Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue “Talking about Roma: Implications for Social Inclusion” (original) (raw)
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Introduction to the Special Issue “Talking about Roma: Implications for Social Inclusion”
Social Inclusion, 2015
By the last decade of the twentieth century, official discourse calling for the elimination of Roma had been largely replaced by approaches aimed at inclusion. Contemporary approaches of this kind can be roughly divided into those which emphasize human rights as a basis for measures to improve the Roma’s situation and those rooted in the proposition that improvements in the situation of Roma can be expected to provide economic benefits for the general populations of the countries in which Roma live. The contributions to this special issue critically examine public discourses from throughout Europe which are ostensibly aimed at promoting the social inclusion of Roma. While the fact that the discourses treated fit broadly within human rights and/or economic paradigms allows the articles to speak to one another in various ways, the articles also exhibit a wide range of variation in approach as well as geographical focus. Whereas the first four articles deal directly with issues of defi...
Royal Institute Of International Affairs - European Briefing, 2002
Since the collapse of communism, 'the Roma' have become a subject of increasing political interest and significance. The most visible effect in the UK and other EU member states has been the migration of thousands of east European Roma, many of whom have claimed political asylum. This phenomenon is a symptom of a deepening malaise in a number of post-communist states where the circumstances of Roma minorities represent one of the most difficult problems arising from the 'transition' process. The internationalization of the 'Roma question' means that European institutions, in particular the EU, have a vital role to play in preventing further disintegration and ethnic fragmentation in the region and averting the social conflict, political instability and economic stagnation that may otherwise ensue. However, identifying this role and effectively engaging with the Roma issue is no easy task. Policy-makers need to take into account the complex interplay of a wide variety of factors that determine the contemporary situation. In addition, for historical and cultural reasons, there is a profound gulf between perception and reality in respect of people about whom more is believed than is actually known. As a political discourse on the Roma increasingly develops, the problem of knowledge contributes to, and is compounded by, a notable lack of political accountability. This paper provides an introduction to the main aspects of the politicization of 'Roma' people and their circumstances , in the hope of stimulating a wider and better informed debate as the issue rises up the agendas of national and international institutions in the years to come. 'Roma' identity and the idea of 'Europe'
European Policies of Roma Social Inclusion: Catch 22?
The article analyzes contemporary political discourses with regard to social inclusion of Roma on the basis of comparison with achievements and failures in the previous historical period of the communist rule in Eastern Europe. It argues that since the vast majority of the European Roma had lived in the past and continue living nowadays in the countries of Eastern Europe, no successful policy for their inclusion is possible without taking into account the experiences and outcomes of the actions for Roma integration in the socialist period. The experience from the times of socialism shows that successful policies are possible only in an appropriate socio-political context and only if accomplished within the mainstream approach. Against this background, the article scrutinizes the European Policies for Social Inclusion of Roma, and explains why they present a Catch 22 situation: There is a vicious cycle of problems which need to be solved; the solution requires a special policy for inclusion, however this policy stigmatizes Roma and sets them even more apart from the rest of society. Thus the vicious cycle of problems expands. The main point of the article is to propose an explanation of this failure of democracy and liberalism, which could constitute a useful lesson for the future.
In this lecture, given in April 2015 at Duke University, I argue that, in order to adequately understand the contemporary situation of Roma in Europe, we need to move beyond the currently dominant methodological Eurocentrism. In the context of Roma-related scholarship, ‘methodological Eurocentrism’ refers to analyses of the Roma’s societal position that do not sufficiently take into account how representations of both Europe and the Roma have significantly and interdependently changed since the collapse of socialism. Since the fall of communism, we have been able to observe what I call the ‘Europeanization of the representation of the Roma’, that is, firstly, the post-1989 problematization of the Roma in terms of their Europeanness and European identity; secondly, the classification of heterogeneous groups scattered over Europe under the umbrella term Roma and, thirdly, the devising of Europe-wide developmental programs that are dedicated to their inclusion, integration, anti-discrimination, empowerment and participation. I will clarify how we can understand the Europeanization of Roma representation as the latest stage of the various ways in which those who are currently called, or call themselves, Roma have historically interacted with Europe. I argue that, since 1989, a shift has taken place from considering the Roma as the Orientalized and externalized outsiders against which Europe has defined itself to considering them as the internalized outsiders to be incorporated in Europe as productive, participating and ‘true Europeans’. This shift has enabled the Roma to become actively involved in the political and policy debates about their representation, in attempts at improving their situation, and in the deepening and widening of the heterogeneous Romani movement. Yet, I will explain why this shift is fundamentally ambiguous. It has contributed to problematizing the Roma in ambiguous ways at the present-day nexus of security, citizenship and development. I will show how a threefold redirecting of Roma-related scholarship will help to critically reflect upon these problematizations beyond currently dominant Eurocentric and Roma-centric parameters.
