Roma “activism”, the media and the space between the devil and the deep blue sea

Engebrigtsen, Ada (2014) Roma “activism”, the media and the space between the devil and the deep blue sea. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 59 (1). pp. 223-234. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss 1) the position of “the expert” between a population of Roma, local politicians, volunteer “do-gooders” and the media, and 2) the strategic options for the Roma population in such cases of moral and physical “clashes of interests”. The case at hand is my own participation, as an actor and an observer, in the media debate that has taken place during the last five years concerning migrant Roma beggars and street peddlers in Norway, with last summer’s debate as a preliminary top. The theme of the paper is threefold: (1.) An empirical presentation of the discussions and reactions from different social actors to the appearance of begging, playing and peddling Roma in the streets of Norwegian cities and villages. (2.) An analysis of the positions taken by the different actors in this “play” with special focus on the “expert middleman”. (3.) An analysis of the roles and strategies the Roma may use to defend their interests. The distinction between strategy and tactics will be of interest in the final analysis. The paper uses Norway and Romania only as cases to discuss a more general question.

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