
Ialso a emp ed o ind ou i he e a e p oblems be ween he pa ne s and wha
hey usually a e. Since none o he esponden s epo ed any po en ial di e ences in
opinions o c i ique coming om he husband, aques ion poses i sel i his has o
do wi h ce ain abu in he Albanian socie y ega ding he ac ha wi e should no
c i icize he husband in on o o eigne s o he own amily.
DIVORCE
Ano he opic, which was o in e es o me, we e di o ces. E en hough nowadays he
di o ce a e ends o be e y high in many Eu opean coun ies, Albanian socie y in
Albania and Koso o o ms an excep ion in his sense. Acco ding o he s a is ics ha
Iwas able o ob ain, he di o ce a e in hese coun ies is e y low on he con a y (Ko-
p lo á 2016: 107). This has also been la gely p o ed by he esponses Iob ained. Mos
esponden s claimed ha hey a e no awa e o any such cases. Those, who knew abou
such cases claimed ha he eason o di o ce was adul e y, di e en cha ac e ai s
o he pa ne s o he ac ha he pa ne s we e no able o ep oduce.
WOMEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD
Ano he ypical cha ac e is ic o adi ional Albanian socie y was ha women usu-
ally wo ked in he household whole li e and she ca ed o he husband, child en and
he house. This opic is nowadays a e y sensi i e and con o e sial one among Alba-
nian women. Some Albanian women om Albania and Koso o coming om ci y en-
i onmen opposed he s anding o Albanian women who s ay in he house:
Tha 's no my li e s yle. Ilike o be an independen woman (Kop lo á 2016: 183).
They ( he women s aying in he household) do no wan o in es hei ime, because i ’s
i esome o wo k bo h ou side and a home. I hink ha awoman who wo ks does he
hings a home anyway and hey do i jus as good as awoman ha does no ha e any
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o he job. These women a e no quali ied. And he ones ha do ha e i , some e en ha e
auni e si y deg ee, hey a e lazy— because hey ne e wo ked and he e o e hey ha e
no eason o come back o i . They’ e sa is ied wi h he li e hey li e, whe e hey ake ca e
o he household and child en. (Kop lo á 2016: 191).
Acco ding o some esponden s, he women wo king in he household a e e y con-
se a i e and many o hem do no ha e ahighe educa ion. These esponden s con-
i m ha he e a e s ill many such women in he Albanian socie y, al hough hey s a e
ha hese a e in mos cases women om he coun yside and om pa s o Albania
o Koso o which a e poo . Wha is o impo ance he e is he ac ha his is achoice
o he women, no some hing dic a ed by hei husbands. Mos ly, I ollowed he si u-
a ion in Koso o:
— I happens, ha he illage whe e he amily li es is si ua ed oo a om aci y
and is i no wo h i o he woman o ind ajob he e. Apa om his, he only
oppo uni y is o wo k in he husband’s shop (i ha exis s) o o open abusiness
o he own (o en asalon, hai d esse ’s e c).
— The si ua ion on Koso o’s jobs ma ke is adi icul one one— he e is ala ge amoun
o people looing o jobs and on he o he hand, only ahand ul o job openings. The
la ges pe cen age o unemployed consis s o women. Wages in Koso o a e compa -
a i ely e y low, which leads o he women a he s aying a home.
— Some women encoun e di icul ies e u ning o ajob a e se e al yea s spend in
he household.
They ha e los he ime. They s ayed a home o child en o g ow up and hen i ’s di icul
o s a o hem om beginning. Albanian women om Albania a e e y emancipa ed.
Tha ’s he di e ence be ween Albanian women om Koso o and om Albania. Du ing
he imes o he communis egime, Albanian women had he same posi ion as he men,
so hey had supposed o be a wo k. So i hey wan ed o ha e money o he whole am-
ily hey had o wo k, hey couldn’ s ay a home because hey didn’ ha e money o he
amily. They had o ha e wo sala ies. Some mo he s ayed a home wi h child six weeks.
The e was no o he way (Kop lo á 2016: 176).
In Koso o, i ’s clea — he e is only e y ew job possibili ies. Conside ing Czech Republic,
he e, he women wo k wi h hei husbands, o , i he husband is employed elsewhe e,
hei sel es eem is o en no high enough o go ou and ind ajob o hei own. Fo ex-
ample, hey may be unsu e abou hei language capabili ies. (Kop lo á 2016: 161).
Since we men ioned child en, o his also pe ains he ime ha Albanian women
dedica e o hei ma e ni y lea e, and also hei opinions and opinions o hei hus-
bands on how long hey should s ay wi h he child en a home. The si ua ion a he
ime when his s udy was unde aken showed ha women in Albania ecei e hei
ull daily ma e ni y bene i o hal ayea a e going on ma e ni y lea e. A e his
pe iod, hey ecei e ahal o his bene i o ano he hal ayea (Kop lo á 2016: 110).
