Europe’s perennial ‘outsiders’: A processual approach to Roma stigmatization and ghettoization

Abstract

This paper draws on the theoretical work of Norbert Elias and Loïc Wacquant in seeking to understand the stigmatized and marginalized position of the Roma population within Europe. The paper argues that the persistent persecution of Roma, reflected in social policy, cannot be understood without reference to long-term social processes, which shape the nature of the asymmetric power relations between Roma and non-Roma. Elias's theory of established-outsider relations is applied at the intra-state European level in arguing that Roma constitute a cross-border "outsider" group; with their intense stigmatization explained and perpetuated by a common set of collective fantasies which are maintained through complex group processes of disidentification, and which result in Roma being seen as of lesser human worth. Wacquant's theoretical concept of the "ghetto" is then drawn upon to show how the manifestations of stigmatization for the stigmatized are at once psychological, social and spatial. The paper suggests that the synthesis of the two theorists' relational, theoretical concepts allows for an approach that can expose the way in which power is exercised within and through group relations. Such an approach emphasizes the centrality of the interdependence between Roma and non-Roma, and the fluctuating power balance that characterises that relationship across time and space. The paper concludes that, while existing research focused on policy and outcomes is useful in understanding the negative contemporary experiences of Roma populations, they need to be understood in the context of wider social processes and historical continuities in seeking to elucidate how these processes shape policies and contribute to social and spatial marginalization.

‘Get out of Traian Square!’: Roma Stigmatization as a Mobilizing Tool for the Far Right in Timişoara, Romania

“…The marginal (socio‐economic) condition of urban Roma in the CEE region has been highlighted in numerous studies. The Roma are spatially restricted to urban ghettos, which are presented as hostile environments (Creţan and Turnock, ; Vincze and Raţ, ; Lancione, ; ; Powell and Lever, ). The long‐term poverty of most Roma communities in conjunction with their segregation has resulted in lack of access to education, labour markets and housing (O'Nions, ; van Baar, ; ; Málovics et al ., ).…”

“…The current trend of emphasizing segregation through the creation of neo‐ghettos has been linked to economic and political interests (Clough Marinaro, ; ) and to attempts to avoid harassment (Filčák and Steger, ; Powell and Lever, ). The pressures on Roma housing in Romanian urban areas has been considered in Lancione's (; ) and Chelcea's (; ) ethnographic works.…”

“…Middle‐aged and older non‐Roma individuals generally invalidated nationalists’ anti‐Roma stigma discourses, although it seems that some of the young generation agree with such symbolic violence. As Powell and Lever (: 693) argue, the long history of Roma marginalization ‘suggests much deeper and long‐standing processes of disidentification and stigmatization … which inform public attitudes and sentiments and shape public policy’.…”

“…The aims of this article are, first, to examine the emergence of the ND and its use of Roma stigmatization and, secondly, to consider the ways in which extreme views are normalized by appealing to people's beliefs and perceptions. By connecting work on populism and nationalism (Mudde, ; ; Fox and Vermeersch, ) with literature on Roma in Europe (Hockenos, ; Barany, ; Powell, ; Powell and Lever, ; Creţan and Powell, ) we link our Timişoara research to broader debates around urban mobilization of radical right groups. In the article we draw on Fox and Vermeersch's () notion of backdoor nationalism to consider the way in which such ideas circulate and are mobilized by far right actors to support their claims.…”

The Power of Group Stigmatization: Wealthy Roma, Urban Space and Strategies of Defence in Post‐socialist Romania

“…Contemporary research on Roma in post‐socialist Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has emphasized the marginal socio‐economic position of many Roma communities and their spatial confinement within ghettos characterized by an inhospitable environment and substandard housing conditions (Creţan and Turnock, ; Berescu, ; Vincze and Raţ, ; Filčák and Steger, ; Walach, ; Powell and Lever, ). Central to these accounts is the persistent poverty of many Roma communities and the inequalities (and segregation) they face in terms of access to housing, education and the formal labour market (O’Nions, ; van Baar, ; ).…”