Full Description
This book deals with the social exclusion of Romanies ('Gypsies') in Italy. Based on interviews with Romani individuals, institutional and Civil Society Organisations' (CSOs) representatives, participant observation and a broad range of secondary sources, the volume focuses on the conditions of those living in Rome's urban slums and on the recent implementation of the so-called 'Emergenza Nomadi' (Nomad Emergency). The enactment of this extraordinary measure concealed the existence of a long-established institutional tradition of racism and control directed at Romanies. It was not the result of a sudden, unexpected situation which required an immediate action, as the declaration of an 'emergency' might imply, but rather of a precise government strategy. By providing an investigation into the interactions between Romanies, local institutions and CSOs, this book will deliver a new perspective on the Romani issue by arguing that the 'camp' is not only a tool for institutional control and segregation, but also for 'resistance', as well as a huge business in which everyone plays their part.
Contents
1. Inside 'campi nomadi': The Italian Approach to the Global Shanty Town Development. - 2. The Institutional and Spatial Segregation of Romanies in Italy.- 3. The Paradoxes of the Italian Approach Towards the Romani People.- 4. The Business of the Camps During the 'Nomad Emergency'.- 5. Between Self-Determination and 'Collective-Identity Closure'.- 6. Conclusions.
