Reclaiming dialogue: Large Groups,collective trauma,and the search for social agency in Albania. Responding to Teresa von Sommaruga Howard’s 2025 Foulkes Lecture: ‘The architecture of the Larger Group: Politics,community and culture [the blueprint from Frankfurt]

Abstract

This article reflects on the resonance between Teresa von Sommaruga Howard’s exploration of the Larger Group and Albania’s contemporary socio-political reality. Drawing on personal experience and collective history, it examines how a society shaped by trauma, silence, and authoritarian legacies continues to struggle with trust, cohesion, and agency. The text considers how Large Groups, as conceptualized by Foulkes and de Maré, may offer a transformative space for dialogue, belonging, and civic activation. By weaving together social analysis, autobiographical narrative, and theoretical insights, it highlights the persistent impact of epistemic violence, the scarcity of public spaces, and the ongoing quest for homonomy in Albanian society. Ultimately, the article poses a vital question: How might Large Groups evolve within Albania’s fragile democratic landscape to cultivate new modes of thinking, speaking, and collective action?