Mundane Populism: Politics, Practices and Discourses of Roma Oppression in Rural Slovakia

Abstract

In this article, we explore populist politics, discourses and social practices regarding the ethnic Roma in the rural regions of eastern Slovakia. Our approach was guided by a theoretical discussion of right-wing populism and social inequalities. Methodologically, we relied on Bourdieu's conceptual apparatus as a useful scholastic device to translate very practical data from interviews and observations into structured analytical information. The article is based on field research, in which we explored waste management practices in the municipality of Laborov. We came to the conclusion that essential components of right-wing populism in Laborov rest on what we characterised as ongoing racialised stigmatisation, reconfiguring previously racially uncategorised issues into ethnic problems and thus, reinforcing the stigmatisation and oppression of the disempowered Roma minority groups.

Envy, Corruption and ‘Hard Racism’: Studying Antigypsyism as an Ideological Fantasy

“…This assumption is typical of the general public's opinion, where the category of experience often involves victim blaming, rendering Roma responsible for racism as a consequence of their allegedly anti-social behaviour and preferential treatment from the state (cf. Kóczé, Rövid 2019;Powell, van Baar 2019;Škobla, Filčák, 2020). This refusal is based on the premise that antigypsyism is the majority society's construction projected onto a variety of social groups, including Roma.…”

Sanitation Infrastructure at the Systemic Edge: Segregated Roma Settlements and Multiple Health Risks in Slovakia

“…There are an estimated 250,000 marginalised Roma (approximately 5% of the total population of the country) who suffer from profound institutional discrimination and face widespread unemployment and poverty [ 4 ]. They are often scapegoated and blamed by right-wing populists for general social problems and economic misery [ 5 ]. Most of these households that can be characterised as low-income face rampant unemployment are trapped in debt and are dependent on social assistance [ 6 ].…”

“…Furthermore, it was proven that Roma, especially those living segregated on the outskirts of municipalities, are often treated discriminatively by local authorities with regard to the provision of public utilities [ 22 ]. Institutional discrimination and the lack of compliance with technical and health norms and standards pertain also to waste collection carried out by municipal authorities in Roma settlements [ 4 , 5 , 24 ].…”

“…The lack of access to physical sanitation infrastructure in settlements in which Roma live as the phenomenon cannot be understood outside of a deeper understanding of social exclusion processes and the exclusion dynamic of the Systemic Edge. This dynamic is propelled and reinforced by racial prejudices and widespread anti-Gypsyism present in society, which, in turn, are reproducing inequalities along ethnic lines manifested in miserable living conditions of the Roma [ 5 , 6 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…Roma in the settlements are often “pushed out” and getting off the standard governance practices resting on the law and norms, and are gravitating towards zones in which the “normal” or “standard” rules do not apply and extreme poverty of inhabitants is complemented by intense policing and repression [ 21 , 22 , 25 ]. At the same time, the absence of physical infrastructure in settlements and the non-observance of norms and standards in the sphere of public health on the part of municipal authorities are largely overlooked [ 4 , 5 ].…”