Roma within Obstructing and Transformative Spaces

Abstract

The aim of our article is to inquire into the interconnectedness of local social context, mobility processes and social transformations. We argue that migratory patterns of the local Roma population in ethnically mixed communities are shaped by the degree and modes of maintenance of social distance between the Roma and local majority. While social distance can shape the ways migrant networks develop, it also influences the way remittances are invested at home. The analysis focuses on the comparison of two rural communities from Transylvania where we carried out community studies and a household survey which also included attitude questions related to ethnic groups. Our study revealed that the most visible aspect of the local separation is the housing segregation. While this is present in both cases, in one of the villages Roma use their upward mobility to challenge social segregation and to reduce physical distance (i.e. moving inside the village). Here in spite of physical closeness social distance between the majority and Roma remains high. In the other locality the importance of social ties increase during migration and social distance is reduced, while the ethnic groups maintain their relative residential separation.

Livelihood Strategies during the COVID-19 Epidemic in Materially Disadvantaged Roma Communities from Covasna County, Romania

“…The study of Roma disadvantages using qualitative methods has been the subject of several anthropological monographs (Engebrigtsen 2007;Fosztó 2009;Olivera 2012;Szeman 2017;Racleş 2021). There have also been studies using a complex methodology, combining the sociological survey method with anthropological fieldwork in an attempt to complement the survey data obtained with questionnaires with qualitative data and interpretations (Bădescu et al 2007;Fleck and Rughinis , 2008;Cace et al 2010;Toma et al 2017;Toma and Fosztó 2018). In an extensive research, Cace et al (2010) with combined methods studying urban and rural communities, showed that the employment situation of people in Roma communities can be characterized by low formal employment rates (a low share of those employed with a contract of employment; a lack of work history in the workbook), a high share of those employed in the informal economy or in subsistence agriculture, activities performed without qualification or on the basis of low qualification or non-formal (without supporting documents) based only on experience or tradition.…”

“…In an extensive research, Cace et al (2010) with combined methods studying urban and rural communities, showed that the employment situation of people in Roma communities can be characterized by low formal employment rates (a low share of those employed with a contract of employment; a lack of work history in the workbook), a high share of those employed in the informal economy or in subsistence agriculture, activities performed without qualification or on the basis of low qualification or non-formal (without supporting documents) based only on experience or tradition. In the Migrom project (see Toma et al 2017Toma et al , 2018, they studied the international migration of Roma in Romania, including the effects of migration to home communities or return migration. This is very useful information that has the social context in which the Roma returned, forced by the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, which we will analyze in this study.…”

Home, migration, and Roma people in Europe

“…In the countries of origin, the remittances used to improve or construct new houses do not simply represent a symbolic affirmation of success. They also play a central role in remodelling ethnic landscapes through activating desegregation processes that challenge existing patterns of ethnic relations (Tesăr, 2015;Toma & Fosztó, 2018).…”

“…Notably, besides representing a symbolic affirmation of success, the 'remittance houses' (Lopez, 2010) of the Roma are part of broader, spontaneous processes of material and symbolic desegregation that challenge the existing patterns of ethnic relations in the villages and towns of origin (Toma & Fosztó, 2018). As Racles (2018) has highlighted, building or ameliorating a property house 'back home' also represents a response to anti-Gypsist repertoires that construct the 'Gypsy way of living' as bearing a natural predisposition to carelessness towards the inhabited space and the incapacity to overcome deprivation.…”

Exploring Hidden Costs of Seasonal Migration in Agriculture within Roma Communities of Origin: Evidence from Romania

“…The impact of migration on communities of origin around the world has been identified at several levels and dimensions of social life. Seasonal migration affects local and national economies and can transform the political landscape [6,57]. The labour market at origin is affected by seasonal migration [58].…”