Albania: National Identity & the “Other”
Albania: National Identity & the “Other” The history, culture, and place in the Balkans have all influenced Albania as it has got to form a national identity and not just one characteristic. Developing over time, the Albanians came up with common accounts of their identity, which in most cases revolves around language, survival and the need to remain in a community in spite of the outside pressure. Due to the impact of various empires and other nations, which influenced Albania, the concepts of identity are directly related to the questions of belonging and difference. These common concepts are the reasons why Albania thinks of itself the way it did. National identity in Albania is formed by language, common experiences of survival, and strong sense of unity, and is supported by comparisons with external groups and powers that are used to define who fits in the nation and who doesn’t. National identity is a sense of belonging to a nation that is formed by means of similar narr...