Emancipation Life Paths of Portuguese Cigano/Roma Women
Cassandra Chaney
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
MDPI
Social Sciences
Review Letter to Authors
Manuscript Title: Emancipation life paths of Portuguese Cigano/Roma women
Date: Thursday, April 21, 2022
_________________________________________________________
This manuscript qualitatively examined the ways that Portuguese Cigano/Roma women forge their own paths as they try to balance their attachment to traditionalism (specifically pressure to marry and participate in traditional gender roles) and create their own identities by distancing themselves from cultural tradition in terms of marriage, schooling, employment and social life. Ultimately, these women expressed a desire to empowerment, autonomy and emancipation.
I found this topic interesting and it is in the spirit of improving the manuscript that I pose the following comments and/or questions:
ABSTRACT
You wrote:
Abstract: In Portuguese society some Cigano/Roma women on their life paths distancing themselves from the Cigano cultural tradition, in terms of marriage, schooling, employment and social life.
Change to:
Abstract: In Portuguese society some Cigano/Roma women, during their life paths, distance themselves from the Cigano cultural tradition, particularly in regards to marriage, schooling, employment and social life.
Provide the number of participants that you interviewed in your abstract [also include the number of men, and the number of women]
INTRODUCTION
From the onset, you must make it clear to the reader WHY this topic is important. Although I find the topic interesting, currently, the significance of this topic is not clear to me.
On Page 1 you wrote:
As in other geographical contexts, Portuguese Cigano/Roma women are often victims of various inequalities, in disregard of the legal assumptions of equity and equality.
* This sentence is not clear.
* Define what you mean by “equity” and “equality” and provide examples of each in the context of Cigano/Roma women.
In this section, you must provide some background information regarding the Cigano/Roma culture.
What is the highest level of education in the Cigano/Roma culture?
How many (and percent) Cigano/Roma people are educated?
How many (and percent) Cigano/Roma women are educated?
How many (and percent) of Cigano/Roma women are promised in marriage before birth?
How many (and percent) of Cigano/Roma women are promised in marriage as children?
What causes Cigano/Roma women to want to assert their own identity? [Is this due to the media’s influence?]
On Page 3 you wrote:
Recent data from the Ministry of Education (DGEEC, 2020) show that the number of Cigano students enrolled in public schools decreases as the level of education advances and this is more pronounced for girls. Among the data from a national study carried out in 2014, it can be observed that males stay longer in school than females (although in either case, very few continue beyond the 6th grade).
* Why does the level of education decrease for Cigano students?
* Why is this trend more pronounced for Cigano girls instead of boys?
* Who are generally the teachers of Cigano students, males or females?
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Provide percentages for the number of men, the number of women, Cigano spouse, non-Cigano spouse, the percent of participants that comprised each city, etc. [Put these percentages behind the actual number of men, women, cigano spouse, non-cigano spouse, residents in each city, etc.]
For example, you wrote:
In terms of marital status, 19 of the 21 are married.
Change to:
In terms of marital status, 19 of the 21 (90%) are married.
Provide the age range and the mean age (or average age) of your participants.
On Page 5 you wrote:
All of the interviewees stated that they worked for an employer, which, as previously mentioned, was one of the selection criteria for the study. The women had the following professions: agricultural worker, caretaker of the elderly and children, cooks, waitresses, cleaners, a kindergarten teacher, a gardener, a sociocultural mediator and attendee on a professional development course. The men, on the other hand, all worked in the service industry as teachers and trainers, in sociocultural mediation, a service assistant, a night watchman, a technician, a police officer, and in sales and services. Nearly all of the men were previously involved in street trading (often referred to as a way of Cigano life in Portugal), either as a way of supporting their parents or autonomously, in order to guarantee a level of income.
* Provide numbers and percentages for these professions. Do the same for the women and the men.
* Also do not say “nearly all of the men were previously involved in street trading.” Provide a specific number and percent.
