Kötődés és identitás – A nemzetiségek országgyűlési képviselete, az identitás fogalma az anyaországhoz való viszony tükrében

Author(s): Ágnes Molnárné Balázs / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

The identity and the relation of ethnic minorities to their kin-states constitute a popular topic in academic literature. In this paper we examine the parliamentary representation of ethnic minorities living in Hungary from these two perspectives. We conduct our research at two levels. First, we explore the possible root causes of the low level of participation of ethnic minorities in parliamentary elections in relation to their identity. Second, we examine the parliamentary activity of minority spokespersons concerning their ’kin-state’.

Látlelet a Berettyóújfalui járás cigányságáról

Author(s): Tamás Hajnáczky / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

L.Ritók Nóra: Láthatatlan Magyarország. Tea Kiadó, Budapest, 2017. 320 p.

Egyszer ha majd egy történelem nélküli nép is történelmet kezd…

Author(s): Péter Szuhay / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3/2018

Bereznay András: A cigányok történetének atlasza – Térképezett roma történelem. Méry Ratio Kiadó, 2018. 123 oldal

Assessing the Historical Irresponsibility of the Gypsy Lore Society in Light of Romani Subaltern Challenges

Author(s): Jan Selling / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

Contemporary scholarship in the fields of Romani Studies and antigypsyism (i.e., anti-Gypsyism or antiziganism), increasingly recognizes the centrality of location or “standpoint” in the discourse around representation and legitimacy. Deriving from a conceptual understanding of antigypsyism, this paper analyzes Gypsylorism, in the sense of constructions of “the exotic Other within Europe” (Lee, 2000). The trajectory of knowledge production from the early days of ”Gypsyology” to (critical) Romani Studies is analyzed: first, by means of a historiographical analysis of Nordic literature, which establishes the analytical dichotomy between subalternity and Gypsylorism, and second, by a scrutiny of recent academic debates in the field. The paper argues that the emergence of authors from the Romani standpoint in fictional and academic literature has contributed to a change as well as provoked counter-reactions. The paper illuminates debates and trajectories by discussing the failed attempts to make the Gypsy Lore Society (GLS) claim historical responsibility for its Gypsylorism/Orientalism at its Istanbul conference in 2012 and the compromise resolution of GLS in Stockholm in 2016, which avoided an apology and maintained the unresolved antagonism.

‘Neither bloody persecution nor well intended civilizing missions changed their nature or their number’: A Postcolonial Approach to Protestant ‘Zigeuner’ Missionary Efforts

Author(s): Verena Meier / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

Christian missionaries played a major role in the process of Othering Sinti and Roma. This “Other” was – like the colonial subject – mainly viewed as primitive, uncivilized, superstitious, and heathen. From the early nineteenth century, Protestant missions were established in Germany to “civilize” and educate Sinti and Roma. This paper takes a critical stance on these Protestant missionary efforts in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, highlighting the relevance of postcolonial studies for Romani studies. Firstly, I outline interconnections between stereotypes related to Zigeuner in the colonial metropole and “primitives” in the peripheral areas, which is then followed by an analysis of Protestant views on these two subordinate groups and the ways in which knowledge was transferred between Protestant missionaries across time and space. Finally, this analysis is followed by a methodological reflection on the benefits and limitations of postcolonial studies for critical Romani studies.

Mihai Surdu, Those Who Count: Expert Practices of Roma Classification, Central European University Press, 2016

Author(s): Andrzej Mirga / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

hooks, bell. (1989) Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black. Boston: South End Press

Author(s): Jekatyerina Dunajeva / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

Power and Hierarchy among Finnish Kaale Roma: Insights on Integration and Inclusion Processes

Author(s): Marko Stenroos / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Despite the vast research on Roma in Europe and beyond, little has been written about Roma agency from a perspective that focuses on manifold dynamics of power. Having worked for two years on the Finnish Roma Inclusion Project in a dual role as ethnographer and project worker has inspired me to rethink concepts of power and to create an alternative narrative of the experience of marginalized and discriminated Finnish Kaale Roma. Encouraged by the current paradigm shift in Romani Studies (which increasingly focuses on Roma agency instead of objectifying the population), this paper explores Kaale power dynamics as part of the social order and empirically demonstrates two parallel and antagonist systems of power exercised by Roma: one that stems from the population’s traditional cultural customs and the other from Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity, agrowing trend among the Finnish Kaale. The purpose of this article is to underline Roma agency within the frame of national Roma policy practices in Finland.

