The Situation of Culture in Peja

吀栀攀 匀椀琀甀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 䌀甀氀琀甀爀攀 椀渀 倀攀樀愀

䄀 倀甀戀氀椀挀 倀攀爀挀攀瀀琀椀漀渀



“The Situation of Culture in Peja – A Public Perception” study
was conducted under the framework of the “Empowering

Communities through Art and Culture” project, implemented by
Anibar and supported by the International Aid Fund of the
German Foreign Federal Office, Goethe Institut.

Authors:

Granit Karagjyzi
Zana Ramović

Consultant:

Valton Marku

Surveyor:

Fitore Kutllovci
Agon Goqi
Genc Morina
Edon Sejda
Dhear Shatri

Designer:

Panot Mahmutaj

Abstract

The study, “The Situation of Culture in Peja – A Public
Perceptions”, conducted by Anibar, aims to measure
the perceptions of the citizens of Peja on the
situation of culture in this municipality. This report in
general aims to clearly identify the citizens’ needs,
shortages, and requests on what is conceptualized
as culture and cultural life. The quantitative method
was mainly used for this study, using a standardized
questionnaire with 16 questions, with a sample of
150 respondents.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results
4. Conclusions

Introduction

Culture is very often characterized by the behaviors
or set of principle that a society adopts. At first
sight, it may be reduced to societies’ languages
and interaction methods over different historical
periods, as well as the one we live in. With the rapid
development of technology and, subsequently,
forms of communication, it is possible to say
that culture – according to this elaboration, is not
something invisible, although the perceptions of it
are diverse.

Be that as it may, the purpose of this publication is
to give an overview of the current state of culture
in the municipality of Peja. The results of this
survey are first and foremost intended to bring to
light perceptions of the cultural life in Peja, and
also to serve as a potential orientation of effective
interventions in the shortages and difficulties faced
by the citizens of this municipality.

The main goal of this measurement of public
perceptions is to highlight the cultural needs in the
city of Peja. In conclusion, this study emerged as a
result of the need to better understand the essential
requests of the Pejan community about the cultural
life in their city.

7

In order to provide answers to this issue, the main
focus was on the questions about perceptions of
culture in the municipality of Peja.

8

Methodology

For the purpose of this study, 10 areas in the municipality
of Peja were selected, including urban and rural areas.
The respondents were selected using random sampling,
selecting those whose birthday was closest to the day
when the survey was conducted. The targeted sample
of 150 respondents was distributed to every third house
on the left side, based on an object as a marker.

A standardized questionnaire consisting of 16 questions
was used for this measurement, with the first questions
of the data analysis being demographic questions. To
measure the factors affecting the participation or non-
participation in cultural activities, the closed-end form
of responses was used in five scales: never, rarely,
sometimes, often, always. The Likert scale was used
for questions related to the importance of culture and
participation in cultural activities, while the question
inventory was adapted and simplified for all ages and
social categories that were the object of this study.

The number of respondents surveyed on a gender
basis in proportion to the statistical classification
resulted almost always the same. The male gender is
represented less than the female gender.

9

Chart 1.1 Gender

M
F

52.00% 48.00%

Participants in this survey are divided into five age
groups: first, 18-25 age group, which is simultaneously
the most represented age group with 32.6 percent; 26-
40 age group is represented by 22 percent; 41-50 age
group is represented by 16 percent; 51-60 age group is
represented by 17.3 percent; while age group of over 65
is represented by 12 percent.

10

Chart 1.2 Age 18-25
12.00% 26-40
41-50
17.33% 32.67% 51-65
65+
65+
16.00%
22.00%

In terms of ethnicity, 90.6 percent reported to be
Albanian, 6 percent Bosnian community, 2.6 percent
Roma community, and 0.6 percent of Serbian
community.

Chart 1.3 Ethnicity Bosnian
2.67% Serbian
0.67% Roma

6.00%

Albanian

90.67%

11

With regards to the level of education, most of the
respondents surveyed, or 52 percent of them, reported
to have finished higher education, 31.3 percent reported
to have finished secondary education, 16 percent of
the respondents finished elementary education, while
only 0.67 percent claimed they did not complete any
education.

Chart 1.4 Education No Education
0.67% Primary
Secondary
16.00% High

52.00%

31.33%

12

Perceptions of Culture in Peja

In order to understand the perceptions of Peja citizens
of cultural activities, a few questions were asked that
aimed to obtain a clearer reflection of the state of
culture in this city, always based on the perspectives of
the respondents related to them. Chart 1.5 represents
descriptive data for the question “Do you think there are
enough activities in the city of Peja?” This chart shows
the respondents’ answers in relation to the number
of cultural activities, with 64 percent of respondents
considering that there are not enough activities in the
municipality of Peja.

