Abstract
The text is an outcome of the ethnographic research focusing on the education of Roma children in Czech Republic. The approach of Czech Republic towards Roma students, especially the practice of educating Roma in segregated practical schools has been criticized by EU. The text focuses on the problem of categorization and interpretation of the very “object” – the Roma minority. The categorization is not purely logical construction, but involves hidden agenda, various academic, politic concepts, elements of praxis and it has consequences for category as such. The text shows how the ethnographic research developed and how researchers’ point of view was changed under empirical and theoretical experiences. The distributive model of culture (Schwartz T, Where is the culture? Personality as the distributive locus of culture. In: Spindler GP (ed) The making of psychological anthropology. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 419–441, 1978), the cognitive concept of the schema of the cognitive anthropology (Strauss C, Quinn N, A cognitive theory of cultural meaning. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003), Lakoff’s categorization (Lakoff J, Women, fire and dangerous things. What categories reveal about the mind. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1990) are the main theoretical inspirations for data analysis and interpretation. While dealing with the intricacies of the Roma category in the field we tried to pursue so called Rashomon strategy (Rodsedth 1998) as related both to data collection and construction of theory.
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- 1.
The first 3-year project (2005–2007) took place in the East-Bohemia region, mainly in town communities, and its title was “The Value of Education from the Perspective of Romany People (Education as Seen by Romany Mothers).” The second project entitled “Function of Cultural Models in Education” (2008–2010) was conducted in the West-Bohemia region, where there are scattered rural socially marginalized localities in the surroundings of two cities. Both research projects were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (Grant No. 4 06/05/P560 and Grant No. 406/08/0805). Currently, we are starting a third, 4-year project (2012–2015) entitled “Decision-Making Processes of Assistance Professions in the Area of Intercultural Relationships” (GACR, Grant No. P407/12/0547).
- 2.
The opinion that Roma children mature earlier, or that they are sexually mature earlier, is a myth derived from the fact that Roma girls often become pregnant earlier than the girls from the majority. However, this has nothing to do with the alleged earlier onset of pubescence. To the contrary, some studies even suggest that sexual maturity begins later in Roma children (Sivakova 1992, p. 40).
- 3.
New Education Act No. 561/2004.
- 4.
No. 153/1991 SR.
- 5.
This can be very well illustrated by a story which the author experienced when he met his friend (white) at the Helsinki airport who was just returning back to the Czech Republic from Canada where he had visited his sister who had moved there. The friend described the shock he had experienced in Canada where, during a trip to the wilderness, he encountered a SUV driven by a Roma family by one of the lakes who welcomed him warmly by saying how happy they were they met a Czech person here in a foreign country and in the wilderness.
- 6.
In this same year this situation resulted in the drafting of the so-called Bratinka report (which became Government Resolution No. 686/97 adopted on 29.10.1997) “Report on Situation of Roma Communities.”
- 7.
Section 16(1) of the new Education Act No. 561/2004.
- 8.
Social disadvantage means a family environment with low social and cultural status, threat of pathological social phenomena, institutional education ordered or protective education imposed, the status of asylum seeker, and a party to asylum proceedings in the Czech Republic under a special legal regulation (Section 16(4), Act No. 561/2004).
- 9.
We lacked sufficient “political” support for collection of data that could be statistically processed. We were not a well-known agency conducting a statistical survey, nor did we give the impression that someone “powerful” was backing us, which would make it unwise to refuse our requests. Repeated rejections and excuses deterred us from conducting a statistical survey because the low number of respondents would not render a representative sample.
- 10.
Prior to the revolution in 1989 it was common practice among schools to collect all information about students’ family background.
- 11.
Refusals were also justified by the Act on Protection of Personal Data 101/2000 Coll., which forbids transfer of information to third parties. When we mentioned the Ministry of Education’s interest in these data, schools replied that they are responsible to the school’s founding authority (usually the municipality), not the Ministry.
- 12.
In some places, declaration of Roma nationality would open up the possibility that the municipality would establish a committee for ethnic minorities through which Roma could advocate for some rights on the basis of legislation. There would be a hypothetical possibility that children would be taught in Roma language in school. That would naturally give rise to questions such as whether to speak Roma, what is the potential of Roma as a language, etc.
- 13.
The family was addressed by the deputy director, who had an excellent relationship with the family.
- 14.
- 15.
Our Roma informants said that when they arrange a meeting with a potential employer by phone, they are told that the position is available. When they go to the company office, the employer, based on the applicant’s appearance, states that the position has been filled. Sometimes they are identified as Roma because of their names and are rejected immediately. Roma who cannot be discerned as Roma by the majority speak of the shame they feel when members of the majority tell disparaging stories about Roma.
- 16.
It was much easier to conduct research in schools before the EU criticism and enactment of the law on protection of personal data; institutions’ fear of “problems” is much greater now.
- 17.
The situation has changed dramatically from the 1990s. Teachers are now very careful when speaking with strangers, emphasizing anonymity of the school and the teacher.
- 18.
If we disregard the fact that the lawsuit against the government was politically and externally motivated by a human rights advocacy organization.
- 19.
We feel it is more polite to use the word Roma and our informants have never objected to it.
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Doubek, D., Levínská, M. (2015). 3.5 Us and Them: What Categories Reveal About Roma and Non-Roma in the Czech Republic. In: Smeyers, P., Bridges, D., Burbules, N., Griffiths, M. (eds) International Handbook of Interpretation in Educational Research. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9282-0_28
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