DISCUSSION
What policies exist regarding the education of Cigano/Roma females? [Add an “Implications for Policy” Header]
What are some implications for practitioners [Add an “Implications for Clinicians or Practitioners” Header”] to help Cigano/Roma females balance tradition and their desire for autonomy
What were some limitations of your study? [Add a “Limitations of the Current Study” Header]
What are some ways that future studies on build on the current work [Add a “Directions for Future Research” Header]
FORMATTING ERRORS
On Page 1 you wrote this:
(Román, 1994; Coelho, 1995 [1892]; Nunes, 1996; Garrido, 1999; Mendes, 2007).
Change to:
(Coelho, 1995 [1892]; Garrido, 1999; Mendes, 2007; Nunes, 1996; Román, 1994).
* All in-text citations should be in alphabetical order.
* All in-text citations should use “&,” not “and”
On Page 2 you wrote:
Questioning or not accepting the traditional role reserved for women may lead to family conflicts, often to the point of cutting family relations (Magano and Mendes, 2014; Magano, 2010; Missaoui, 2004).
Change to:
Questioning or not accepting the traditional role reserved for women may lead to family conflicts, often to the point of cutting family relations (Magano, 2010; Magano & Mendes, 2014; Missaoui, 2004).
On Page 3 you wrote:
(Nunes, 1996, Magano, 2010).
Change to:
(Magano, 2010; Nunes, 1996).
On Page 4 you wrote:
Data from national study on Ciganos (Mendes et al., 2014) reveals that the average age of marriage for this population is much lower than in the national average.
Change to:
Data from a national study on Ciganos (Mendes et al., 2014) reveals that the average age of marriage for this population is much lower than in the national average.
On Page 4 you wrote:
(Silva 2014, Magano 2010, Lopes 2008, Mendes 2007)
Change to:
(Lopes, 2008; Magano, 2020; Mendes, 2007; Silva 2014)
On Page 4 you wrote:
(Nunes, 1996; Lopes, 2008; Casa-Nova, 2009, Magano, 2010).
Change to:
(Casa-Nova, 2009; Lopes, 2008; Magano, 2010; Nunes, 1996).
On Page 4 you wrote:
The study was carried out between 2008 and 2010 and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 women and 11 men, residents of the cities of Bragança, Braga, Coimbra, Porto and Lisbon.
* This is now 2022. How has education and marriage rates changed for Cigano females since this study was initially conducted 14-16 years ago?
* What questions did you ask your participants?
* Give more specific information regarding how you determined your three major themes? How many themes did you initially start off with? What was your unit of analysis? Did you establish inter-rater reliability? If so, what was that percent? If not, why was inter-rater reliability established?
On Page 8 you wrote:
3.3. Cigano women as victims of violence
Family violence (upon girls and women) and marital violence (husbands is n women)
What does (husbands is n women) mean?
* Are there laws to protect girls and women from being abused by men (fathers, husbands, brothers, etc.)?
* Could it be possible that some women reject marriage because they see marriage as an oppressive institution that does not provide much legal protection for women?
On Page 8 you wrote:
Among our interviewees, for example, two are separated: in one case due to domestic violence and the other due to her partner being a drug addict and also violence.
Change to:
Among our interviewees, for example, two are separated: in one case due to domestic violence and the other due to her partner being a drug addict and violent.
On Page 9 you wrote:
Despite the cultural and social pressures that come from the family and within group, it is common for Cigano women make important decisions concerning their own lives and their own bodies, as is the case with the use of contraception (Silva, 2005; Casa-Nova, 2009), to return to school, to do vocational training or to get a job outside the group (Magano, 2014).
Change to:
Despite the cultural and social pressures that come from the family and within group, it is common for Cigano women make important decisions concerning their own lives and their own bodies. For example, these women have made decisions to use contraception (Silva, 2005; Casa-Nova, 2009), return to school, to engage in vocational training or get a job outside the group (Magano, 2014).
On Page 11 you wrote:
(Schnapper, 2007; Bourdieu, 1979).
Change to:
(Bourdieu, 1979; Schnapper, 2007).
