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Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma

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A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 18519

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manuela Mendes

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Guest Editor

Research Center of Sociology Studies, ISTE-IUL CIES, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: Ciganos/Roma; immigration, diversity and urban space, poverty and social exclusion; local development and social housing policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Stefánia Toma

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Co-Guest Editor

Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities (RIRNM), 400697 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: Roma/Gypsy; poverty: education; interethnic relations; international migration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During 2020, the world was confronted with a global pandemic which had and continues to have an impact on all countries, not only in terms of people infected, the actual death toll, but also due to its repercussions in diverse areas of daily life, such as employment, access to foodstuffs, and basic social services) (Nicola et al. 2020). While we are still experiencing a situation that embodies a threat to each and every one of us, worldwide, there are strong asymmetries in the way that Covid-19 pandemic has affected different social groups and the way how people deal with and manage these impacts.

In the case of the Roma minority the scenario of social asymmetries was even more serious because racialization and ethnicization of them exacerbated and anti-Roma prejudices and attitudes were banalized (Matache and Bhabha 2020). Those Romani families, which already lived under precarious conditions before the pandemic, have experienced a further worsening of their disadvantaged position (Berta 2020; Korunovska and Jovanovic 2020; Mendes 2020).

In fact, for many Roma whose priority has been to secure the basic needs of their households, the historical and structural inequalities have been aggravated and the impacts of the pandemic have been multifaceted (FRA 2020).

This Special Issue presents a critical reflection and expands our knowledge of the main impacts of (post) Covid-19 pandemic on Roma, which are still relatively unknown, focusing especially on those Romani communities that live in difficult socio-economic situations. Indeed, we want to bring together studies with different perspectives to look at the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on various dimensions (access to basic services and human rights, especially medical care; access to digital tools and education; decent housing; economic activity; reduced income levels; the rise of racism and inequality etc. among Romani people in different countries). Already, we know that the pandemic has contributed to a greater gap in education, considering the fact that Romani children and young people were “disproportionately affected by substandard housing without access to the Internet or even electricity and lacking the necessary IT equipment” (FRA 2020, p.13).

This Special Issue seeks to understand the impacts of the (post) Covid-19 pandemic as experienced by the Roma in different European countries, both in terms of difficulties and also opportunities that opened up with the pandemic and what strategies have Romani people and their families activated to deal with the constraints to which they have been subjected.

Dr. Manuela Mendes
Guest Editor
Stefánia Toma
Co-Guest Editor

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Keywords

(post) Covid-19 pandemic
social impacts
inequalities
racialization
antigypsism

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Vulnerability of European Roma to the Socioeconomic Crisis Triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Almudena Macías León and Natalia Del Pino-Brunet

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(5), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12050292 - 9 May 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2741

Abstract

The Roma are the most significant ethnic minority in the EU, subject to severe discrimination, social exclusion, and poverty. Due to their deplorable living conditions, isolation, and widespread antigypsyism, Roma are among the most affected by the socioeconomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to assess the impact of this crisis on the Roma population from a multidimensional perspective. A thematic review of recent studies and reports on the pandemic’s effects on the Roma ethnic minority in Europe was carried out. In this work, the COVID-19 pandemic has been identified as a new global factor that influences the pre-existing exclusion dynamics and Roma mobility within Europe. Results show that these precarious living conditions have deteriorated to alarming levels in most European countries, leading to increased food insecurity and new forms of discrimination and stigmatization. The Roma ethnic minority has been disproportionately affected by mobility restrictions imposed by COVID-19. In all European nations, racist and xenophobic attitudes toward the Roma ethnic minority have increased during the socioeconomic and health crisis. The pandemic has intensified a process of ethnicization, fostering anti-Roma sentiment among the general population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

19 pages, 1324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Livelihood Strategies during the COVID-19 Epidemic in Materially Disadvantaged Roma Communities from Covasna County, Romania

by Valér Veres

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(5), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12050268 - 2 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1821

