Seminar Series

Representations of Roma - Between the myths and Roma realities by Ramona Maria Cara

With the goal of challenging the media misrepresentations of the Roma in Europe, this seminar focuses on the social exclusion of the Roma in Europe enabled in part by the pervasiveness of negative stereotypes in the mainstream media and the creative industry, where Roma are usually depicted as lazy, dishonest, and dirty.

The epistemic, institutional and political development of Roma contemporary art by Timea Junghaus

The Roma cultural movement and its central notion Roma contemporary art have been one of the most efficient vehicles in the past four decades for the exploration of Roma subjectivities.

Race, Justice, Solidarity: A Critical Inquiry into the Pro-Roma Global Civil Society by Márton Rövid

Over the past two decades, in the wake of post-communist transition, the emergence of Romani activism has been an important development accompanying political changes in Central and Eastern Europe. Alongside the emergence of Romani associations, international NGOs have been increasingly involved in the struggle against the discrimination of Roma. A special microcosm has developed within global civil society that is specialized in the so-called ‘Roma issue’, comprising non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, expert bodies, foundations, activists and politicians.

No More Kings by Michael Simmons

May 20, 2016

If we look at the Roma reality today, what we are faced with is a view of a helpless, hapless people who need to be uplifted by the society at large.  Most pictures of Roma are devoid of dignity and depict squalor and hopelessness.  I find it as obnoxious as pornography and it reflects what I call poverty porn.  However, this depiction belies the historic reality of Roma.  By that I mean that if you look at Roma, they have been living among foreign cultures for at least 500 years.  Throughout these five centuries they have been oppressed and abused.  They have never had any sustained

Crafted objectivity: Roma groupness in scientific and administrative practice by Mihai Surdu

April 28, 2016

The grouping of Roma in a homogenous category has a long history. I argue that shaping and stabilizing Roma groupness is the result of the interrelated practices of categorization and counting, both important ways in assembling an object of study but also a target for governmental intervention. I bring examples of how repeated academic, administrative and police-led inquires contributed to enduring representations of the Roma group in different  political regimes.