Description

Paperback. Pbo. Small 4to. (28 x 17 cm). In English. 230 p., ills. Gypsies and the problem of identities. Contextual, constructed and contested. Papers at the First International Romani Studies Conference in Istanbul, at the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, April 10-12, 2003. What is the role and responsibility of Romani Studies scholars, and how can those engaged in this field change the situation of Gypsies in the world? In what ways are Gypsy identities contextual, constructed and contested? What are the historical and contemporary challenges that influence the trans-national aspirations of the Gypsy emancipation movement? How do we understand and explain social and cultural boundaries, as they relate to self-consciousness and non-Romani societies? How much do we know about the origins of the Gypsies, and what are the epistemological problems involved in the writing, and re-writing of Romani history? In Gypsies and the Problem of Identities ¿ Contextual, Constructed and Contested, these and many other topics and themes are discussed by scholars from all over the world. Amongst the contributors are both well-known names such as Acton, Hancock and Marushiakova & Popov as well as researchers and activists from a newer generation in the field of Romani Studies. The publication that is dedicated to the memory of two important Romani Studies scholars, Nabil Sobhi Hanna and Angus Fraser, is the outcome of the first international Romani Studies conference in Istanbul, that took place at the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul in April 2003. This publication is the first English reader highlighting the situation of the Gypsies in Turkey and the Middle East.