Racism and Romani Studies: Challenging Academia, Policy, Representation

The volume explores how racism has shaped the lives of Roma across Europe and how scholarship itself has often perpetuated exclusion. The volume is structured into three parts and assembles empirical evidence, critical theoretical insights, and innovative strategies: Part I advances conceptual clarifications on racism and antigypsyism and examines academia's historical role in shaping Roma representations; Part II analyzes manifestations of antigypsyism across diverse contexts—from policing practices and institutional structures to labor market exclusion and media portrayals. Part III proposes innovative strategies and approaches for confronting racism against Roma, emphasizing the importance of Roma participation in knowledge production and policymaking. Contributions from a diverse pool of established and emerging scholars dissect topics such as the legacy of gypsylorism, systemic racism in welfare systems, education, visual misrepresentations in popular culture, and the role of racial capitalism in Roma marginalization. Through empirical studies, critical historiographies, and theoretical reflections, contributors illuminate the persistent entanglement between academic discourse, state practices, and racialized governance. In showing how racism operates at structural and individual levels, the volume stands as an essential resource for scholars of ethnic and racial studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, and policy studies, as well as activists, and policymakers committed to challenging centuries of discrimination.