- Brief created: 2022
- For development
Romaphobia: The Last Acceptable Form of Racism
Based on:
Book/Ebook (2017) ↗
‘Romaphobia’ explores how and why Roma communities are so vilified and excluded in European societies. It takes a look at the exclusion of Roma communities from a particular lens. Using the example of nation building, territoriality and identity.
Brief by:
This research doesn’t only look at who Roma are. It goes further by looking at what is happening to Roma around Europe. It questions why Roma are facing discrimination, racism and marginalisation and by extension asks what can be done to tackle these issues? It attempts to understand the complex socio-economic, political and cultural processes which underpin the racism which Roma have endured historically and in contemporary society.
I also focus on how Romaphobia is taken as a given. For instance, the way that we talk about Roma is different from other communities who are also persecuted.
My research advances certain ideas and introduces certain concepts that I think are useful for other research, particularly around the relationship between territory, nation building, and identity.
Key findings
Policy interventions in health, education, employment and housing are doomed to fail unless policymakers get to grips with the pervasive nature of anti-Roma racism and how far-reaching, and tolerated it is.
Roma communities have a very bad press.
They are framed by the media as criminals, as deviant, as untrustworthy outsiders. A lot of that exists because many Roma communities have a distrust of mainstream society, due to historically being enslaved, and being victims of genocide, this ultimately leads Roma to pull themselves out of mainstream society, and receive this bad press.
Proposed action
The most important thing is for practitioners to have a dialogue with Roma civil society
Allow Roma to set the terms and ensure practitioners listen
Find partners, develop networks, and then sustain these over time
Prevent Roma from being used by policymakers to tick a box
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Sophie Falshaw for preparation assistance
We would like to extend a special thank you to Sophie Falshaw, for their invaluable contribution in assisting the preparation of this research summary.
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Romaphobia: The Last Acceptable Form of Racism
Cite this brief: McGarry, Aidan. 'Romaphobia: The Last Acceptable Form of Racism'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/romaphobia-the-last-acceptable-form-of-racism/
Brief created by: Professor Aidan McGarry | Year brief made: 2022
Original research:
- McGarry, A., Romaphobia: The Last Acceptable Form of Racism https://books.google.co.uk/books. – https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Jv40EAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Research brief:
‘Romaphobia’ explores how and why Roma communities are so vilified and excluded in European societies. It takes a look at the exclusion of Roma communities from a particular lens. Using the example of nation building, territoriality and identity.
This research doesn’t only look at who Roma are. It goes further by looking at what is happening to Roma around Europe. It questions why Roma are facing discrimination, racism and marginalisation and by extension asks what can be done to tackle these issues? It attempts to understand the complex socio-economic, political and cultural processes which underpin the racism which Roma have endured historically and in contemporary society.
I also focus on how Romaphobia is taken as a given. For instance, the way that we talk about Roma is different from other communities who are also persecuted.
My research advances certain ideas and introduces certain concepts that I think are useful for other research, particularly around the relationship between territory, nation building, and identity.
Findings:
Policy interventions in health, education, employment and housing are doomed to fail unless policymakers get to grips with the pervasive nature of anti-Roma racism and how far-reaching, and tolerated it is.
Roma communities have a very bad press.
They are framed by the media as criminals, as deviant, as untrustworthy outsiders. A lot of that exists because many Roma communities have a distrust of mainstream society, due to historically being enslaved, and being victims of genocide, this ultimately leads Roma to pull themselves out of mainstream society, and receive this bad press.
Advice:
The most important thing is for practitioners to have a dialogue with Roma civil society
Allow Roma to set the terms and ensure practitioners listen
- Allow Roma to input into policy formulation.
Find partners, develop networks, and then sustain these over time
Prevent Roma from being used by policymakers to tick a box