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the livelihood strategies related to the labour market during the coronavirus pandemic in the context of the material and income situation in Roma communities in a multicultural rural area of Covasna County, Romania. The data source comprises adapted sociological research that was carried out using multiple methods in 2021, in three localities: Boroșneu, Ojdula, and Zăbala in Covasna County, Romania. Of the dimensions examined, housing deprivation, material deprivation, and unemployment were of particular importance. Based on these dimensions, we analyzed the local economic situation and social services; we then developed a typology of dimensions to analyze the livelihood strategies of Roma groups from different socio-economic backgrounds during the coronavirus pandemic. We tried to answer questions about the changes and ways of adaptation in the livelihood strategies of Roma communities to the restrictions that occurred during the coronavirus pandemic in Romania from 2020–2021. The results of the research show that during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the material and income situations worsened for people previously employed in the informal labour market, involved in precarious work, and those of very low work intensity in selected rural Roma communities in Covasna County. Neither the regulations and legal measures introduced, nor the social protection system, was sensitive to the needs of the Roma, who were the most vulnerable to the social consequences of the pandemic restrictions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

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19 pages, 337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Two Participatory Social Housing Interventions in a Marginalised Roma Community in Romania

by Júlia Adorjáni, Imola Antal and Gabriella Tonk

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(4), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040216 - 5 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1767

Abstract

The first desegregation efforts in the marginalised and segregated communities in the Pata-Rât area were carried out within the frames of two social housing projects (between 2014–2017 and 2020–2023). Although a housing first methodology would have been more adequate in the context of a marginalised community, given the shortcomings of the Romanian social assistance system, implementation was impossible. In this context, it was necessary to develop a system to access social housing but also to create a reasonably ‘fair process’ at the community level. Thus, in both interventions, the starting point for developing the social housing criteria was to survey the community in order to explore the community members’ preferences regarding the criteria to be considered in the selection of the beneficiary families for the social houses. The surveys covered all the inhabitants of the Pata-Rât area, that is 219 households in the first survey and 282 households in the second. The survey results served as the basis for the development of the criteria for accessing social housing. In this article, we present and discuss the results of the community surveys from 2016 and from 2020, the year of the pandemic outbreak. Differences were found in the prioritisation of criteria, with an increasing preference for those reflecting vulnerability/needs (e.g., number of children, years spent in the community, disability) and decreasing preference for the ones indicating family resources (e.g., employment, income, education). These differences reflect the increase in poverty and loss of resources occurring in the community during this period, due both to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the relocation of the 35 better-off families in the first Pata-Cluj project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

18 pages, 1481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bulgarian Roma at the Dawn of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Mila Maeva and Yelis Erolova

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(4), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040208 - 3 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

With the establishment of the state of emergency in Bulgaria on 8 March 2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several restrictive measures aimed at social distancing were being introduced, to which the public had a contractionary reaction. The so-called “COVID-19 nests” led to the quarantine of a number of settlements. The ski-resort town of Bansko and the village of Panicherevo were the first isolated settlements targeted by our study. We focused on the reactions of the local Roma population, which were largely determined by their perceptions and understandings of infectious disease. The research methodology included ethnographic field research carried out in 2021. The data from the semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions presented local responses to the pandemic, which to a large extent also represented the diversity of attitudes not only in the Roma community but also in Bulgarian society. The main questions we focused on were the great extent to which Roma are creating ethno-cultural strategies to cope/overcome the pandemic and how they are responding to the emergency measures and subsequent vaccination at the national and local levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

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13 pages, 2175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nomadic Bodies: From Their Intermittent Invisibility to Their Permanent Persistence—The Story of a Nomadic Cigano/Roma Family in Its Transit through Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal in (Post)Pandemic Times

by Agostina Del Valle Nievas

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(4), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040196 - 25 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1319

Abstract

The present study entails an ethnographic investigation of nomadic Cigano/Roma families in Portugal, examining their living conditions and corporeal experiences. The study centers on families that are forcibly moving throughout the Alentejo region of Portugal, with a particular focus on the relationship between geopolitical/urban space and corporeality. The movement of these families is motivated by a search for a safe place to camp and earn enough money to sustain their family group. The research aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the struggles and challenges that these families face in their daily lives, drawing on ethnographic and visual data to explore their experiences. Through an analysis of their voices and experiences, the study highlights the difficulties of finding better living conditions and the everyday struggles of life under tarps, without access to basic necessities such as water, energy, and sanitation. Ultimately, this research offers insights into the complex interplay between geography, social and economic structures, and the corporeal experiences of marginalized communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

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15 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hygienic Boundaries: Roma Communities and the Racialisation of Public Health Discourses during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Andreea Cârstocea

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030188 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2154

