Networks of Identity - Labour Migration and Long-Distance Nationalism among Albanians from Macedonia

The project aims at analysing trans-national migrant networks between the Albanian village Veleshta in Macedonia and their places of destination in Austria and Switzerland. By looking at family and kinship relations as basic categories of analysis, the questions will be raised under which circumstances and in what ways trans-national families have established networks between their village of origin and their places of destination, how they have managed to maintain these networks and which relations they have established towards wider communities, like the village, the nation, and the state. Labour migration to ?`Western` countries has been a widespread phenomenon among rural Albanians in Macedonia at least since the 1960s. Labour migration and network building have had an enormous impact on the social, economic and cultural development of the Albanian minority and have shaped their relations towards the nation and the state. In the course of the economic decline, the dissolution of the Yugoslav federation, and the establishment of the independent Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), trans-national networks of migrants additionally gained an important political significance. The fight for political rights in the home country, pursued with great enthusiasm and strong material support, often became the foremost goal of migrants. One of the main targets of this project will be the analysis of this process of politicization of trans-national networks between Veleshta/Velešta and locations in Austria and Switzerland. In considering the changing social, economic and political circumstances at both sides of the trans-national networks, the altering relations and strategies of migrants towards their families, their village community and the nation will be studied from an actor-oriented perspective.

The project aims at analysing trans-national migrant networks between the Albanian village Veleshta in Macedonia and their places of destination in Austria and Switzerland. By looking at family and kinship relations as basic categories of analysis, the questions will be raised under which circumstances and in what ways trans-national families have established networks between their village of origin and their places of destination, how they have managed to maintain these networks and which relations they have established towards wider communities, like the village, the nation, and the state. Labour migration to "Western" countries has been a widespread phenomenon among rural Albanians in Macedonia at least since the 1960s. Labour migration and network building have had an enormous impact on the social, economic and cultural development of the Albanian minority and have shaped their relations towards the nation and the state. In the course of the economic decline, the dissolution of the Yugoslav federation, and the establishment of the independent Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), trans-national networks of migrants additionally gained an important political significance. The fight for political rights in the home country, pursued with great enthusiasm and strong material support, often became the foremost goal of migrants. One of the main targets of this project will be the analysis of this process of politicization of trans-national networks between Veleshta/Velešta and locations in Austria and Switzerland. In considering the changing social, economic and political circumstances at both sides of the trans-national networks, the altering relations and strategies of migrants towards their families, their village community and the nation will be studied from an actor-oriented perspective.