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 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 constructing and preserving on a wider, national scale. The paper also emphasizes supposed historical roots of the phenomenon in the given area and aims to explore not only the meanings of non-commercialized hospitality that pertain to its provision to foreigners, but also the social relations of local people and communities that often perceive hospitality as an inherent part of their life.