Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Bringing hybridity to heterogeneity in Romani Studies

2009; Liverpool University Press; Volume: 19; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/rms.0.0012

1757-2274

Annabel Tremlett,

Polish-Jewish Holocaust Memory Studies

A frequent criticism of media and public's approach to minorities is that they are portrayed in homogenising terms. Academics from Romani Studies have sought to highlight heterogeneity of minorities, describing them as diaspora forming mosaic of small diverse groups (Liegeois 1986: 49–50). This article questions whether this approach is effective enough to break away from homogenising terms, focusing on an ongoing debate between anthropologist Michael Stewart and sociologists Janos Ladanyi and Ivan Szelenyi. Both parties highlight heterogeneity as fundamental aspect of people (Stewart 1997; Ladanyi and Szelenyi 2006). Their dispute lies in whether to approach as predominantly cultural group (Stewart) or economically deprived group (Ladanyi and Szelenyi). Despite their different approaches, I show how both parties can still slip into talk about the Gypsies or the Roma as a different group of people. I argue that in order effectively to move away from homogeni...