How open borders can unlock cultures

Abstract

Who are the Roma? Ethnicity vs. 'nomadic lifestyle' In March 2014, the e-mail list of the European Academic Network on Romani Studies 1 hosted a discussion on definitions of the population known as 'Roma'. It began when one of the subscribers to the list-which at the time brought together some 350 academics who specialised in Romani/Gypsy studies-asked for reactions to two generalisations which she came across while preparing a legal review of a document on cultural rights: (1) that all Roma speak a variety of the same language, Romanes; and (2) that Roma generally consider themselves to be a nation. Some two-dozen scholars posted their reactions, which together offer a fairly exhaustive summary of contemporary views on the subject (for a full documentation, see Friedman & Friedman 2015: 186ff.). Problems surrounding the definition of Roma/Gypsies are often attributed to the mismatch between internal labels and understandings of community boundaries among the populations concerned, and the prevalence of external definitions and popular imagery, which postulate a wholesale and much less differentiated category of 'Gypsies' (see Matras 2004, 2015a: 15-31). Some respondents to the e-mail discussion addressed the principle of individual selfascription: A 'Romani' or 'Gypsy' person is one who identifies as such. Yet it was acknowledged that 'Roma' depicts an ethnic and therefore a collective identity, and so individuals' self-ascription as 'Roma' is only credible if legitimised through descent. That, however, merely shifts the reference point back in time, for if descent is to be added to the definition, the question 'descent from whom?' cannot be avoided. Some social scientists embrace the concept of 'commercial nomads' or 'peripatetics', first developed in a modern comparative perspective and applied to different societies by Rao (1987, see also Berland & Rao 2004). Here the focus is on endogamous population groups that occupy a particular socioeconomic niche in diverse societies around the world, specialising in a mobile, family-based service economy that often features a flexible portfolio of trades. Such communities are sometimes regarded as having a 'contrast culture', one that is

Who I am and who I share it with. Roma university students between invisibility and empowerment

“…It is also important to highlight the participation of Roma people in all phases of this research, forming part of the research team and as experts for the validation of the instruments. The participation of people from the group itself beyond mere informants is not frequent, as has already been noted (Leggio & Matras, 2018).…”

“…Who can consider themselves to be Roma? A person who is Roma is someone who identifies themself as such; they are someone who identifies themself with this group by descent since there is a certain level of ambiguity regarding the delimitations of Roma communities, which has been created by territorial dispersion, variations in cultural practices, an absence of political entities and legal classification, as well as differences in the active use of the Roma language (Leggio & Matras, 2018). This self-identification will be a key factor in the development of this paper, which includes part of the results obtained from a research project carried out at the University of Cadiz that included questionnaires and interviews with students who self-identified as Roma.…”

What makes them thrive? Protective factors for the academic success of Roma university students: A case study

“…Lastly, we note that it was important to have the participation of Roma people in all phases of this research, forming part of the research team and as experts for the validation of the instruments. The participation of people from the group itself beyond mere informants is not frequent, as has already been noted (Leggio and Matras, 2018). However, it does seem to be a growing trend in Spain, where we have known studies (Gimenez et al, 2019) that have also been carried out by intercultural teams.…”