1. Roma communities today Historical background, culture and current issues -Week 7 Class 1: Trades ANTH 4020/5020

2. Today‘s outline 1.Documentary: „Slovakia – The sterilisation of Roma woman“ (2003) & film discussion 2.Language: Some more interesting facts 3.Liégeois, Jean-Pierre. 1994. Roma, Gypsies, Travellers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, pp. 43-76 (Ch. 4: Social Organisation).

3. Documentary: Slovakia – The sterilisation of Roma women (2003) Discussion questions: 1.Under what circumstances do the sterilizations take place? 2.How do the doctors get the women’s consent? 3.What does this (assumed) practice reveal about the Slovak medical doctors’ attitude towards the Roma? 4.What does the sterilization mean to the affected Romani women’s lives? 5.Where in the medical system do we encounter “institutional discrimination” of the Roma?

4. Documentary „Slovakia – The Sterilisation of Roma woman“ Information on the source / director ?  from 2003, broadcasted on “Dateline” on NBC Numerous reports of human rights organizations (e.g. ERRC) and (newspaper) articles and finally court mandates confirm cases of sterilizations of Roma woman without (full) consent. Another short documentary: “Trial of a child denied” (Michelle Coomber, 2008), 25 min.  showing a case of a Czech Romani woman who has won a trial and been (financially) compensated by the government  can be watched on youtube.com.

5. Summary last class: Language Romanes is a “normal” language like English, French, Spanish,.. Approx. 5 Mio Romanes speakers in Europe (8-12 Mio. Worldwide) Virtually all speakers of Romanes are bilingual Many Roma hide their identity to avoid discrimination and ma also deny speaking Romanes  some Roma communities have “lost” their language In many countries Romanes is not recognized as a language An interesting feature of Romanes is the multitude of proverbs, sayings but also oaths which is used – a saying exists almost for every daily situation Only those who speak Romanes properly can follow the rules of politeness & honour (pativ) and keep their status in society  Romanes plays a major role in the transmission of cultural norms (from one generation to the other)

6. Some more interesting facts (1) Romanes is spoken in all European countries (except Iceland & Portugal) but also in the Americas, Australia and South Africa.  It is probably the (geographically) most widespread language within the European community (To a certain extent) all Roma understand one another.  Some Roma communities have not been in contact since the 15. cent.! There are dialects in Romanes  Some are spoken just in one area  Some are spoken in scattered places

7. Some more interesting facts (2) “Para-Romanes”: Means languages which in some places have replace Romanes: they preserved only the vocabulary, but the grammatical system was taken over from the local language  Happened in Spain, Scandinavia, UK  Para-Romanes languages cannot be considered Romanes any more There are also groups which are considered to be “Gypsies”, but do not speak Romanes  Some claim connection to the Roma, some don’t

8. Romanes in public life (1) Romanes has often been discouraged, suppressed or banned  The suppression has continued into the 20 th cent. e.g. decision of the Communist party of Czechoslovakia (1958) “it would be reactionary to create a literary Gypsy language on the basis of scattered Gypsy dialects. It would conserve the Gypsy primitive way of life and isolate them from the working class”. long tradition of recorded Roma music. Sometimes lyrics are included on the cover Roma have been depicted by non-Romani actors in the theater for centuries. Roma only became active in Romani- language theater “Romen” in the USSR in the 20 th cent. e.g Play by Ilona Lackova

9. Romanes in public life (2) Romani film industry is only emerging  Some feature films in Romanes Emil Kusturica’s Time of the Gypsies: all in Romanes! Toni Gatlif Gadzo Dilo, Latcho Drom: mostly in Romanes Many documentaries about Roma Romanes has been used in the four world Romani congresses Romanes is used in international political & cultural meetings Governments rarely use Romanes for official publications Romanes can be written (as all languages) Poetry in Romanes exists (and also internatinal Romani poetry contests) Bible translations into Romanes exist

10. Romanes in public life (3) Bilingual periodicals in Romanes exist Periodicals for children in Romanes exist In Eastern Europe after the democratic changes of 1990 Romanes is slowly finding it’s way into schools Romanes is subject of research for scholars in several fields Romanes is being thought at Universities in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, USA …. There are Radio and TV programs in Romanes, a chatline for Roma on the Internet and a Website on Roma in Romanes

11. Text: Liégeois, Jean-Pierre. 1994. Roma, Gypsies, Travellers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, pp. 43-76 (Ch. 4: Social Organisation).