Abstract

Public health measures instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic included both social distancing measures (including lockdowns), as well as personal hygiene measures (i.e., washing hands, wearing masks), with the purpose of preventing the spread of the virus. Using primary data obtained from stakeholder interviews, surveys, and desktop research from seven non-EU countries in Eastern Europe, this article shows how a new discursive fault line with hygiene as its core emerged across these countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, symbolically (and sometimes physically) separating the Roma from the non-Roma. Lockdowns reduced the ability of the Roma people to earn a living, due to the often-informal nature of their employment; as a result, many faced difficulties in covering basic living costs. These difficulties were compounded by poor living conditions, which limited the extent to which Roma people were able to follow social distancing rules and the measures regulating personal hygiene. All these factors were used to depict Roma communities as both lacking in personal hygiene and as wilfully non-compliant with public health rules. Public discourses emphasised the gap between the (self-perceived) clean and rule-observing non-Roma, and Roma communities, constructed as lacking in discipline and personal hygiene. These discourses, centred on hygiene, reinforced social boundaries and justified abuse and exclusion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

15 pages, 319 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Falling off the Radar? Reaching Out to the Finnish Roma Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Marko Stenroos, Laura Musta and Natalia Skogberg

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030183 - 17 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2254

Abstract

In this paper, we ask how the Finnish Roma community handled the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the information reached Roma communities. The previous studies indicate existing health inequalities between Finnish Roma and the general population. The point of departure for the article is crisis communication between Finnish Roma and national authorities. The themes of racialization, mistrust and Roma relying on peers as a source of information and support became apparent. From this setting, this article sheds light on the way of speaking, usage of language, (Finnish) as a social construction of ethnic identity and expression of (non)belonging. At the same time, the usage of languge and codeswitching reveals social stratifications among the Finnish Roma population. Findings indicate that subtle forms of exclusion of Roma prevail in Finland and are materialized as a “left alone mentality”. Consequently, Roma persons working as civil servants or NGO workers would potentially constitute a crucial link between health authorities and the Roma population. This link, however, should be constantly maintained. The study is a qualitative study and based on thematic interviews among Roma actors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

14 pages, 292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

University Mentoring Programs during the Pandemic: Case Study of Hungarian Roma University Students

by Jekatyerina Dunajeva

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030111 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1475

Abstract

To improve the chances of Roma students succeeding in higher education, several initiatives have been established in recent decades, such as the Roma szakkollégium network (Roma Special Colleges), which joins various institutions around Hungary with the goal of helping Roma youth in higher education. This study inquiries into Roma university students and their support network during the pandemic through the work of Roma Special Colleges, considering that during the pandemic, it was the marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as the Roma, who disproportionally experienced challenges that affected their education. The aim of this study is to examine how Roma Special Colleges through their mentoring programs (1) were able to identify the specific needs of Roma university students during the pandemic; and (2) adapted their work to better assist Roma students during remote education. These findings, generated during a series of interviews with directors and program organizers of Roma Special Colleges, point out the importance of the personalized assistance that mentors in Roma colleges were able to provide, not only supplying needed IT tools and promoting academic success, but also fostering wellbeing, a sense of belonging and positive self-esteem among Roma students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

17 pages, 702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic and Digital Divide Impact Ciganos/Roma School Pathways?

by Susana Mourão, Sara Pinheiro, Maria Manuela Mendes, Pedro Caetano and Olga Magano

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12020086 - 8 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1984

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Portuguese government to declare various lockdowns between 2020 and 2022. The first State of Emergency was enforced in March 2020, in which face-to-face classroom teaching was repeatedly interrupted. At that time, families were expected to provide the necessary supplies for digital learning, with some support from the government, municipalities, civil society, and local institutions. Nevertheless, many families already lived under precarious conditions before the pandemic, and so the lockdown measures increased their vulnerability, with a probable impact on student school attendance and conditions enabling academic success. Since Ciganos/Roma are part of this vulnerable population, we intend to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the school pathways of these students, namely in secondary education, where they represent a minority group. The data are derived from a variety of qualitative sources collected during research carried out in the two Metropolitan Areas in Portugal. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the youngsters’ access to classes and their motivation to attend school, and opens the discussion about how because of the government’s universal measures, by failing to consider social diversity, in particular Ciganos/Roma Ciganos/Roma families, this pandemic crisis may disproportionally affect the education of their children and youth. The findings highlight, firstly, that these impacts continue to be rendered invisible and naturalized in the public sphere and, secondly, that the measures and legislation underlying the pandemic effects continue not to include Ciganos in policymaking processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Impacts of (Post) COVID-19 Pandemic on Roma)

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