Chart 1.5 Do you think there are enough activities in the city of Peja?
Yes

No

36.00%

64.00%

13

Also, to understand the citizens’ satisfaction with
cultural activities, they were asked “How satisfied are
you with the cultural activities in Peja?” Chart 1.6 shows
the responses to this question, with 15.3 percent of the
respondents reporting that they are extremely satisfied
with the cultural activities in the municipality of Peja,
while 8 percent said that they are extremely unsatisfied
with the cultural activities in the municipality of Peja.

Chart 1.6 How satisfied are you with the cultural activities in Peja?

8.00% 1
2
15.33%

13.33% 20.67% 3
4

5

42.67%

14

To ascertain the importance that culture has in the lives
of Peja citizens, they were asked how important culture
is to their personal lives. Chart 1.7 illustrates that almost
the majority of respondents, or 65.3 percent consider
culture extremely important in their life, 25.3 percent of
the respondents consider culture very important, while
only 0.6 percent consider it not important at all.

Chart 1.7 Do you think culture is important in your life? Not at all
Somewhat
8.67%
0.67%

25.33% Very much
Extremely important

65.33%

15

When asked “If you were involved in a cultural activity,
in what quality would you do it?”, 50 percent of the
respondents selected the option of getting involved as
volunteers, 26.6 percent as participants, 10.6 percent
as workers, 6.6 percent as professionals, and 6 percent
selected the “other” option.

Chart 1.8 If you were involved in a cultural activity, Participant
in what quality would you do it? Volunteer
Worker
6.00% Professional
6.67% Other

10.67% 26.67%

50.00%

When asked “Are you involved in any artistic activity?”
and sub-question “How long have you been practicing
this activity?” 14.7 percent of the respondents said that
they are involved in artistic activities. Furthermore,
we noticed that music is the main cultural activity
practiced by the respondents of this question, while the
majority of the respondents involved in creative cultural
activities reported that they have been doing it for over
five years.

16

Participation in Cultural Activities

This section presents the findings related to the
respondents’ participation in cultural activities over
the last 24 months. The analysis of the average score
of answers indicates a small participation in activities
that took place in the last two years. The greatest
participation is characterized with musical concerts
with 16.9 percent, 15.6 percent in cinemas, 15 percent
frequented festivals, while the lowest participation was
in activities like exhibitions, with me 12.6 percent, and
literary meetings with 11.9 percent.

Chart 1.9 In the last 24 months, have you participated in cultural activities
in the city of Peja as follows

2

2

1 15.63% 15.03% 13.73%
16.99%
12.60%
14.08%

1 11.94%

0 Musical Theatre CinemaF estival Exhibition Literary Going to

Concerts shows meetings museum

17

The participation of respondents in seven cultural
activities specified in the aforementioned question was
measured with the following scales: never, seldom (1-2
a year), sometimes (2- 4 times a year), occasionally
(4-7 times a year), always (more than 7 times a year).
Participation in theatre shows was found to be lower, with
59.3 percent responding that they have not participated
in any theatre show in the last 24 months, while only
4 percent responded that they always participate in
them.

A similar response was noticed on the participation in
cinemas, with 53.3 percent of the respondents reporting
that they have not frequented cinemas in the last two
years, while only 8.6 percent said they always frequent
cinemas. The same situation is with musical concerts,
where 53.3 percent of the respondents said they did not
go to musical concerts in the last two years, while only
6 percent of the respondents said they always attend
musical concerts.

With regards to exhibitions, literary meetings and going
to museums, a lower participation is observed than
in the other activities. 74 percent of the respondents
said they have never been to an exhibition in the last
two years, while only 0.7 percent responded that they
always attend them.

When asked about going to museums, 64 percent of
the respondents said they have not been to a museum
in the last 24 months, while only 2 percent of the

18

respondents said they always go to museums.
The analysis of participation in these cultural activities
based on age indicates that younger age groups (18-25)
prefer the following activities: theatre shows, movies,
festivals, and music concerts. The middle age group
(41-50) tends to attend literary meetings, while the
third age group (65+) tends to frequent theatre shows
more. No significant difference was found in the gender
aspect related to participation in cultural activities.
The study also tried to measure other motivating factors
affecting the respondents’ participation in specific
activities. A few options appeared in the question “What
motivates you to participate in cultural activities?”
such as: comic content, educational content, children
programs, cost, and free time.