Albanian women om Albania say ha i he women does no decide o s ay wi h
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jESSICA CENEK KOPRLO á 101
hei child en in he household pe manen ly (un il he child en g ow up), she usually
e u ns o ajob a e hal ayea o ayea spen on he ma e ni y lea e. These espon-
den s we e all li ing in aci y, hey had auni e si y deg ee and a he ime o concep-
ion, all o hem we e employed— he e o e, hey s a ed ha he ideal leng h o ma-
e ni y lea e o hem was hal ayea o awhole yea . E en hough se e al husbands
o hese esponden s we e con inced ha amo he should s ay a home wi h he chil-
d en in he long e m, hei husband espec ed hei decision o e u n o hei e-
spec i e jobs. I egis e ed he same opinion in case o Albanian women om Albania,
who ha e no child en so a . The si ua ion ega ding Koso a Albanians is simila .
In case o Albanian women li ing in he Czech epublic in amixed ma iage
( he e o e hose ha ing aCzech man o ahusband), Ialso ackled he ques ion o he
language ha hei child en speak o hei mo he s. One o my Czech esponden s
who is ma ied o an Albanian om Koso o had 2 sons, whe e bo h pa en s spoke o
he child en bo h Albanian and Czech. The key ac o is he locali y whe e he amily
esides, which leads o he child en speaking Czech mo e o en— while isi ing am-
ily membe s in Koso o, he child en speak Albanian.
MANAGING THE HOUSEHOLD
In he pas , i used o be common ha indi idual membe s o aBalkans household di-
ided di e en oles in be ween hem. The dis inc ion used o be based on gende —
wo k, which was conside ed o be awoman’s job, used o be ca ied ou by he lady o
he house, daugh e s-in-law and single young women. This usually co e ed cooking,
wo king in he ga den o on he ield, aking ca e o he child en, a ious common
household asks and so o h (Kop lo á 2016: 113). The ole o women in con empo-
a y Albanian households is no di e en ia ed as clea ly anymo e. In he majo i y o
cases, mode n Albanian women a e usually employed ou side o he household and
hey a e he e o e obliged o spli hei du ies in be ween hei job, household and
amily. O en, he husband o child en help wi h he asks nowadays. Albanian
women, who eside in he coun yside usually ca y ou he household asks by hem-
sel es. Acco ding o one o he esponden s, wo king on he ield is usually amen’s
job in oday’s Koso o, in con a y o he his o ical si ua ion. Household asks a e o -
en di ided no only in be ween membe s o one nuclea amily, bu also in be ween
membe s o he wide household, in cases whe e he indi idual pai s li e oge he in
acommon household. Bo h in Albania and Koso o, i is s ill ai ly common ha newly
wed pai s s ill li e oge he wi h husband’s pa en s a e he wedding. This is ei he
changed a e he ma ied pai inds anew locali y o li ing, o he si ua ion emains
he same in he long e m, depending on he amily.
EDUCATION
Up un il he 2nd hal o he 20 h cen u y, he ques ion o women’s educa ion in Alba-
nia and Koso o was signi ican ly supp essed in compa ison o con empo a y si ua-
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ion. Howe e , he e a e s ill dis inc ions in be ween hese wo coun ies. In Alba-
nia, mainly he no he n si ua ed egions emained illi e a e o ala ge ex en , e en
du ing he 2nd hal o he 20 h cen u y. In Koso o, he simila si ua ion applied o he
coun yside as awhole. As educa ional ins i u ions g adually pene a ed he egions
and endencies o supp ess he sole ole o awi e and mo he s a ed o appea mo e
widely, hese women also s a ed o s i e o highe le els o educa ion. Some o
hem we e la gely limi ed by he inancial possibili ies o he amily and he e o e
we e able o ob ain only elemen a y educa ion (Kop lo á 2016: 114). Today, he olde
gene a ion o Albanian pa en s sees educa ion as an impo an elemen and he e o e
s i es o suppo hei daugh e s in his aspec . Howe e , he e is also ano he poin
o iew ega ding his opic, and ha is he opinion o male popula ion— in my e-
sea ch, Ialso ied o ind ou i ce ain men eel uncom o able when hei wi e o -
icially achie ed ahighe le el o educa ion han hemsel es. The esponses a e a -
ied— app oxima ely hal o hem s a ed ha Albanian men do pe cei e his si ua ion
as an issue. The o he hal o esponden s s essed ha he men ac ually alue i hei
wi e achie ed ahighe le el o educa ion.
