Objectives
The Verona research unit has developed a specific case study dedicated to the presence of Albanian Muslims in Italy, a field that has so far been only marginally explored in Italian scholarly literature. The main objective is to analyse how religious belonging, migratory trajectories and social networks intersect in the everyday lives of Albanian Muslims in Italy, with particular attention to identity reconstruction processes in a post-migratory context.
Methodology
In line with the overall aims of the project, the Verona unit has adopted a predominantly ethnographic approach, based on extended fieldwork combining participant observation, in-depth semi-structured interviews and digital ethnography. This methodological design has made it possible to reconstruct biographical trajectories, migration paths and dynamics of re-elaboration of religious experience, focusing on how practices and affiliations change over time and across different places.
Fieldwork initially concentrated on specific local contexts characterised by the presence of Albanian-speaking associations and places of gathering, and was later extended, through snowball sampling techniques, to other segments of the Albanian Muslim population. The research included both individuals actively involved in organised religious settings and less visible subjects who do not regularly attend places of worship, thus capturing a broad spectrum of positions and experiences.
Areas of investigation
The case study explores several key dimensions of Albanian Muslim life in Italy. Particular attention has been devoted to:
biographical paths and migration trajectories linking Albania and Italy
processes of religious education and transmission of Islamic knowledge within families, associations and transnational networks
the role of organisations such as the Union of Albanian Muslims in Italy (UAMI) and other Albanian-speaking associations in shaping collective identities and forms of public presence
the plurality of religious orientations – including Sunni, Bektashi and more syncretic or less institutionalised forms of religiosity – and the tensions and negotiations that emerge between them
the ways in which second-generation youth position themselves at the intersection of Albanian, Muslim and Italian belongings.
The research further examines how local, national and transnational contexts influence patterns of participation, organisational practices and the visibility of Albanian Muslims in the Italian public sphere.
Fieldwork and data analysis
Fieldwork was carried out in multiple phases and contexts, including participation in annual UAMI meetings (such as the conferences in Lignano Sabbiadoro and Salsomaggiore Terme), visits to local centres like ASSAL in Genoa, and continuous observation of websites and social media groups of Albanian Muslim organisations. In-depth interviews were conducted with leaders, activists and members – including women and youth sections – thereby documenting internal diversity and different generational perspectives.
In the subsequent phase, the Verona unit systematically organised and analysed the collected material, developing interpretative frameworks on identity reconstruction processes, associative dynamics and forms of everyday Islam among Albanian Muslims in Italy. This work has led to the drafting of scientific outputs that contribute original insights to the understanding of internal plurality within Islam in Italy and of less visible forms of religiosity in the public space.
Expected results
The case study on Albanian Muslims in Italy is expected to provide a situated and empirically grounded contribution to the project’s broader reflection on religious pluralism. On the one hand, it offers a detailed reconstruction of a specific segment of the Muslim presence, highlighting its historical, social and organisational specificities; on the other, it sheds light on more general processes of identity negotiation, integration and boundary-making in contemporary Italy.
The results of the Verona unit’s work will feed into scientific publications, contributions to the collective volume of the project and dedicated MOOC modules, as well as presentations in national and international conferences. In this way, the case study strengthens the project’s capacity to account for the internal diversity of Islam in Italy and to inform more nuanced academic and public debates on migration, religion and belonging.