19

Chart 2.0 What motivates you to participate in a cultural activity?

4

4

3 24.67%

2 17.64% 19.71% 20.67

17.32%

1

0 Comic Educational Children Cost Free time

Content Content programs

According to the respondents’ answers, the main
motivating factors for participating in an activity turns
out to be the educational content of the activity with
24.67 percent, followed by the second motivating factor:
free time with 20.67 percent, while comic content and
cost are considered as motivating factors that are not
as relevant for participation.

In addition to motivating factors, this study also tried to
measure other factors that affect non-participation of
respondents in cultural activities.

20

Chart 2.1 What does not motivate you to participate in any cultural activity?

4

4

3
20.01%

2 21.72% 19.49% 21.39%

17.39%

1

0 Lack of Lack of Lack of Cost Lack of
infrastructure
Information innovations quality

According to the respondents’ answers, the main
factor that affects their non-participation in cultural
activities is the lack of information (21.72 percent), lack
of infrastructures (21.39 percent), lack of innovations
(20.1 percent), lack of quality (19.49 percent) and cost
(17.39 percent).

A question that tried to measure the respondents’
preferences for cultural activities in the municipality of
Peja is “What cultural events do you think should take
place more often in Peja?” The respondents were asked
to respond with Yes or No in activities they think are
important to them.

21

According to the respondents’ answers, the main
factor that affects their non-participation in cultural
activities is the lack of information (21.72 percent), lack
of infrastructures (21.39 percent), lack of innovations
(20.1 percent), lack of quality (19.49 percent) and cost
(17.39 percent).

A question that tried to measure the respondents’
preferences for cultural activities in the municipality of
Peja is “What cultural events do you think should take
place more often in Peja?” The respondents were asked
to respond with Yes or No in activities they think are
important to them.

Chart 2.2 Which of these cultural events do you think should happen more
often in Peja?

4

3

2 13.51% 14.13% 15.54%
16.01%
11.75%
14.81%

1 14.25%

0 Folk Music Cinema with Theatre Festival Classical Entertaining Exhibitions

Activities daily with music music

programs daily activities activities

programs

22

According to the respondents’ answers, folk music
activities should be given greater priority (16.01 percent),
exhibitions (15.54 percent), cinemas with daily programs
(14.81 percent), entertaining music activities (14.25
percent), festivals (14.13 percent), theatres with daily
programs (13.51 percent), and classical music activities
(11.75 percent).

In the question asked to respondents about the sources
they use to get information about cultural activities
taking place in the city of Peja, the majority of the
respondents (54.7 percent) use social media as a main
source of information for cultural information, 26.4
percent of the respondents said they get information
from TV, followed by other sources of information with
lower percentages, as shown in chart 2.3

Chart 2.3 What sources of information do you use to get informed about
cultural activities?

1.35% Social media

4.05% Friends

TV

26.35% Radio
Different webpages / Other
54.73%

12.16%

23

The analysis in terms of age groups indicates a
significant difference between generations. Almost
the overwhelming majority of the respondents of the
18-25 age group use social media as the main source
of information for cultural activities (83.7 percent),
respondents of the 26-40 age group use social media as
the main source of information with 68.8 percent, while
the respondents of the 41-50, 51-64 and over 65 age
group use the television as a main source of information
for cultural activities. When analyzing the data in terms
of gender, there are no significant differences, as
both genders use social media as the main sources
of information, although male respondents lead with a
percentage of 64.3 percent compared to 46.2 percent
of the female gender.

24

Conclusions

The results obtained lead to the conclusion that culture
and cultural activities are important to the citizens of
Peja, which is also reflected in the huge interest of the
residents of Peja municipality for cultural activities.
Nonetheless, these data also reflect the lack of citizen
participation in cultural activities. Regardless of the
wish for participation, lack of information, lack of
innovation and lack of infrastructure were found to be
factors that affect the citizens’ non-participation in
cultural activities.

Considering the huge interest of the respondents
to participate in cultural activities, and taking into
account that lack of information is one of the factors
that leads to non-participation in cultural activities, we
consider that it is necessary to make more frequent
announcements about cultural activities in mediums
like social networks and TV channels that serve as main
sources of information for the residents of Peja.

Furthermore, the relevant institutions should prioritize
culture, infrastructure of cultural premises, and spaces
with potential of cultural usage. On the other hand,
cultural stakeholders should focus on bringing more
innovations and increasing the quality of programs they
provide.

25