Historicizing Roma in Central Europe: Between Critical Whiteness and Epistemic Injustice

This book explores the historical role of ideas in race-making and the transfer of whiteness in Central Europe, particularly regarding the Roma. It argues that scientific arguments in favor of segregation have been used to justify discrimination and exclusion, hindering the development of Roma's identity and knowledge. The authors propose a critical whiteness practice as a way to address epistemic injustice and promote sustainable reflection on the impact of the past on the contemporary situation of Roma.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 14 September 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In Central Europe, the limited success in reexamining the role of science in the segregation of Roma resonates with the ongoing demand to contextualize the impact of ideas on everyday racism. This book endeavors to interpret this gap as a manifestation of epistemic injustice. It highlights the historical significance of ideas in shaping racial identities and offers analytical frameworks for examining cross-border transfers of whiteness in Central Europe. In the case of Roma, the scientific justification for segregation continues to hold significant sway due to a persistent emphasis on the perceived limited educability of Roma. The authors trace the long-standing interconnectedness between the racialization of Roma and the adoption by Central European scholars of theories that legitimize segregation against individuals deemed non-white, often perceived as incapable of achieving education or civilization. Alongside the legitimization of segregation, sterilization, and even extermination, theorizing about ineducability has laid the foundation for undermining the capacity of Roma to be recognized as subjects of knowledge. This systematic epistemic injustice persists in contemporary efforts to historicize Roma in Central Europe. The authors critically examine contemporary approaches to historicize Roma, arguing that they inevitably reproduce whiteness and result in various forms of epistemic injustice. The methodological approach presented herein conceptualizes critical whiteness as a practice of epistemic justice aimed at establishing a sustainable platform for reflecting upon the historical impact on the current situation of Roma.

In Central Europe, the limited success in reexamining the role of science in the segregation of Roma resonates with the ongoing demand to contextualize the impact of ideas on everyday racism. This book endeavors to interpret this gap as a manifestation of epistemic injustice. It highlights the historical significance of ideas in shaping racial identities and offers analytical frameworks for examining cross-border transfers of whiteness in Central Europe. In the case of Roma, the scientific justification for segregation continues to hold significant sway due to a persistent emphasis on the perceived limited educability of Roma. The authors trace the long-standing interconnectedness between the racialization of Roma and the adoption by Central European scholars of theories that legitimize segregation against individuals deemed non-white, often perceived as incapable of achieving education or civilization. Alongside the legitimization of segregation, sterilization, and even extermination, theorizing about ineducability has laid the foundation for undermining the capacity of Roma to be recognized as subjects of knowledge. This systematic epistemic injustice persists in contemporary efforts to historicize Roma in Central Europe. The authors critically examine contemporary approaches to historicize Roma, arguing that they inevitably reproduce whiteness and result in various forms of epistemic injustice. The methodological approach presented herein conceptualizes critical whiteness as a practice of epistemic justice aimed at establishing a sustainable platform for reflecting upon the historical impact on the current situation of Roma.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367471989