On Page 12 you wrote:
It’s an issue that concerns social differentiation which, according to the social
normality established in the dominant surrounding society, is stigmatising and hierarchical.
Change to:
It is an issue that concerns social differentiation, which, according to the social normality established in the dominant surrounding society, is stigmatising and hierarchical.
On Page 12 you wrote:
(Lopes, 2008; Casa-Nova, 2009).
Change to:
(Casa-Nova, 2009; Lopes, 2008).
On Page 12 you wrote:
Funding: The translation of this text was funded by the
* This is an incomplete sentence. Provide the name of the funding source.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 1,
Thank you very much for reviewing the article and for the careful analysis and contributions so relevant to the enrichment and accuracy of the text.
Following the observations made, with a view to permit one more easy reading of the changes made, I numbered the topics presented by the reviewer and for my answers I used A - Answer.
Best regards
1- ABSTRACT
You wrote:
Abstract: In Portuguese society some Cigano/Roma women on their life paths distancing themselves from the Cigano cultural tradition, in terms of marriage, schooling, employment and social life.
Change to:
Abstract: In Portuguese society some Cigano/Roma women, during their life paths, distance themselves from the Cigano cultural tradition, particularly in regards to marriage, schooling, employment and social life.
A - Done
2 - Provide the number of participants that you interviewed in your abstract [also include the number of men, and the number of women]
A - Done
3 - INTRODUCTION
From the onset, you must make it clear to the reader WHY this topic is important. Although I find the topic interesting, currently, the significance of this topic is not clear to me.
A - This sentence has been inserted in the introduction
“Cigano/Roma culture is essentially based on blood relations and customs (Gamella, 2013) and characterized by a strong division of age and gender (Arias, 2002). The gender issue is particularly relevant to the differentiation of roles between men and women and is an important topic to understand the way of life and the constraints experienced by Cigano women.”
4 - On Page 1 you wrote:
As in other geographical contexts, Portuguese Cigano/Roma women are often victims of various inequalities, in disregard of the legal assumptions of equity and equality.
* This sentence is not clear.
* Define what you mean by “equity” and “equality” and provide examples of each in the context of Cigano/Roma women.
A - To respond to these remarks, insert the following sentences in the text, between page 1 and two.
“As in other geographical contexts, Portuguese Cigano/Roma women are often victims of various inequalities, in disregard of the legal assumptions of equity (need to promote balanced representation in society) and equality (access to equal opportunities in the various areas of education and access to training and employment).”
“equity (need to promote balanced representation in society) and equality (access to equal opportunities in the various areas of education and access to training and employment). Often some women are not treated equally within the family (without equity) and prevented from accessing certain basic rights such as compulsory schooling and access to vocational training and employment (without equality).”
5 - In this section, you must provide some background information regarding the Cigano/Roma culture.
What is the highest level of education in the Cigano/Roma culture?
How many (and percent) Cigano/Roma people are educated?
- In Portugal we have not a official data about Ciganos/ Roma
How many (and percent) Cigano/Roma women are educated?
- In Portugal we have not a official data about Ciganos/ Roma
How many (and percent) of Cigano/Roma women are promised in marriage before birth?
- In Portugal we have not a official data about Ciganos/ Roma
How many (and percent) of Cigano/Roma women are promised in marriage as children?
- In Portugal we have not a official data about Ciganos/ Roma
What causes Cigano/Roma women to want to assert their own identity? [Is this due to the media’s influence?]
A - The (re)affirmation of identity results from the confluence of a ensemble of factors arising from the process of socialization and of social relationships with Roma and non-Roma, but also due to the impact of the media on the transformation of ways of life and the (re)conception of gender roles and too of the family members (Arias, 2002).
6 - On Page 3 you wrote:
Recent data from the Ministry of Education (DGEEC, 2020) show that the number of Cigano students enrolled in public schools decreases as the level of education advances and this is more pronounced for girls. Among the data from a national study carried out in 2014, it can be observed that males stay longer in school than females (although in either case, very few continue beyond the 6th grade).
* Why does the level of education decrease for Cigano students?
