Keywords:
Scotland,
Europe,
Inclusion,
Census,
Identity,
Roma,
Gypsy,
Traveller
Abstract
This article investigates the invisibility of Roma communities within Scottish census ethnic monitoring categories and broader empirical data. Consistent negative stereotyping as well as systematic oppression within social policy, dominant discourses, and data collection processes excludes Roma from participatory
citizenship. This article identifies precise forms of marginality and invisibility within official government data – permeated through social and education policy – that thereby limit the effective targeting of resources to marginalized communities. Specifically, the article argues that omitting Roma as an ethnic category from past data gathering processes limits understanding of the commonalities and differences within and among
Scottish communities, rendering entire populations invisible within broader empirical data and therefore restricting both identification of needs and effective resource allocation. Thus, the article presents a timely argument for the inclusion of Roma as an ethnic category in the 2021 Scottish census, while addressing
issues within the census approach to data collection – including the impending digitization of the process. Through discussing and advancing the case for the inclusion of Romani communities in the 2021 Scottish Census, the paper also seeks to establish the current social context by chronicling the history of Romani
migration and marginalization within Europe.
Author Biographies
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Nicola Hay, PhD candidate and Associate Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland
Nicola Hay is a PhD candidate exploring Roma, Gypsy, and Traveller students’ agency, educational progression, and career decision-making in the United Kingdom. She is also an Associate Lecturer across a range of modules including Sociology, Gender Studies, Social Policy, and Global Society at the University of the West of Scotland. Nicola also sits on the Committee of Show Racism the Red Card Scotland and serves as an education adviser
for the Gypsy Roma Traveller Police Association.
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Luke Campbell, Associate Tutor of Community Development, University of Glasgow
Luke Campbell is a queer working-class community worker based in West Pilton. Born in Paisley and having grown up in Dundee, he has spent the last seven years working across the Scottish central belt addressing social inclusion, supporting anti-hate crime initiatives, and promoting adult education. He currently teaches community development on a part-time basis at the University of Glasgow; runs a community hub in Edinburgh; and is undertaking a PhD on how lone parents have sought to navigate and survive austerity. Twitter: @chainuptheswing
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Marta Kowalewska, PhD candidate, University of Edinburgh
Marta Kowalewska is a PhD candidate and graduate teaching assistant in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. Her work uses intersectional feminist methodologies to explore the politics of knowledge production, epistemic injustice, and epistemic resistance in relation to Roma communities in East Central Europe, focusing on Poland in particular.
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Colin Clark, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of the West of Scotland
Professor Colin Clark teaches Sociology and Social Policy at the University of the West of Scotland. He lives in Glasgow and is a Board Director for the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights and a Trustee of Romano Lav (Roma Voice). Colin also acts as a research adviser for the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Traveller Movement, and the Advisory Council for the Education of Romanies and other Travellers. Twitter: @profcolinclark
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Lynne Tammi
Dr Lynne Tammi is a freelance consultant on Human Rights and Equalities. She also currently holds the position of Interim National Co-ordinator with Article 12 in Scotland, a young-person-focused human rights NGO. Her academic interests and work focus on the social representations of groups and communities living on the peripheries.
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Brigitta Balogh, Bar Professional Training Course student, City, University of London
Brigitta Balogh is a Bar Professional Training Course student at City, University of London. She is a Romani rights advocate who organized a parliamentary event to commemorate Romani Resistance Day in Westminster while also launching a 10-point action plan to achieve better outcomes for Roma in the United Kingdom. She also has also called for law reform, endorsed by academics, legal professionals, and organizations, before being submitted to Lord Bourne. Brigitta was also named as one of the women of the future by Hungarian National Geographic in 2019.
License
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How to Cite
A Hidden Community: Justifying the Inclusion of Roma As an Ethnic Identity in the 2021 Scottish Census. (2020).
Critical Romani Studies,
3(1), 46-71.
https://doi.org/10.29098/crs.v3i1.62
