- Dissertation Title: EXPLORING THE COMPLEXITY OF YOUTH MOVEMENT EXPERIENCES
- Authors: Asunta Toromėni
- Institution: University of Tirana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Labor and Social Policy
- Field of study: Social work
- Online publication date: 28.05.2026
The dissertation is published in Albanian.
© Copyright: Asunta Toromėni
Published by the University of Tirana
Based on legal acts, regulations and policies of the UT
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abstract
The purpose of this research is to explore and interpret complex experiences
of academic, cultural and voluntary mobility of young people - students in
University of Tirana, in the first and second cycle of studies – during the period 2019-
2024, with a focus on how subjective experiences are constructed and reshaped
within the concrete circumstances in which they develop. Beyond the production of results of
measurable or institutional analyses, this research aims to highlight the need
to study the complex and multidimensional dimensions of the experience of
mobility, giving priority to meanings constructed by young people themselves. The study
follows an inductive qualitative design, where theories and interpretations are developed from the data
empirical and not the opposite, as well as interpretivist phenomenological approaches. The study uses
three qualitative instruments, semi-structured interview, focus group, photovoice,
selected to capture different dimensions of the mobility experience and to
ensuring methodological triangulation. The main research question “How is it experienced and
interprets academic, cultural and voluntary mobility by young people during
period 2019-2024 at the University of Tirana?", followed by the questions: "How
social relationships, support networks and social positioning are reshaped
young people during and after academic, cultural and voluntary mobility experiences?”;
"How are mobility experiences emotionally experienced by young people and what form do they take?"
"Does emotional uncertainty take place in the context of institutional and personal expectations?";
"How does mobility affect the processes of construction, fragmentation and renegotiation of
identity of young people?”; “What symbolic meanings do young people attribute to their experiences?
mobility and how are these meanings constructed in dialogue with the institutional narrative?”;
"What are the similarities or differences between the lived experiences of mobility of
youth and the narrative of experts?” Mobility turns out to be experienced as a process
complex, not only events, aspirations and investment in international capital, but also
institutionally shaped by the employment narrative and norms of self-optimization.
Mobility is seen to be emotionally empowering, as well as destabilizing, because
reorganizes belonging, identity and everyday competence in conditions of uncertainty
and expands social capital.
Field of study: Social work
Keywords: exploration, complexity, mobility, young people
Abstract
The aim of this research is to explore and interpret the complex experiences of
academic, cultural and voluntary mobility of young people - students at the University
of Tirana, in the first and second cycle of studies - during the period 2019-2024, with a
focus on how subjective experiences are constructed and reshaped within the concrete
circumstances in which they develop. Beyond producing measurable results or
institutional analyses, this research aims to highlight the need to study the complex and
multidimensional dimensions of the mobility experience, giving priority to the
meanings constructed by young people themselves. The study follows an inductive
qualitative design, where theories and interpretations are developed from empirical data
and not the other way around, and an interpretivist phenomenological approach. The
study uses three qualitative instruments, semi-structured interview, focus group,
photovoice, chosen to capture different dimensions of the mobility experience and to
ensure methodological triangulation. The main research question "How is academic,
cultural, and voluntary mobility experienced and interpreted by young people during
the period 2019-2024 at the University of Tirana?", is followed by the questions: "How
are young people's social relationships, support networks, and social positioning
reshaped during and after academic, cultural, and volunteer mobility experiences?";
"How are mobility experiences emotionally experienced by young people, and what
form does emotional uncertainty take in the circumstances of institutional and personal
expectations?"; "How does mobility affect the processes of construction,
fragmentation, and renegotiation of young people's identity?"; "What symbolic
meanings do young people attribute to mobility experiences, and how are these
meanings constructed in dialogue with the institutional narrative?"; "What are the
similarities or differences between the lived experiences of youth mobility and the
narrative of experts?". Mobility is experienced as a complex process, not just an event,
an aspiration and an investment in international capital, but this aspiration is
institutionally shaped by the employment narrative and the norms of self-optimization.
Mobility is seen to be emotionally empowering and destabilizing, because it
reorganizes belonging, identity and everyday competence in conditions of uncertainty
and expands social capital.
Field of study: Social Work
Keywords: exploration, complexity, mobility, youth