Život olašských žien
Life of Vlach women

Author(s): Ivana Šusterová
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Customs / Folklore, Gender history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Ethnic Minorities Studies, Identity of Collectives
Published by: Ústav etnológie a sociálnej antropológie Slovenskej akadémie vied
Keywords: Roma and Gypsy; Slovakia; ethnological research; Ethnic minorities; Wallachian Roma; Nitra;
Summary/Abstract: One can write about the Roma people in many ways. The intention of writing about them can also be different. I made my way “into the field” with an open mind and heart in order to explore one of the groups of Roma. By doing so, I aimed to discover as many objective facts as possible. The objective was to discover, to such an extent, these facts in which the Wallachian Roma shared and supported directly with their testimonies. The book is an ethnographic description of selected aspects of life of a particular Roma group – Wallachian Roma (Lovara) living in Nitra. This group forms a small percentage of the Roma population in Slovakia and is mainly presented as a closed community which is hard to penetrate. This seems to be one of the reasons why there is an absence of information about Wallachian Roma; not only to the general public, but also among experts – in spite of the fact that Wallachian Roma form a special sub-ethnic group which is characterised, among other things, by the preservation of traditional norms, specific forms of behavior, and a set of unique habits in their community that persists even today. An important feature which influences the way of life of Wallachian Roma isa persistent solidarity among them by observing family and community rules. The book aims to describe and analyse the position of women within the community of Wallachian Roma today, present the picture of a Wallachian woman living her everyday life subordinated to the internal rules and laws of the community and focuses on the transformation of her position throughout her life. The publication focuses particularly on the current situation, but also observes the preservation of the traditional model of women´s position within the community of Wallachian Roma, the possible generation differences and the penetration of newer forms. The book also deals with factors influencing their formation, and aims to grasp this issue in the most comprehensive manner possible from the point of view of several generations and both sexes. The data presented in the book represent the results of field research conducted on Borová Street in Nitra, where the Wallachian community is concentrated within a compact residential unit. The current population of this community is around 350–400 adult Roma with children from the Ferkošť family who have lived at this location since 1958 when the first house was built there. The content of the book places emphasis on the changes in the position of women from their birth up to old age.

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