The Class-to-Race Cascade: Interrogating Racial Neoliberalism in Romani Studies and Urban Policy in Budapest’s Eighth District

Author(s): Jonathan McCombs / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

This paper explores neoliberal discourse as a racial discourse in relation to how Roma are conceived by academics and policymakers. I develop the concept of the class-to-race cascade as a way to describe the phenomenon, whereby the marginalization of racialized minorities is attributed entirely to their classposition. The cascade flows as follows: neoliberal policies slash benefits to low-income people, low-income people are disproportionately racially marginalized, thus neoliberal policies affect different racialized minorities, perpetuating racism. I trace the lineage of the class-to-race cascade to the concept of the“underclass” as it was developed in the U.S. particularly through the work of William Julius Wilson after the neoliberal turn. I then critique the work of Iván Szelényi and János Ladányi who adapted the “underclass” thesis to Roma, using the class-to-race cascade. Finally, I apply the concept to urban policy discourse inBudapest’s Eighth District, where a large Roma community has lived for nearly a century. I show in this paper that the class-torace cascade is a prominent discursive feature of both policy and academic concepts of Roma.

Roma, Adequate Housing, and the Home: Construction and Impact of a Narrative in EU Policy Documents

Author(s): Silvia Cittadini / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the European Union’s documents released between 2008 and 2016 on the Right to Housing and on the inclusion of the Romani minority. The objective is to analyze the definition of adequate housing and its impact on the representation of the Roma and on the consequent housing strategies. The article highlights how a restrictive interpretation of the term “adequate housing”, understood exclusively as a series of physical parameters, associates the Roma with “inadequate” and “substandard” accommodation. This interpretation supports the persistent representation of the Roma as a vulnerable homogeneous group, “Other” from “mainstream society”, informing paternalistic policies that prevent the meaningful participation of Romani individuals in decisionmaking. Furthermore, it fails to acknowledge the immaterial factors affecting the subjective understanding of the house and its relation with the identity of the individual, hindering the empowering potential of home-making practices. Following this analysis, the article claims the necessity of recognizing the impact of affective and immaterial factors such as the creation of a socially supportive environment and the possibility of personalizing the domestic space, in the development of housing policies aimed at supporting the identity and well-being of the individual.

From Reflexivity to Collaboration: Changing Roles of a Non-Romani Scholar, Activist, and Performer

Author(s): Carol Silverman / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Recently scholars have begun to investigate who produces knowledge about Roma and with what agendas. I extend this inquiry to ask how reflexivity by a non-Romani ally and researcher contributes to analyzing the production and use of knowledge in Romani Studies. I examine various roles I have inhabited and forms of scholarship I have produced, both successful and unsuccessful, during my long involvement in Romani studies to reveal how and why I represented Roma, and what uses this scholarship served. Calling for a “reflexive turn” in Romani Studies, I note that while self-examination of knowledge production is useful for all researchers, for nonRoma it is mandatory because historically non-Roma have held more authority. Embracing “critical whiteness” theory, I examine my privileged roles and my attempts at collaborative advocacy. Tracing a historical trajectory of shifting subjectivities, I narrate several crises, such as balancing essentialism with advocacy, respectfully presenting Romani music, and combining diplomacy with activism to illustrate dilemmas of representation that I have faced and the responses I crafted. These issues all underline the responsibility that non-Romani allies have in accounting for their words and actions.

Non-Romani Researcher Positionality and Reflexivity: Queer(y)ing One’s Own Privilege

Author(s): Lucie Fremlová / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

This paper considers the positionality and reflexivity of nonRomani, ally-identified researchers vis-à-vis insider/outsider research by critically examining – or queer(y)ing – non-Romani researcher identity and the privilege that goes with it. On a theoretical level this can be facilitated by, for example, queer theoretical concepts and the concept of critical whiteness. Critical whiteness is “queer” by virtue of being counter/non/anti-normative in relation to whiteness as a social norm (whitenormativity). In practical terms, employing queer, feminist, and critical whiteness methodologies means that reflective and reflexive researchers conducting research “with,” “for,” and “on” Roma do not “have to be” Romani in order to participate inknowledge production on Romani communities. Nonetheless, it implicates their ability to critically examine their own privilege and challenge it accordingly, that is, not only academically but also politically and socially.

Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants: Critical Observations during Fieldwork in a Roma Settlement

Author(s): Jekatyerina Dunajeva / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Scholars have long been interested in researching Roma; a form of “top-down research,” where the researcher analyzes, gathers data, and interviews the “objects” of the research, is still dominant in the field, although an increasing number of critics have been proposing ways of including Roma in knowledge production to shape the discourse about themselves. Exclusion of Roma in the process of research silences their voices and contributes to incomplete, flawed findings that often reinforce stereotypes. This paper takes a critical look at interactions and the power dynamics between the researcher and the informant(s) during research based on one in-depth case study: fieldwork conducted in a small town in Hungary in 2012–13. The presented research is one small step towards deconstructing knowledge production with a focus on research ethics and practice, rather than a large-scale paradigm change. This paper strives to transcend the scholarly field of Romani Studies specifically, and contribute to the broader literature on Social Science methodology, especially scholarship about interpretive methods and fieldwork.

Giovanni Picker. 2017. Racial Cities: Governance and the Segregation of Romani People in Urban Europe. London: Routledge.

Author(s): Angéla Kóczé / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Andrew Ryder. 2017. Sites of Resistance. Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in School, Community and the Academy. London: UCL IOE Press.

