Menu Expand
Romaphobia

Romaphobia

Dr Aidan McGarry

(2017)

Additional Information

Abstract

Based on first-hand accounts from Roma communities, Romaphobia is an examination of the discrimination faced by one of the most persecuted groups in Europe. Well-researched and informative, it shows that this discrimination has its roots in the early history of the European nation-state, and the ways in which the landless Roma have been excluded from national communities founded upon a notion of belonging to a particular territory.

Romaphobia allows us to unpick this relationship between identity and belonging, and shows the way towards the inclusion of Roma in society, providing vital insights for other marginalized communities.


'A beautifully written text that is both inspiring and daunting; it does not shade or minimise the numerous challenges that are facing Romani communities in Europe, but it also offers signs of agency, empowerment and hope. This book is destined to become a benchmark for a new generation of critical scholars.’
Colin Clark, author of Here to Stay: the Gypsies and Travellers of Britain

‘McGarry provides the first extensive scholarly exploration of Romaphobia and vividly outlines the magnitude of the challenge to overcome stereotypes deeply embedded in European culture. Romaphobia also addresses the relatively recent innovation of Roma people and organisations actively participating in public debates about themselves.’
Martin Kovats, former Special Adviser on Roma issues to the European Commission

‘An eloquent account of one of the most troubling forms of racism still haunting the world: Romaphobia. This book examines the root causes, as well as the experiences of Roma communities in the UK and in continental Europe.’
Katharine Quarmby, author of No Place to Call Home: Inside the Real Lives of Gypsies and Travellers

‘The strength of McGarry’s book lies in the exploration of a broader, transnational research agenda that seeks to awake Romani studies from its “splendid isolation”, leaving one with the desire to learn more about the roots of Romaphobia.’
Lilla Farkas, Migration Policy Group

‘Draws on original research to examine enduring racism against Roma communities in Europe. Essential reading for all concerned about racism and the rise of far right politics that we are witnessing across Europe today.’
Imogen Tyler, author of Revolting Subjects: Social Abjection and Resistance in Neoliberal Britain

‘McGarry skillfully explains the complex phenomenon and history of Romaphobia in contemporary Europe. He offers a thoughtful and accessible inquiry into this persistent form of racism, and a powerful critique of how it continues to be tolerated in present-day Europe.’
Huub van Baar, author of The European Roma

‘McGarrys contributes to our understanding of the root causes of inequality between Roma and non-Roma. He shows that Roma exclusion is rooted in the nation-building process in Europe and the way national identities have been constructed in relation to territory.’
Iulius Rostas, Central European University

‘A timely analysis of how fear and loathing stultifies social progress. McGarry offers an excellent examination of the mechanisms of this enduring and despicable form of racism.’
Annabel Tremlett, University of Portsmouth

'McGarry provides a valuable service in directing our attention to the forces that produce this kind of discrimination.'
Times Literary Supplement

'Enlightened, sensitively written and always positive, this book makes a valuable contribution.'
The Morning Star

'A compelling depiction ... This is a fascinating and provocative framework from which to view the continuing, hateful prejudice directed at Roma.'
Choice


Aidan McGarry is principal lecturer in politics at the University of Brighton, and the recipient of the Rising Star Award 2014, for academic excellence. He is the author of Who Speaks for Roma? (2010) and co-editor of The Politics and Discourses of Migration in Europe (2013) and The Identity Dilemma (2015). His research has been published in leading journals such as Ethnicities, Ethnic and Migration Studies, Ethnopolitics, Social Movement Studies and Critical Social Policy, among others.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Front Cover Front cover
About the Author iii
Title Page v
Copyrights vi
Contents vii
Acknowledgements ix
1. Romaphobia: Marginalization and Stigmatization in Europe 1
The State and the Nation 10
Identity and Stigma 15
Territoriality 30
Citizenship, Identity and Belonging 33
Book Outline 37
2. Strangers Within the Gates: Territoriality and Belonging 43
State Territoriality 49
Nomadism and Mobility 57
The Last Slaves in Europe 67
Exile and Punishment 71
From Separation to Segregation 76
3. Roma Identities: How Romaphobia Distorts Roma Identity 85
Fear and Loathing 93
Belonging and Nationhood 101
The Roma Nation 112
4. An Expression of Romaphobia: Socio-Spatial Segregation in Eastern Europe 127
Eviction and Exclusion 130
Segregation: A Modern-Day Apartheid 136
In the Ghettos 145
Discussion 166
5. Opre Roma! Challenging Romaphobia Through Pride Protests 171
Collective Identity and the Roma Community 175
Visibility and Public Space 179
The Roma Pride Movement: Origins and Objectives 184
Roma Pride in Prague in 2014 190
Roma Pride in Budapest in 2015 195
Discussion 205
6. Roma Citizenship in the European Union: A Question of Belonging\r 211
Citizenship and Belonging 215
Acts of Citizenship 224
Roma Migration in the European Union 229
The Performance of Citizenship: France in 2010 236
Conclusion: Understanding the Causes of Romaphobia: Between Territoriality, Identity and Belonging 245
References 255
Index 281
Back Cover Back cover