Social development and transnational households: resilience and motivation for Albanian immigrants in Greece in the era of economic crisis

Abstract

This paper examines the ways in which the Greek economic crisis has affected the social development of Albanian immigrants in both the sending and the host country. It focuses on transnational households and family development projects and examines the degree of resilience and the power of motivation that drives people’s reactions during the crisis, comparing first- and second-generation immigrants. My research focuses mainly on those Albanian immigrants who by the third year of the economic crisis still live in Greece. The empirical analysis is based on primary data derived from participant observation, a semi-structured questionnaire with second-generation migrants and in-depth interviews amongst first- and second-generation Albanian immigrants residing in both urban and rural areas in Greece.

Keywords:

• Greek crisis
• Albanian migrants
• social development
• transnational households
• return migration

Notes

1. National Statistical Service of Greece, Labour Force Survey, 4th trimester 2010, and Ministry of Interior, Valid Stay Permits, 31 December 2010.

2. See for instance Lapavitsas, notably his article in The Guardian: ‘Costas Lapavitsas answers your questions on Greece and the eurozone crisis’, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/greek-election-blog-2012/2012/jun/13/costas-lapavitsas-greece-eurozone-crisis(accessed June 19, 2012); an interview given by Costas Lapavitsas for MONO 5, 7 April 2012 ‘There is no way-out for Greece without a cost’, http://monopressgr.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/lapavitsas-mono/(accessed June 19, 2012); also by the same author, ‘Eurozone crisis: Beggar thyself and thy neighbour’, RMF Occasional Report March 2010, http://researchonmoneyandfinance.org/media/reports/eurocrisis/fullreport.pdf(accessed June 22, 2012). See also Y. Varoufakis: for a compilation of some of his numerous articles, interviews and publications on the Economic Crisis see: http://gkdata.gr/category/βαρoυϕάκης/page/4/; also Varoufakis (2012).

3. See Institute for Education and Training of the Technical Chamber of Greece, 7 October 2011, http://www.iekemtee.gr/el/ (accessed June 19, 2012).

4. See Τa Nea [The News] 25 June 2012, http://www.tanea.gr/ellada/article/?aid=4638861 (accessed June 23, 2012); C. Lolis, Economic crisis and suicides in Greece, 01 March 2011, http://www.psychology-blog.gr/uncategorized/oikonomikh-krish-kai-autoktonies-sthn-ellada.html (accessed June 23, 2012).

5. See The Greek Construction Sector, B/2011, Half-Yearly Report, Issue 6, http://www.sate.gr/nea/press/FINAL_6–2011.pdf (accessed June 25, 2012).

6. Biannual Report Analysis of the Greek Tourism Activity Under the Auspices of the Academy of Tourism Research and Studies (ATEM) and The Tourism Research Unit of the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), 2, No. 4, July 2010, http://www.atiner.gr/atem/ATEM-01.pdf (accessed June 25, 2012).

7. See the article ‘Immigrants on the threshold of migrating’, Kathimerini, 22 August 2010, http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1_22/08/2010_412279 (accessed June 27, 2012).