* Why is this trend more pronounced for Cigano girls instead of boys?
* Who are generally the teachers of Cigano students, males or females?
A - This information is not collected by the Ministry of Education survey. In the survey, the principals record the number of Gypsy children and young people enrolled and the years of schooling attended.
I put the following explanation.
“This survey was applied to directors of public elementary and secondary schools, within the scope of the National Strategy for the Integration of Roma Communities (2013-2020) and reinforced in 2018, by Council of Minister with the Resolution 154/2018, in relation to need to complement the design and the implementation of strategic measures in the field of schooling, among others.” – p.3
7 - MATERIALS AND METHODS
Provide percentages for the number of men, the number of women, Cigano spouse, non-Cigano spouse, the percent of participants that comprised each city, etc. [Put these percentages behind the actual number of men, women, cigano spouse, non-cigano spouse, residents in each city, etc.]
7.1 For example, you wrote:
In terms of marital status, 19 of the 21 are married.
Change to:
In terms of marital status, 19 of the 21 (90%) are married.
A – Done
7.2 Provide the age range and the mean age (or average age) of your participants.
A - The % were placed in the 1st paragraph of methodology.
This is a qualitative study that did not aim to constitute a representative sample from a statistical point of view, but rather a convenience sample, taking into account the defined criteria for participation.
I put this sentence on p. 3
“The sample is not representative from a statistical point of view due to the lack of official data on Cigano people in Portugal. A convenience sample was constructed according to the criteria defined for the study (Creswell, 2014)”. P. 3
7.2 On Page 5 you wrote:
All of the interviewees stated that they worked for an employer, which, as previously mentioned, was one of the selection criteria for the study. The women had the following professions: agricultural worker, caretaker of the elderly and children, cooks, waitresses, cleaners, a kindergarten teacher, a gardener, a sociocultural mediator and attendee on a professional development course. The men, on the other hand, all worked in the service industry as teachers and trainers, in sociocultural mediation, a service assistant, a night watchman, a technician, a police officer, and in sales and services. Nearly all of the men were previously involved in street trading (often referred to as a way of Cigano life in Portugal), either as a way of supporting their parents or autonomously, in order to guarantee a level of income.
* Provide numbers and percentages for these professions. Do the same for the women and the men.
A - The % of professions were inserted.
* Also do not say “nearly all of the men were previously involved in street trading.” Provide a specific number and percent.
A - The number and the % of professions were inserted.
- DISCUSSION
What policies exist regarding the education of Cigano/Roma females? [Add an “Implications for Policy” Header]
A – Regarding this topic I inserted
“In Portugal there are no educational policies aimed exclusively at Roma people, but since the 2016/2017 school year there is a program that awards scholarships to Roma students in higher education, this is the OPRE Chevale program - Operational Program for the Promotion of Education[1]. This program has continued since that date, and there are already licensees under this program. More recently, a support program for Roma students in basic and secondary education was launched - Roma Educa[2]”.
What are some implications for practitioners [Add an “Implications for Clinicians or Practitioners” Header”] to help Cigano/Roma females balance tradition and their desire for autonomy
What were some limitations of your study? [Add a “Limitations of the Current Study” Header]
What are some ways that future studies on build on the current work [Add a “Directions for Future Research” Header]
A – I have merged these topics under the subheading “Limitations of the Current Study and Directions for Future Research” p. 14 and where inserted this paragraph:
“This study took place in a period prior to the existence of a European and national strategy for the integration of Roma, and at the time it was difficult to find Roma women and men who were educated and work for employers who agreed to participate in the research. After this time, by virtue of some public policies of social protection, such as the social impact of insertion and educational policies in the families life’s, the proposal of alternative school paths and some grants for Roma students in basic, secondary and higher education, that made the number of Roma people grew significantly with higher education and the number of activists for the Roma cause.
It would be important to continue this investigation in a broader way, in terms of sample size and diversification of places of residence of Roma people, in order to account for the regional asymmetries that are felt in terms of schooling and entry into the labor market, especially by Cigano/Roma women, and to understand how they reconcile their paths of emancipation in relation to family and traditions.”
