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Interrelationships between gender, care drain and migration: Albania during and after communism

Interrelationships between gender, care drain and migration: Albania during and after communism
Interrelationships between gender, care drain and migration: Albania during and after communism
This paper compares the interrelationships between gender, family structures and intra-family care arrangements during two markedly different periods of Albania’s recent history: the communist era dominated by the autocratic state- socialist regime of Enver Hoxha, and the post-communist period dominated by a kind of reactive free-for-all capitalism and high rates of both internal and international migration. Since 1990 Albania has accumulated a ‘stock’ of more than 1.4 million emigrants, mostly living in Greece and Italy. Families have been torn apart by this mass emigration – both husbands from their wives and children, and older generations left behind or ‘orphaned’ by their migrant children. All this contrasts with family, residential and care arrangements during the communist period when not only were families generally living in compact and close proximity, but also a minimum of state welfare was available to support vulnerable and isolated individuals. However, internal migration was part of state economic and social planning, and some families which fell foul of the regime were split up and sent into internal exile. The paper provides a valuable lesson in historicising regimes of gender, family and care across dramatically contrasting social models.
Albania, family life, migration, gender, care drain, inter- generational care
1650-5743
3/13
Malmo University
King, Russell
eb0786dc-2889-4690-8f54-a62b47541731
Vullnetari, Julie
463db806-c809-43d6-9795-1104e3a5788b
King, Russell
eb0786dc-2889-4690-8f54-a62b47541731
Vullnetari, Julie
463db806-c809-43d6-9795-1104e3a5788b

King, Russell and Vullnetari, Julie (2013) Interrelationships between gender, care drain and migration: Albania during and after communism (Willy Brandt Series of Working Papers in International Migration and Ethnic Relations, 3/13) Malmo, Sweden. Malmo University 40pp.

Record type: Monograph (Working Paper)

Abstract

This paper compares the interrelationships between gender, family structures and intra-family care arrangements during two markedly different periods of Albania’s recent history: the communist era dominated by the autocratic state- socialist regime of Enver Hoxha, and the post-communist period dominated by a kind of reactive free-for-all capitalism and high rates of both internal and international migration. Since 1990 Albania has accumulated a ‘stock’ of more than 1.4 million emigrants, mostly living in Greece and Italy. Families have been torn apart by this mass emigration – both husbands from their wives and children, and older generations left behind or ‘orphaned’ by their migrant children. All this contrasts with family, residential and care arrangements during the communist period when not only were families generally living in compact and close proximity, but also a minimum of state welfare was available to support vulnerable and isolated individuals. However, internal migration was part of state economic and social planning, and some families which fell foul of the regime were split up and sent into internal exile. The paper provides a valuable lesson in historicising regimes of gender, family and care across dramatically contrasting social models.

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King & Vullnetari (2013) Migration, gender & care AL during comm after comm_WB-WP.pdf - Version of Record
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More information

Published date: 2013
Keywords: Albania, family life, migration, gender, care drain, inter- generational care
Organisations: Economy, Governance & Culture

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 377153
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/377153
ISSN: 1650-5743
PURE UUID: f10e1c5a-c76b-4f88-937c-c20efd9ab48d
ORCID for Julie Vullnetari: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1578-8622

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 15 May 2015 14:09
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:50

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Contributors

Author: Russell King

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