Constructing Identities Over Time: Bad Gypsies and Good Roma in Russia and Hungary

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Jekatyerina Dunajeva explores how two dominant stereotypes- bad Gypsies and good Roma -took hold in formal and informal educational institutions in Russia and Hungary. She shows that over centuries Gypsies came to be associated with criminality, lack of education, and backwardness. The second notion, of proud, empowered, and educated Roma, is a more recent development.

By identifying five historical phases-pre-modern, early-modern, early and ripe communism, and neomodern nation-building-the book captures crucial legacies that deepen social divisions and normalize the constructed group images. The analysis of the state-managed Roma identity project in the brief korenizatsija program for the integration of non-Russian nationalities into the Soviet civil service in the 1920s is particularly revealing, while the critique of contemporary endeavors is a valuable resource for policy makers and civic activists alike.

The top-down view is complemented with the bottom-up attention to everyday Roma voices. Personal stories reveal how identities operate in daily life, as Dunajeva brings out hidden narratives and subaltern discourse. Her handling of fieldwork and self-reflexivity is a model of sensitive research with vulnerable groups.