EMPLOYMENT
As men ioned be o e, he si ua ion on he job ma ke in Albania is adi icul one,
bo h in Albania and in Koso o. Bo h coun ies su e om a ela i ely high unemploy-
men a e, which mo i a es hem o lea e he espec i e coun ies and seek employ-
men possibili ies ou side— mos p e e ed des ina ions being Ge many, Aus ia and
Swi ze land. Those emig a ing ou side o he Eu opean con inen o en lea e o he
Uni ed S a es o Ame ica. Albanian women, who achie ed ahighe le el o educa-
ion o en wo k in he educa ional, economic o heal hca e sec o in, bo h in Albania
and Koso o. Many Albanian women, who achie ed middle le el o educa ion, o en
wo k as s o e cle ks, wi h ano he popula choice o employmen being ahai d ess-
e ’s saloon o hei own (Kop lo á 2016: 115). This somehow co ela es wi h he ac
ha body cul u e is some hing o ag ea impo ance o bo h Albanian males and e-
males. Rega ding women who only achie ed abasic le el o educa ion, hese usually
s ay in he household and ake ca e o he amily— in cases whe e he amily owns
as o e, es au an o aco ee shop (o asimila es ablishmen ), he wi e usually helps
his husband unning i .
None o he esponden s coming om Albania o he Czech Republic s a ed ha
hey encoun e ed p oblems while looking o ajob he e. I is acommon p ac ice
ha newcome Albanians make use o possibili ies o e ed by hei amily o iends
who al eady es ablished hemsel es in he coun y— he newcome s he e o e ei-
he s a wo king on aposi ion ha was sugges ed o hem, o hey s a wo king in
abusiness di ec ly owned by he o emen ioned iends o amily li ing in he Czech
Republic. Also, none o he esponden s s a ed ha hey el disc imina ed on he
Czech job ma ke . Responden s om Albania usually wo k in he economy sec o
and he e is also aconside able g oup ha s udies a auni e si y and wo ks a he
same ime.
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jESSICA CENEK KOPRLO á 103
Koso a Albanian women being ma ied o aKoso a man wi h whom Ime s a ed
ha hey usually s ay in he household, e en ually, hey a e helping hei husbands in
a amily business. Since he e is a end in he Czech socie y (no exclusi ely) when
women pu sue hei own ca ee ins ead o s a ing anew amily, Iwas in e es ed o
ind ou wha is he si ua ion amongs Albanian women coming om an u ban en-
i onmen . Albanian esponden s om Albania s a ed ha Albanian women li ing
in aci y o en also pu sue his end, pe haps in ae en s onge manne han Czech
women compa a i ely. This goes in line wi h my expe ience— such women o en
gi e p io i y o educa ion and ca ee and s a ing a amily is he e o e o e shad-
owed inde ini ely. The si ua ion ega ding Albanian women om Koso o is simila ,
al hough I’ e obse ed ha his phenomenon is no as widesp ead, which Ia ibu e
o as onge ocus on amily ma e s and cohesion (which also applies o Albanian
coun yside).
SHORT TERM MOBILITY— SEASONAL VISITS
This is aphenomenon ha pe ains o Albanian women li ing ab oad, in his case in
he Czech Republic. Albanian and mixed Czech-Albanian amilies li ing in his coun-
y usually isi Koso o and Albania oge he once o wice ayea — his being du -
ing he summe season, gene ally o wo main easons. Fi s being ha he summe
season is usually he ime when amilies lea e o hei aca ion, while he second
one is ha weddings, being an impo an amily e en , usually ake place du ing his
pa o he yea . In Koso o and Albania, he amilies s ay a hei ela i es‘ house. In
spi e o he close amily ela ions, he isi ing pa o he amily is conside ed gues s
in his case and usual hospi ali y exe ed owa ds gues s is mani es ed owa ds hem,
meaning ha hey do no ake pa in household ma e s. In case he Czech Albanian
women own ap ope y in Koso o o Albania, hei espec i e amilies who s ay in he
coun y ake ca e o he p ope y, ields e c.
CONCLUSION
Unde s andably, he e a e key di e ence be ween he li e o Albanian women com-
ing om u ban en i onmen and hose coming om he coun yside. Albanians com-
ing om he u ban en i onmen in Albania ( o example Ti ana, being he la ges
ci y in he coun y) a e usually no iceably mo e sel -con iden and mo e emanci-
pa ed han Koso a Albanian women coming om an u ban en i onmen . The same
can be also said o Albanians om Albania and Koso o who li e in he Czech Re-
public— he only handicap being alanguage ba ie . Many such women li ing in
he Czech Republic o many yea s a e no willing o lea n he local language, which
is some hing ha Ia ibu e o hei lack o mo i a ion. As men ioned be o e, Alba-
nian socie y ends o be exclusi e, many o hese women wo k in a amily business,
s ay in he household o hey wo k in a o eign company, whe e hey usually speak
English. Albanian women coming om Albanian and Koso a ci ies usually p esen
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