Anthropologist claims Roma do not exist
After five years of field studies in Roma settlements in Eastern Slovakia,
cultural anthropologist, Marek Jakoubek has sparked controversy. He claims
that the Roma are not an ethnic group, arguing that they do not identify
themselves as such. Jakoubek's claims have caused fury in some circles. He
presented his ideas at a conference about multiculturalism in Prague this
week.
The focus of the conference was multiculturalism with a special emphasis on
the Roma people. Marek Jakoubek from the University of Plzen was the most
provocative speaker. I spoke to Mr. Jakoubek about his research in Roma
settlements:
"My research has shown that there is a national Roma high culture
that is in contradiction with the cultural principles that we find in Roma
settlements. So I came to the conclusion, that people here who call
themselves representatives of the Roma cannot actually represent people
from the settlements and ghettos because they don't share anything with
them besides skin colour and what I am talking about are cultural
differences."
Although Mr. Jakoubek is an academic, I was curious to know how he would
apply his theories on a practical level:
"I would be in favour of de-racializing the problems with the Roma,
there are problems here but they are socio-economic. There are people in
ghettos and that is a problem and ethno-emancipation is not going to help
that. They do not define themselves as an ethnic group, they define
themselves in kinship groups, for instance."
"So I would de-racialize the problems and I would focus on solving
social and economic problems. Furthermore, I would study, analyze and try
to understand traditional Roma culture. Whether this culture can be
maintained is a question because some of its characteristics are
unconstitutional such as arranged marriages and the lower standing of
women."
There have been many sharp criticisms of Jakoubek's works- many of his
observations about the class division in Roma culture could be applied to
other ethnic groups and this does not mean that they are not ethnic
groups. Moreover, the Roma people do have a common language and folklore.
Given the fact that the Roma are often stigmatized and discriminated
against based on their ethnic identity, many say that is a bit odd to
suddenly claim that this identity is not relevant. Sociology student,
Katerina Janku, finds Mr. Jakoubek's approach somewhat arrogant:
"He is kind of ethnocentric in the sense that he only accepts high
scientific means of debate. He says, see I have published a book, if you
don't agree, publish a book. These questions of Roma identity are very
sensitive ones. If you come to people and ask them, "Are you
Roma?" They say yes or they say, I don't know but it is a question of
methods and I think that Marek Jakoubek does not reflect on that
enough."
The conference was attended by students, social workers, activists and
academics. There were a wide variety of experiences, views and approaches
expressed- but somehow I could not help feeling that a certain presence
was missing. There was not a single Romany person in the conference hall.
Sociology student Katerina Janku offered her sociological insight on the
nature of public debate:
"I observe the means by which people communicate and because I
research socially disadvantaged people and I have found that they
sometimes they have different communication means and through this and
only through they are excluded from the public debate and I don't think it
is fair. It is a tool of power to be able to argument and many people do
not know the language and so they feel excluded."
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