9 - FORMATTING ERRORS
9.1 On Page 1 you wrote this:
(Román, 1994; Coelho, 1995 [1892]; Nunes, 1996; Garrido, 1999; Mendes, 2007).
Change to:
(Coelho, 1995 [1892]; Garrido, 1999; Mendes, 2007; Nunes, 1996; Román, 1994).
* All in-text citations should be in alphabetical order.
A - Done
* All in-text citations should use “&,” not “and”
A - Done
9.2 On Page 2 you wrote:
Questioning or not accepting the traditional role reserved for women may lead to family conflicts, often to the point of cutting family relations (Magano and Mendes, 2014; Magano, 2010; Missaoui, 2004).
Change to:
Questioning or not accepting the traditional role reserved for women may lead to family conflicts, often to the point of cutting family relations (Magano, 2010; Magano & Mendes, 2014; Missaoui, 2004).
A - Done
9.3 On Page 3 you wrote:
(Nunes, 1996, Magano, 2010).
Change to:
(Magano, 2010; Nunes, 1996).
A - Done
9.4 On Page 4 you wrote:
Data from national study on Ciganos (Mendes et al., 2014) reveals that the average age of marriage for this population is much lower than in the national average.
Change to:
Data from a national study on Ciganos (Mendes et al., 2014) reveals that the average age of marriage for this population is much lower than in the national average.
A - Done
9.5
On Page 4 you wrote:
(Silva 2014, Magano 2010, Lopes 2008, Mendes 2007)
Change to:
(Lopes, 2008; Magano, 2020; Mendes, 2007; Silva 2014)
A - Done
On Page 4 you wrote:
(Nunes, 1996; Lopes, 2008; Casa-Nova, 2009, Magano, 2010).
Change to:
(Casa-Nova, 2009; Lopes, 2008; Magano, 2010; Nunes, 1996).
A - Done
9.5 On Page 4 you wrote:
The study was carried out between 2008 and 2010 and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 women and 11 men, residents of the cities of Bragança, Braga, Coimbra, Porto and Lisbon.
* This is now 2022. How has education and marriage rates changed for Cigano females since this study was initially conducted 14-16 years ago?
A - Since the study was carried out, there has been a significant increase in the education level of Roma people, but they still remain at levels much lower than the national rates, with few cases of secondary education completion (12 years of compulsory education) and pre-eminence for higher education. (Mendes et al. 2014; DGEEC, 2020)
* What questions did you ask your participants?
A - It is indicated here in material and data in the topics considered for the interview and this sentence was inserted
“This is understood as being relevant to the social and symbolic spaces in which individuals move and interact (for example, issues related to life trajectories around schooling, work, social relations, etc. were inserted on the interview guide), but also aspects related to cultural or identity traits that potentially inhibit or facilitate social integration processes (for example, a set of items related to the feelings of identification with the Cigano culture). For the socio-biographical record, variables such as age, profession or professional occupation, education and marital status were considered (in the cases where respondents were married or living in a de facto union, it was of interest to know if it was a union with a Cigano or non-Cigano) and the place of residence.
* Give more specific information regarding how you determined your three major themes? How many themes did you initially start off with? What was your unit of analysis? Did you establish inter-rater reliability? If so, what was that percent? If not, why was inter-rater reliability established?
A - To answer these questions this sentences was inserted in the text:
“How to make sense of the set of information without losing the richness of meaning? This was followed by an open-ended analysis in which the analysis framework is not previously fixed in which the biographical profiles were elaborated, discovering the “thesaurus” of the interviewees, the organization of the corpus through an analytical analysis grid and the choice of categories. refer to text variables that cut and organize the discourse (Poirier, 1995, p. 101)”.
It was considered as unit of analysis the text segments for delimiting categories
“For the validation of the data obtained, we resorted to triangulation, comparing and discussing the results with those obtained through other investigations and with national and foreign bibliography, as well as supporting sociological theories”.
