ODUVEK (Since the Beginning): Roma Narratives of Continuous Discrimination and Perspectives on Identity, Marginalization, and Assimilation in Niš, Serbia

Authors

Erin Humphries, SIT Study AbroadFollow

Home Institution

Washington University in St. Louis

Publication Date

Fall 2011

Program Name

Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans

Abstract

Previous research into Roma memory studies and narratives has found a strong focus on the present and a tendency to ‘obliterate’ the past. This paper explores Roma perceptions of discrimination in Niš, Serbia and its continuity throughout history. Findings suggest that although a majority of participants did recognize a continuity of discrimination, agreeing that Roma had always been discriminated against, when asked about specific time periods in Serbia, such as Yugoslavia and the 1990’s, most interviewees acknowledged these as time periods of equality. The present situation is also discussed in relation to the state of discrimination, the role of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, and the meaning and prevalence of assimilation in the Roma community. The paper explores the role of a narrative of discrimination and how anomalies can exist within its framework by exploring ideas of collective memory and shared identity.

Disciplines

Inequality and Stratification | Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity

Recommended Citation

Humphries, Erin, "ODUVEK (Since the Beginning): Roma Narratives of Continuous Discrimination and Perspectives on Identity, Marginalization, and Assimilation in Niš, Serbia" (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1156.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1156