Community Values In Kosovar Society

Community Values that influenced Public Policy in Kosovar society

This is my final exam essay for Ethics, Values and Public Policy Fall term 2014.

“Humans are the measure of all things. To measure something is to give it a value – truth, moral, beauty, even existence – as depended upon as human observer” (Plato, Par 2 ). Kosovo through time experienced many changes. The society of Kosovo was part of many changes. As seen through different events Kosovar society always showed higher interest in public interests than in personal ones. They always respected the moral norms which characterize their culture, and kept their words no matter what obstacle attempted to hinder it. Hence, the community values that had a major influence in shaping

During time society made huge changes however most of the community values did not change. The last century is filled with a variety of events which confronted the Kosovar society. Firstly, it started by Ottoman Empire five hundred years war which influenced Kosovar and Albanian values in many different ways starting from cultural, traditional and religious values. The influence continued with Albanian’s independence 1912 where Kosovo was officially not a part of Albania anymore. Later on, Kosovar society was confronted in different manners from the Republic of Yugoslavia. And finally, the Kosova war against Serbia. The best value of Kosovar community was that anybody could not divide them even they had a miserably regime. Society of Kosovo were united and they value was all for one, one for all. So everybody even in team level or individually worked for all others, and all of them tried to help each other in way to increase their pleasure, so the society in that time was a utilitarian one. “Universal conformity to the principle of utility, act always so as to maximize total net balance of pleasure and pains would maximize the good for society” (Bantham, Par

Morality is one of the primary values that Albanians have. Morality and faith is a very strong weapon that Albanians have to each other. Also morality is described by Kanun. Kanun three most basic laws: honor, the oath and hospitality which all these three made Albanians moral, and every Albanian citizen say: What makes me proud is our moral. These things in tradition make me proud too. The Kanun provided a complete moral and legal structure for social collaboration, covering all areas of daily life from dispute expenditure procedure to rules of marriage, separation of property, blood feud etc. Albanian’s morality also is shown to the exogamy issue. In our morality and our culture, a relative is considered to be a family in our culture, and we do not marry anyone in the family. This also is considered as ‘unnatural’ to marry a relative because is believed that children may be born with disabilities. “According to Reineck, the Albanian society is similar to Middle Eastern societies in many ways, but in this matter it differs. In contrast to the rule of strict exogamy in the Albanian society, the practice of cousin marriage is common in Middle Eastern societies” (Reineck, 1991,68). When Albanians say yes, it means yes, and when they say no, it will stay no. Morality of Albanians mostly is connected with women. For instance, if a man goes to