“The first axis is concerning life paths, aggregate the categories related of places of the path of each one in relation to social and physical contexts, social ancestry (being or not descending from mixed families), the socioeconomic conditions of origin, the social status of families, the paths school and work, social relationships and distance from other individuals of Cigano origin. In the second axis, of integration, was analyzed the discourses following the main dimensions of integration referenced by the bibliography (economic, social and symbolic) considering school, habitation, health, work and participative citizenship. In the third axis, of anchoring axis of to being a Cigano, we present results related to the feeling of identification with being a Cigano, which is subdivided into two parts: the perspective of the claim of being a Cigano and, also, the perspective of the “destiny” or the fatality of having a Cigano origin – a mark that imposes itself on their life experiences and that are referenced by the feelings of discrimination and racist attitudes of which they feel victims”.
10 - On Page 8 you wrote:
3.3. Cigano women as victims of violence
Family violence (upon girls and women) and marital violence (husbands is n women)
What does (husbands is n women) mean?
A - this sentence has been corrected
“Family violence (upon girls and women) and marital violence (husbands over women)”
* Are there laws to protect girls and women from being abused by men (fathers, husbands, brothers, etc.)?
A – To answer these questions this sentence was inserted in the text
“but complaints of violence to the police or to the Commission for the Protection of Minors are not common despite the legal framework for the protection of victims of domestic violence.”
* Could it be possible that some women reject marriage because they see marriage as an oppressive institution that does not provide much legal protection for women?
A – Was inserted
“Perhaps Cigano women can only have this perception normally after negative marital ex-periences and somehow manage to free themselves when they meet other marital and family "models".
11 - On Page 8 you wrote:
Among our interviewees, for example, two are separated: in one case due to domestic violence and the other due to her partner being a drug addict and also violence.
Change to:
Among our interviewees, for example, two are separated: in one case due to domestic violence and the other due to her partner being a drug addict and violent.
A - Done
12 - On Page 9 you wrote:
Despite the cultural and social pressures that come from the family and within group, it is common for Cigano women make important decisions concerning their own lives and their own bodies, as is the case with the use of contraception (Silva, 2005; Casa-Nova, 2009), to return to school, to do vocational training or to get a job outside the group (Magano, 2014).
Change to:
Despite the cultural and social pressures that come from the family and within group, it is common for Cigano women make important decisions concerning their own lives and their own bodies. For example, these women have made decisions to use contraception (Silva, 2005; Casa-Nova, 2009), return to school, to engage in vocational training or get a job outside the group (Magano, 2014).
A - Done
13 - On Page 11 you wrote:
(Schnapper, 2007; Bourdieu, 1979).
Change to:
(Bourdieu, 1979; Schnapper, 2007).
A - Done
14 - On Page 12 you wrote:
It’s an issue that concerns social differentiation which, according to the social
normality established in the dominant surrounding society, is stigmatising and hierarchical.
Change to:
It is an issue that concerns social differentiation, which, according to the social normality established in the dominant surrounding society, is stigmatising and hierarchical.
A - Done
On Page 12 you wrote:
(Lopes, 2008; Casa-Nova, 2009).
Change to:
(Casa-Nova, 2009; Lopes, 2008).
A - Done
15 - On Page 12 you wrote:
Funding: The translation of this text was funded by the
* This is an incomplete sentence. Provide the name of the funding source.
A - I think it was the editors who withheld the information but I'll post the full sentence here.
“The translation of this text was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the funding of the R&D Unit UIDB/03126/2020”.
