‘Civilising’ the Roma? The depoliticisation of (anti-)racism within the politics of integration

Abstract

This essay questions the enduring difficulties of addressing racism within the current politics of integration in Europe, with a specific focus on the Portuguese context. The analysis centres on integration initiatives to promote employability among the Portuguese Roma and the ways in which they are rationalised by employment gatekeepers and decision-makers. This rationalisation depoliticises racism by constantly shifting the focus to the presumed characteristics of the 'other', re-enacting white-privileged notions of nationhood, Portugueseness and Europeanness. Accordingly, projects based on 'activation of social competences', 'empowerment' and 'interculturality' are implemented as a civilising and disciplinary programme aimed at correcting the presumed deficiencies in ethnically marked populations. The analysis aims to contribute towards a much needed debate on the notion of integration and the re-articulation of the historical legacies of racism in contemporary European democracies.

The Anti-Roma Europe: Modern ways of disciplining the Roma body in urban spaces

“…Structural violence is thus legitimized when it is in the name of "saving the Roma from themselves". I consider all those policies for "Roma Integration" as policies that have reproduced Antigypsyism while aiming to "correct Roma way of being", or as defined by Maeso (2015) "public policies and 'active inclusion' and 'empowerment' initiatives are therefore implemented as a civilising and disciplinary programme" (2015, p. 33).…”

Roma migrant children in Catalonia: between the politics of benevolence and the normalization of violence

“…Vulnerability is associated with migration, and especially with the ethnicized Romani migrants. Roma, in particular, are defined in public policies and debates, both at European and national level, as a "vulnerable group" (Helms 2013;Maeso 2015). The governance of the Roma through programs and politics for inclusion defines them as vulnerable population in contrast with social and cultural norms.…”

Roma, Adequate Housing, and the Home

“…The second section presents an analysis of how the understanding of "adequate housing" and the identified adequacy parameters inform the representation of Roma and housing policy recommendations. This analysis adopts the theoretical lens of post-colonial studies, intending to unveil the hidden patterns through which classification and representation contribute to the persistence of relations of power, in particular in the case of Roma (Gay y Blasco 2003;Richardson 2006;Simhandl 2009;Trehan and Kóczé 2009;Vitale 2009;Boschetti and Vitale 2011;McGarry and Drake 2013;Piasere, Solimano, and Tosi Cambini 2014;Rodríguez Maeso 2014;Kostka 2015;Marushiakova and Popov 2015).…”