Constructing Roma Migrants. European Narratives and Global Governance / edited by Tina Magazzini and Stefano Piemontese. Cham: Springer, IMISCOE Research Series, pp. 51-67, 2019
Roma populations have been part of European societies for centuries, yet they started to be perceived as a European “issue” in occasion of the 2004 and 2007 EU enlargement. In Eastern Europe several Roma, already struggling to cope with critical living conditions, fell into an ever-more negative spiral of deprivation as a result of the transition to an open market economy. The accession to the European Union eased internal migration of Roma from Central and Eastern Europe and triggered the emergence of problems associated with service provision of shelter, education and health. Meanwhile, those who found themselves in severe marginalized situations and could not afford to migrate began to be regarded as a “problem” for local authorities. The European Union has taken several soft policy actions to establish a framework for Roma integration, and has conditioned the use of structural funds to said strategies. The difficulty of implementing the National Roma Integration Strategy and of investing integration funds at the local level is however heavily affected by the lack of administrative capacity, political will, and practical obstacles. This chapter describes the EU efforts made in this field, focusing on the need to involve the local level through the concrete case of the ROMACT programme.
Routledge eBooks, 2013
The presence of the Roma in Europe is not a recent phenomenon. However, since 2000, Western European countries have been faced with a significant increase of Roma newcomers. This is primarily due to the annexation of twelve new, Central European and Eastern European countries to the European Union in 2004 and 2007, some of which have large Roma populations (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania). These annexes established Western Europe's economic influence in Eastern Europe and also offered more freedom of movement between citizens of member states within the expanded Union. Like other migrants, the Roma have benefited from new opportunities to travel freely from Eastern European countries of origin towards Western Europe, where they tend to settle in the cities. The present migration streams of Roma bring about quite a public debate. Despite the fact that the actual numbers are low 1 if one compares Romani migrants with that of other migrant groups, discussions are heated. Media coverage primarily focuses on Roma's supposed inherent criminality or their poor living conditions. In almost every case, the Roma are considered to be a problem: from a societal perspective, the Roma are hard to understand and their integration into mainstream society does not go smoothly. Although European policymakers continuously commit themselves to action, they seem incapable of determining what action should look like. In this chapter, three dominant perspectives on the construction of the Roma image will first be addressed. The Roma are typically presented as a criminal, cultural, and poverty problem (Lucassen et al. 1998; vermeersch 2007). The attention then shifts to European policy strategies developed to deal with the 'Roma problem(s)'. The predominance of an inclusive discourse directed at Roma as a particular target group raises some questions of how this group can be defined and identified. Moreover, this approach reflects a tension between a wish to work inclusively while considering the need for target group-oriented measures. Thus, the way Western Europe deals with the Roma serves as a mirror for European societies
National Roma Integration Strategies: What Next? (Roma Rights Journal 1/2013)
This issue of Roma Rights focuses on National Roma Integration Strategies and the objectives, challenges and shortcomings of the EC Framework which aim to improve the situation and status of Roma across Europe. The articles assess the existing national strategies and also look to the future to consider what needs to be done to increase the prospects of success.
The Dilemma of the European Union’s Roma Policy
Roma are one of the most discriminated and marginalized groups in the European Union (EU). The EU has emerged as a potential ally for the transnational Roma community as it possesses normative power when espousing values such as inclusion, yet is able to elaborate policy at a supranational level which has supremacy over domestic policy. Thus far EU Roma policy has failed to address the complex issues facing Roma owing to inadequate policy interventions. This can be explained by the policy choices open to the EU which appear to be built on diametrically opposed foundations, posing a dilemma for EU policy-makers. This article focuses on the redistribution/recognition dilemma which EU institutions must negotiate in order to address economic and cultural injustices. For their part, transnational Roma activists have demanded the creation of an EU Roma Strategy which could address the needs and interests of Roma across the Union.