Author(s): Miklós Hadas / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

INTERVENTION IN ROMA COMMUNITIES. VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT

Author(s): Corina Cace / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The study developed within an integrated program follows the actions carried out on the labour market for the employment of the Roma population. Are these measures effective and respond to the needs of the Roma population or the lack of adequacy to the specifics of the population leads to poor results? Data collection methodology included face-to-face questionnaire interviews with predefined questions, administrated by trained field operators. A total of 112 questionnaires with representatives of the public authorities were also collected. Most of the possible action delivering conclusions and recommendations are strongly related to the specifics of the target group, i.e. adult Roma individuals living in communities with low educational stock, placed too far outside the paths to success of policies and interventions dedicated to vulnerable communities. To their overwhelming majority, both persons and relevant legal community representatives see education/training/improvement one of the few opportunities with success potential, e.g. skilling for as many as possible Roma individuals, coherent programmes for basic education, specific jobs to Roma etc.

ROMANIA'S PERENNIAL `OUTSIDERS`. FROM A FOREIGN NON-EUROPEAN MINORITY TO INTRA-EU DISPLACEMENTS. AN EXPLORATION OF ROMA’S PERPETUAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SYMBOLIC EXCLUSION

Author(s): Ionuţ-Marian Anghel / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2018

After the fall of the socialist regimes from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), various national and European programs were enabled in order to improve the socio-economic well-being of European Roma, but these policies are often anchored in an a present-centered and ahistorical framework, without taking into account the dynamic processes of stigmatization and marginalization that have plagued the Roma minority (Powell and Lever, 2015). The present paper seeks to contribute to the (historical) reconstruction of these processes of stigmatization and marginalization of Roma in different social-political periods (with an emphasis on the last and a half century). Using secondary data (censuses) and historical sources, I describe the state policies and state-led modernization programs that were aimed at improving Roma’s socio-economic well-being and their ambiguous effects. I conclude that in order to achieve social inclusion of poor Romanian Roma, more efforts have to be made to tackle the stereotypical `Gypsy image` that has guided most social inclusion/integration programs since the formation of the Romanian nation-state

INTERVENTION IN ROMA COMMUNITIES. ACTION ON LABOUR MARKET

Author(s): Corina Cace / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2018

The study developed within an integrated program follows the actions carried out on the labour market for the employment of the Roma population. Are these measures effective and respond to the needs of the Roma population or the lack of adequacy to the specifics of the population leads to poor results? Data collection methodology included face-to-face questionnaire interviews with predefined questions, administrated by trained field operators. A total of 1064 questionnaires with Roma people were also collected. The marginalised Roma persons have been selected using the “snowball” method (we started from the town hall; if we had no success with the town hall, we approached the next institutions that might supply such information, for instance, the church, health care unit, police, school etc.). Of the respondents who would like to attend formation courses, 30% would like to qualify in constructions, 19.90% in agriculture and 18.30% in commercial activities. The top three areas of interest for the men are constructions (49.70%), commerce (13.60%) and agriculture, hunting, and fishery (12.10%). The women showed interest in attending training courses mainly in agriculture, hunting, and fishery (31.40%), commerce (24.70%) and hotels and restaurants (18.80%). In Bucharest-Ilfov, the top three areas of professional formation of interest for the respondents are constructions, commerce and hotels and restaurants. In the other surveyed regions of development, the respondents also showed interest in constructions, commerce, but also in agriculture.

DIMENSIONS OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION IN ROMA POPULATION–A DESCRIPTION OF THE ROMA ACCORDING TO THE HOUSEHOLD BUDGET SURVEY 2016

Author(s): Bianca Buligescu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

The current article compares Roma with Romanian population in terms of various dimensions using data from the Household Budget Survey 2016. The current article aims to illustrate the multiple deprivations of the Roma population. The article is descriptive and aims to capture a snapshot of the Roma population using a large dataset. The article finds the traditional structure of the Roma family is preserved with Roma women more likely to be housewives, men more likely to be self employed workers, Roma have a lower educational status and are more likely to be poor.

INTERVENTION IN ROMA COMMUNITIES. PARTICIPATION IN FORMATION ACTIVITIES

Author(s): Corina Cace / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

The study developed within an integrated program follows the actions carried out on the labour market for the employment of the Roma population. Are these measures effective and respond to the needs of the Roma population or the lack of adequacy to the specifics of the population leads to poor results? Data collection methodology included face-to-face questionnaire interviews with predefined questions, administrated by trained field operators. A total of 1064 questionnaires with Roma people were also collected. The marginalised Roma persons have been selected using the “snowball” method (we started from the town hall; if we had no success with the town hall, we approached the next institutions that might supply such information, for instance, the church, health care unit, police, school etc.). A percent of 13% of the respondents declared that they attended professional training courses after having graduated the school. The respondents who attended training courses after having graduated the school, attended training courses in mechanics and plumbing (26%), in constructions (16%), catering and services (14%), counselling and formation (12%). Less than 10% of these respondents attended training courses in other areas.