Session
Psychology
Description
Albania experienced one of the harshest communist regimes in Europe and self –imposed isolation until ‘90. She has also experienced a long and slow transition process as compare to other countries. This transitional processes was hard and brought forward numerous social, economic, and political challenges most of which are still experiencing complex and burdensome transformations even as many as two decades after the fall of communism.
Consequently, young people in Albania became marginalized – socially, economically and politically, thus becoming one of the most vulnerable social category to a large extent affected by the delayed transition to democracy. Challenges – such as high levels of youth unemployment are seen as a direct consequence of the Albania’s difficult economic context, but equally so of its outdated educational systems that fails to deliver to the needs of the labor market. Demographic changes and a youth ‘brain drain’ are some of the pieces that make up the situation of youth in Albania difficult. In order to improve her chance of European Union accession and to secure her citizens a more prosperous future, she need to address the problems facing her youth, who hold the key to such a future. (EP, 2017)
In June of 2014, after several attempts and difficult efforts which came as a result of the aggravated political climate in the country, Albania was finally granted the official candidate status by the European Union which on its turn recognized the calm and proper conduct of the general elections of June 2013. The 2011 Population and Housing Census recorded 704 thousand people aged 15 to 29, making up 25 percent of total Albanian population. In absolute numbers, the youth population increased between the 1979 and 1989 censuses, and reached a highest number of 921 thousand. (Institute of Statistic, 2011) With a mean age of 30 and 25 per cent of the population in the 15-29 age groups, Albania is one of Europe’s youngest countries (after Kosova).
In order to create the big picture about young people vision and worries in Albania, in this study we seeks to give answer to the following questions: How do young people imagine their future? What visions and worries do young people have regarding the future of Europe? What are the major societal challenges faced by them in everyday life? How will Europe look like in 2038 and how can Europe help them to achieve their goals and wishes?
This study is based on quantitative and qualitative research. For accurate data and reliable results, first the researchers conducted a qualitative pre-study with some Albanian young people. Some students of Master of Science, department of Social Work and Social Policy, were involved in conducting this pre-study with 11 young people aged 18 to 24 years old from different cities of the country. Based on the qualitative interviews a comprehensive list of future visions and worries was developed and integrated in quantitative survey. The quantitative survey was conducted with a total number of 179 students, between 16 to 26 years old. The age range 15-26 is often selected for statistical purposes at EU level.. The questionnaire guideline consisted of three main parts: 1) Short and long-term personal future: hopes and fears, visions and worries; 2) short and long-term future of Europe: hopes and fears, visions and worries, and 3) the relation between the personal future and the future of Europe.
In this study we have showed that the top five priorities regarding future for Albanian youngsters are: being healthy, being employed, having a career, having a good education and having a harmonious private relationship.
According the concerns related to the future youth in Albania are more concerned about issues such as crime and violence, unemployment, increased morbidity to conclude with poverty and inequality. Top five priorities regarding worries are: terrorism, unemployment, corruption, poverty, and injustice. For Albania young people the most priorities that Europe should have are: children's rights, security, health care, unemployment and education. While less important: the rights of LGBT, the reduction of the number of states that are involved in the European Union, the return of power to state governments as well as religion.
Keywords:
youth, vision and worries, Europe
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-550-47-5
First Page
1
Last Page
13
Location
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
Start Date
30-10-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
30-10-2021 12:00 AM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2021.268
Recommended Citation
ISMAILI, Emanuela and DRAGOTI, Edmond, "Albanian young people towards Europe" (2021). UBT International Conference. 279.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2021UBTIC/all-events/279
Included in
Albanian young people towards Europe
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
Albania experienced one of the harshest communist regimes in Europe and self –imposed isolation until ‘90. She has also experienced a long and slow transition process as compare to other countries. This transitional processes was hard and brought forward numerous social, economic, and political challenges most of which are still experiencing complex and burdensome transformations even as many as two decades after the fall of communism.
Consequently, young people in Albania became marginalized – socially, economically and politically, thus becoming one of the most vulnerable social category to a large extent affected by the delayed transition to democracy. Challenges – such as high levels of youth unemployment are seen as a direct consequence of the Albania’s difficult economic context, but equally so of its outdated educational systems that fails to deliver to the needs of the labor market. Demographic changes and a youth ‘brain drain’ are some of the pieces that make up the situation of youth in Albania difficult. In order to improve her chance of European Union accession and to secure her citizens a more prosperous future, she need to address the problems facing her youth, who hold the key to such a future. (EP, 2017)
In June of 2014, after several attempts and difficult efforts which came as a result of the aggravated political climate in the country, Albania was finally granted the official candidate status by the European Union which on its turn recognized the calm and proper conduct of the general elections of June 2013. The 2011 Population and Housing Census recorded 704 thousand people aged 15 to 29, making up 25 percent of total Albanian population. In absolute numbers, the youth population increased between the 1979 and 1989 censuses, and reached a highest number of 921 thousand. (Institute of Statistic, 2011) With a mean age of 30 and 25 per cent of the population in the 15-29 age groups, Albania is one of Europe’s youngest countries (after Kosova).
In order to create the big picture about young people vision and worries in Albania, in this study we seeks to give answer to the following questions: How do young people imagine their future? What visions and worries do young people have regarding the future of Europe? What are the major societal challenges faced by them in everyday life? How will Europe look like in 2038 and how can Europe help them to achieve their goals and wishes?
This study is based on quantitative and qualitative research. For accurate data and reliable results, first the researchers conducted a qualitative pre-study with some Albanian young people. Some students of Master of Science, department of Social Work and Social Policy, were involved in conducting this pre-study with 11 young people aged 18 to 24 years old from different cities of the country. Based on the qualitative interviews a comprehensive list of future visions and worries was developed and integrated in quantitative survey. The quantitative survey was conducted with a total number of 179 students, between 16 to 26 years old. The age range 15-26 is often selected for statistical purposes at EU level.. The questionnaire guideline consisted of three main parts: 1) Short and long-term personal future: hopes and fears, visions and worries; 2) short and long-term future of Europe: hopes and fears, visions and worries, and 3) the relation between the personal future and the future of Europe.
In this study we have showed that the top five priorities regarding future for Albanian youngsters are: being healthy, being employed, having a career, having a good education and having a harmonious private relationship.
According the concerns related to the future youth in Albania are more concerned about issues such as crime and violence, unemployment, increased morbidity to conclude with poverty and inequality. Top five priorities regarding worries are: terrorism, unemployment, corruption, poverty, and injustice. For Albania young people the most priorities that Europe should have are: children's rights, security, health care, unemployment and education. While less important: the rights of LGBT, the reduction of the number of states that are involved in the European Union, the return of power to state governments as well as religion.