12. Romani social organization: A mosaic … Due to the variety of different groups’ historical experience and today’s situation the Roma community has to be viewed as “a worldwide mosaic of diversified groups (… )A mosaic constitutes a whole, the elements of which are in some respects linked to each other. The connections permeating the whole contribute to organising and structuring it, despite the fact that the structure is fluid, not rigid” (Liegeois 1994, p. 61).  Roma society is permanently changing  Only by looking at the “whole picture” one can fully understand the specifics of the single groups. Role and function of self-appellation Alliances through marriages No “leaders” but (group) social control: keeping” pativ”

13. Group names/ designations Reflect social differences of varied significance and of different orders (Liegeois, p.64).

14. Central issues The “whole picture”: When examining individual groups, they have to be understood in relationship to other groups within the whole group system. The group system is dynamic (perpetual negotiation of group relations, adaptable to circumstances ) but is maintaining an equilibrium (points of reference, orientation for members) Marriage alliances: fundamental element of the organisation (again, variety: from elopement to arranged marriages) Social control: Transgression of prohibitions or disobedience of the rules  process of consultation and/or justice

15. Romanipen (Tcherenkov & Laederich, Ch. 24) Romanipen = Gypsyhood, Gypsydom The Roma identity is based on: - common origins - common language Romanes - traditions, laws, customs Roma culture is an oral one  transmitted by tales and legends, the paramiča  passed on from mothers to children Rroma lack administration, no institution enforcing respect of traditions Respect results from consensus  fear of breaking the laws because of resulting shame

16. Who is a Rom? (Tcherenkov & Laederich, Ch. 24) Nomadic people? Most are sedentary … Non-European origin? True for many Europeans … Roma have no country and represent no „nation“  Common genealogy, history and culture distinguish Roma from the Gadže  Gadže do not speak Romanes and do not live and behave according to the Roma traditions Traditions differ slightly between groups One‘s own Roma group is always the best eg. Vlax Roma call themselves „le Rom le Čače“ (the true Roma) Still: a „global“ Roma identity exists based on contacts with other groups and increasingly due to Roma activists

17. Laws (Tcherenkov & Laederich, Ch. 24) „Law“ for Roma encompasses law in a legal sense as well as traditional customs Roma laws are unwritten conventions Disrespect is avoided due to the prevailing concept of honour and shame A life true to these laws is an essential part of the Roma culture

18. Patjiv - Honour (Tcherenkov & Laederich, Ch. 24) The concept of honour ensures the respect of the Roma laws Patjiv also means „respect“ or „esteem of another person“ If someone is patjivalo, one can rely on that person  only someone who knows and respects the traditions can be regarded as reliable  such a person deserves honour and esteem Formal way of welcoming a guest: „Kerav patjiv“ – I do honour/ I show respect

19. Ladžav - Shame (Tcherenkov & Laederich, Ch. 24) Ladžav – shame - contrasts patjiv Shame resulting from breaking Roma laws or traditions  great opprobrium! Roma saying: „Without shame one is nothing“  fear of shame leads behaviour In case of violation of a law, the shame extends to the family, lineage or kumpanja Even if the concept of shame exists among all people, among Roma it is a particularly strong driving force for the behaviour and thus for the preservation of the traditional Roma culture.

20. Tcherenkov, Lev and Laederich, Stéphane. 2004. The Rroma. Othewise known as Gypsies, gitanos, Гύчтоі, Tsiganes, Ţigani, Cingene, Zigeuner, Bohémines, Travellers, Fahrende, etc. Vol. 2: Traditions and Texts. Basel: Schwabe, Chapter: Rroma Trades