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

This book explores the historical role of ideas in race-making and the ongoing epistemic injustice faced by Roma in Central Europe. It highlights the scientific argument in favor of segregation and the adaptation of theories legitimizing it, which has hindered practices of identity and prevented Roma from becoming who they are. The authors propose a critical whiteness practice as a way to address this injustice and provide a sustainable platform for reflecting upon the impact of the past on the contemporary situation of Roma.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 186 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In Central Europe, the limited success in reevaluating the role of science in the segregation of Roma resonates with the ongoing demand to contextualize the influence 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 remains prominent due to a persistent emphasis on the perceived limited educability of this community. The authors trace the enduring connection 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 continues to reverberate 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 framework 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 reevaluating the role of science in the segregation of Roma resonates with the ongoing demand to contextualize the influence 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 remains prominent due to a persistent emphasis on the perceived limited educability of this community. The authors trace the enduring connection 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 continues to reverberate 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 framework 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: 340g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367546168