Anti-Tsiganism, anti-Gypsyism, and Romaphobia.
Anti-Tsiganism, anti-Gypsyism, and
Romaphobia essentially mean the same thing: A distinct type of racist ideology.
It is, at the same time, similar, different, and intertwined with many other
types of racism.
Anti-Gypsyism itself is a complex
social phenomenon which manifests itself through violence, hate speech,
exploitation, and discrimination in its most visible form.
Anti-Gypsyism is a very specific form
of racism, an ideology of racial superiority, a form of dehumanisation and of
institutionalised racism. It is fuelled by historical discrimination and the
struggle to maintain power relations that permit advantages to majority groups.
It is based, on the one hand, on imagined fears, negative stereotypes and myths
and, on the other, on denial or erasure from the public conscience of a long
history of discrimination against Rroma
Anti-Gypsyism most evidently reveals itself in violent
acts, hate speech, or racist discourse. But beneath that most visible layer of
anti-Rromani sentiment, lie deeper, often invisible or even unconscious,
discriminatory attitudes.
Even if authorities acknowledge the socio-economic situation
of Rroma as a problematic issue, they are often denied their full rights as
equal citizens, excluded from an active role in policy design and
implementation, and approached in a patronizing manner.
Such ‘applied anti-Gypsyism’ is the background to the unequal treatment of Rroma – on the
labour market, or in the provision of social services such as housing,
healthcare and education.
The What and Why of Romaphobia
The Rroma (gypsy) population forms one of
the largest and, according to recent research, one of the most disadvantageous
and stereotyped minority groups in contemporary Europe. In the last
decades, scholars mostly used the term “anti-Gypsyism” as a generic term for a broad
set of negative feelings, stereotyping, and discriminatory practice against Rroma.
In order to avoid negative connotations attached to the word “Gypsy’, some
authors use the term “Rromaphobia” for negative affects associated with the Rroma.
Rromaphobia is a predominantly
racist phenomenon, encompas singelements of cultural racism and dehumanization.
Similar to other forms of modern racism, Rromaphobia derives from
socio-economic competition, and often manifests itself through opposition to
minority benefits. On this account, we can argue that Rromaphobia is linked to
(perceived) threat to welfare of an in-group or its members.However, what makes
this type of prejudice peculiar is not pure competition for scarce material and
immaterial resources.
Distinguished criteria concerns
symbolic threat posed by Rroma culture, which is perceived potentially
threatening towards in-group’s values, morals and beliefs. In this respect,
negative stereotypes regarding Rroma’s work ethics, laziness, proneness to
criminal behaviour, are the main indicators of anti-Roma prejudice.
Furthermore, negative stereotypes
create a climate where people fear that Rroma could contaminate national
culture, and pose the threat to their physical and material well being. This
brings us to another relevant indicator of Rromaphobia, which is inter-group
anxiety.
As experience has shown, ethnocentric people
are likely to perceive the members of visible minorities as threatening
national unity and cultural cohesion. This is where a vicious circle begins:
ethnocentrism discourages inter-group contact, resulting in social distance and
ignorance about the out-groups, which in turn increase prejudice.
Broader ethno-cultural interactions
reflect similar trend. In the last two decades, while promoting
multiculturalism and diversity (i.e. maintenance of one’s own cultural identity
together with maintenance of strong ties with the host society), most of Europe
denied the Rroma’s right to identity.
Particularly in South-Eastern
Europe, where the large numbers of Rroma minority have been routinely subjected
to forced assimilation, segregation and marginalization. In order to escape
growing discrimination and racist violence, many Roma immigrated from Eastern
to Western Europe.
Western media however promptly
responded to “Rroma invasion”, emphasizing social threat from a new economic
immigration. It can be argued that negative sentiments towards Rroma are
predominantly symbolic and racist phenomena.other. In the words of
anthropologist Van de Port, “every Gypsy image has its anti-image; every
statement about Rroma has its counter statement”.We can agree that negative
side of this symbolic, ‘imaginary figure’ of Rroma defines the scope of
everyday stigmatization, social exclusion and discrimination of Rroma.