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper aims to explore the emancipation life paths of the Portuguese Cigano women which are explored by the means of a qualitative study. The author/s clearly presents the design of the study, the sample characteristics, the coding procedure and the analysis of the empirical material. The analysis of the main themes, emerging from the in-depth unreviews with the Portuguese Cigano women, contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of gender, ethnicity and social integration. Overall, it is very well written paper and I have a few suggestions. You may include also some reflections on the influence of the structural conditions within the society, linked to the practices of ethnic and gender-based discrimination and social exclusion, poverty, social closure and absence of opportunities for social mobility and integration through education and proper jobs. These conditions also reinforce the patriarchal traditions and customs in the Roma community that put women in an extremely vulnerable position. It would be also interesting to have more quotations that express the authentic voices of Cigano women on issues describing their position, discriminatory practices and emancipatory strategies in family and community. In this way, the findings from the study and the emerging themes will be backed up with more excerpts from the empirical material and the analytical process applied on the empirical material will be more thoroughly illustrated.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 2
Thank you very much for the careful review and enrichment suggestions presented.
Following your suggestions for enrichment with the purpose of including some reflections on the influence of structural conditions in society, linked to the practices of ethnic and gender discrimination and social exclusion, poverty, social closure and lack of opportunities for mobility and social integration through of education and suitable jobs the following sentence was inserted.
“The structural conditions of society have different impacts on individuals and families according to their social status based on the level of education and professions developed and, consequently, on the production and reproduction of situations of social inequality, discrimination and racism but also of situations of poverty and of spatial and social segregation (Magano & Mendes, 2021; Wacquant, 2014).” P. 11-12
And to complete the sentence “ but also because they do not have the necessary skills to compete in the job market due to low levels of education (the case of Cigano women with 12 years of schooling) and professional training (Magano & Mendes, 2021) is still residual”. P. 12
Regarding the suggestion of inserting the voices of the interviewees, some were included to illustrate what is described in terms of life paths and feelings:
- 9
“I did not spend much time with the Ciganos. I did when I was a little child, when I was obliged to go with my parents, and I had to. But from the moment when I considered myself my own boss, I left that behind. I always spent more time with the aldeanos, because for me there are people who don’t, don’t get there, they don’t have the mentality, they seem to be backward and they haven’t evolved, it seems like they are fixed and those ideas carry on, right? And then, it is like this, if a person wants to have another kind of life, society says he cannot join in, he has to try to choose other paths, and in a way I also criticize many things in relation to Ciganos” (woman, 25 years old, Cigano mother and non-Cigano father, urban area).p. 9
“I'm very happy with who I am, I'm happy with my life. I like my life! I like this freedom ... if I had been born a man, I do not know. Men have more perks!” (Woman, 26 years old). p. 9 (...) some of them don’t even let women take the [contraceptive] pill, they want four or five children. The men go out and about and the women stay at home. When the girl says: "where have you been?", she is beaten. They take offence, and she gets beaten. You curl your hair, you go out selling, you come back, you put on your slippers and do your things at home. And they go out and about, drinking and hanging out with friends. They do what they want to do until 10 at night. And the girl, the woman, is always mistreated, always a slave. Cigano women are always slaves unless one day they try to get away and make a little life for themselves, then they may be able to (woman, 45 years old, Cigano parents, urban area). p. 10
“I knew where I stood, I always did what they bade me, I knew where I stood, I was sad because they called me ridiculous names: b... and gross. … I couldn't go to the cafe…. I had a friend, also of “our race” (she said) “Maria”, come and have a coffee with me, it’s okay”, but no, I couldn’t even get myself ready to go out. If they saw me putting clothes on, well, that would be it! It was all ugly names that they called people and I didn't want to be like that, so when I was 18, I met the father of my children and did a very smart thing - I ran away (…) I tried to get away to have a quieter life. To be able to work, make my life. Because they just want to sell stuff. For them, the best thing is selling, never leaving that, always selling. It's bad at the sales, but school doesn't want us, kids can go to school until fourth grade but then they leave, they make no effort to explain that from now on, you’ll feel the lack of school, you need it to get a job anywhere. (…) The poor woman is going to be a wretch her whole life unless they run away like I did. Venturing out because her par-ents beat her, come looking for her and so she runs away from home ... That's the only way!” (woman, 45 years old, Cigano parents, urban area).
I think the text is much more enriched in this way, although much larger in terms of words.
Best Regards
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Upon reviewing the manuscript, I am very pleased with the revisions made by the author. This work will make a valuable contribution to the scholarly literature.
