Hospitality, Reciprocity and Identity in the Albanian Countryside: From Practice to a National Narrative

Abstract

This article is based on a field research conducted in a particular rural area situated in the mountains of Southern Albania and through both new and previous ethnographic data, it aims to interpret and explore various meanings and forms of non-commercialized hospitality from the standpoint of the local community. However, it also aims to explore certain broader implications of hospitality that pertain to identity, self-image, and their construction and preservation on a wider, national scale. The paper also aims to explore and contextualize not only the meanings of non-commercialized hospitality in Albania as it pertains to its provision to foreigners, but also the social relations of local people and communities that may perceive hospitality as an inherent part of their lives.