'Emergenza nomadi' : institutional continuities in Italian government policy towards the Romanies

The Romani peoples today occupy a marginalised position in Italian society. A small number of these peoples live in ‘camps’ in conditions of extreme decay and abandonment. In order to address this situation and to improve these peoples’ lives, the Italian government has recently decided to implement an ‘extraordinary intervention.’ In 2008, in continuity with previous centre-left governments, the Berlusconi right-wing coalition implemented the so called ‘Emergenza Nomadi’ (nomad emergency). The state of emergency aimed to solve an issue that had been already categorised in the 1970s as the ‘problema nomadi’ (nomads problem), and was now described and handled as a ‘natural disaster.’ Based on interviews with Romani individuals, institutional and Third Sector representatives, participant observation and a broad range of secondary sources, this article argues that the enactment of an extraordinary measure was both disproportionate to the real degree of threat, and perpetuated an institutional tradition of racism and control of the Romani peoples. It was not, as the declaration of an ‘emergency’ might imply, the result of a sudden, unexpected situation which required an immediate action. The ‘emergency’ and the premises for the implementation of a ‘state of exception’ were created by protracted institutional immobility and political vacuum.

The institutional concealment of the Romanies’ culture: the ongoing legacy of Fascist Italy

This paper presents the case of the Romanies in Italy and the ‘forgotten’ nature of their genocide. The crimes committed by the Fascist regime towards these peoples during the Second World War were not disclosed until recently. In past decades it was commonly believed that Fascism had targeted Romanies merely as a problem of ‘public order’, rather than as a racial issue. This study argues that a lack of official acknowledgement, together with recent authoritarian approaches towards them (such as the introduction of 2008 ‘Nomad Emergency’ and the ongoing adoption of the highly criticized ‘camps policy’), could all be interpreted as an indirect consequence of the government's incapacity to deal with a shameful past and its unbroken ties. The existence of ‘gaps’ in Italian collective memory is now harming the health of Italy's democratic polity, allowing racism to re-emerge, while resuscitating a deep-seated belief in the ‘legendary generosity’ of Italians.

Desenvolupament del pensament lògic dels nens i nenes d’ètnia gitana

Un diagnòstic sobre el domini de la lògica implica analitzar els diferents elements constitutius del pensament lògic-matemàtic com són les capacitats d’identificació, relació i operativitat. Aquesta recerca no pretén analitzar la globalitat d’aquest procés sinó que es focalitza, únicament, en detectar el domini de la capacitat de classificació i ordenació que posseeix l’alumnat gitano per tal que segons el grau de domini existent, dissenyar una estratègia d’intervenció a les aules que permeti consolidar i /o millorar el raonament i l’aprenentatge de les matemàtiques. Conseqüentment, els objectius que es plantegen es sintetitzen en: - Detectar el domini de la capacitat de classificació i ordenació, segons graus diferents de dificultat de l’alumnat d’educació infantil. - Identificar el tipus d’error present en la classificació i ordenació i les estratègies resolutòries emprades en l’ordenació

Romany Families in Romania: Intelligence and Personality of Children Cross-cultural and Specific Problems of Development

Psychogenetic research has emphasised the influence of social factors on a child's intellectual development. In her work, Ms. Dumitrascu examines two such factors; family size and order of birth. However, since these formal parameters tend to be unstable, other more informal factors should be taken into consideration. Of these, perhaps the most interesting is the "style" of parental education, which Ms. Dumitrascu regards as an expression of national traditions at the family level. This educational style is culture dependent. Only a comparative, cross-cultural study can reveal the real mechanism through which educational style influences the development of a child's intellect and personality. Ms. Dumitrascu conducted an experimental cross-cultural study aimed at examining the effects of the family environment on a child's intellectual development. Three distinct populations were involved in her investigation, each having quite a distinct status in their geographical area; Romanians, Romanies (Gypsies) from Romania, and Russians from the Republic of Moldova. She presented her research in the form of a series of articles written in English totalling 85 pages, and also on disc. A significant difference was revealed between the intelligence of a child living in a large family, and that of a child with no brothers or sisters. In the case of Romany children, the gap is remarkably large. Ms. Dumitrascu concludes that the simultaneous action of several negative factors (low socio-economic status, large family size, socio-cultural isolation of a population) may delay child development. Subjected to such a precarious environment, Romany children do not seek self-realisation, but rather struggle to survive the hardship. Most of them remain out of civilisation. Unfortunately, adult Romanies seldom express any concern regarding their children's successful social integration. The school as main socialisation tool has no value for most parents. Ms. Dumitrascu argues the need for a major effort aimed at helping Romany's social integration. She hopes this project will be of some help for psychologists, social workers, teachers, and all those who are interested in the integration into society of minority groups.

A Transformation of the Philosophical Thought of West European Liberalism in the Multi-National Central and South-Eastern European Milieu

This work was devoted to individual child development. Psychogenetic research has emphasised the importance of social factors in children's intellectual development and two social factors are looked at here, family size and birth order. The effect of the formal parameters is, however, very unstable and they should therefore be considered together with certain informal factors. Of these, parental educational style, which is an expression of national traditions at the family level, is of particular interest. Educational style is culture-dependent and only a comparative cross-cultural study can reveal the real mechanisms through which educational style influences children's intellectual and personality development. Dumitrascu carried out an experimental cross-cultural study dedicated to the effects of family environment on child intellectual development. This involved three distinct populations, each of which has a distinct status in their geographical area, namely Romanians, Romanies from Romania, and Russians from the Republic of Moldova. It showed a significant difference between child intelligence in those from large families and in only children, with a huge gap in the case of Romany children. This suggests that the simultaneous action of several negative factors (low socio-economic status, large family size, socio-cultural isolation of the population) may delay a child's development. Subjected to such a precarious environment, Romany children do not seek self-realisation but rather struggle to overcome hardship and the majority remain outside civilisation. Unfortunately, adult Romanies rarely show concern about their children's successful social integration, placing no value on the school as a major socialising tool. This leads to the conclusion that a major effort is needed to help Romanies' social integration.

Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society

Mode of access: Internet.

The English at home,

Originally published in the Revue des deux mondes, under title: L'Angleterre et la vie anglaise.

Travels from Vienna through lower Hungary; with some remarks on the state of Vienna during the Congress, in the year 1814.

Plates after drawings by Bright engraved by Elizabeth Byrne, John Byrne, Lititia Byrne, H. Hobson, Samuel Middiman, Milton, John Pye, William Raymond Smith. Maps engraved by Sidney Hall. Wood-engraved head-pieces.

Tent life with English Gipsies in Norway.

"Præsten Eilert Sundt's works on the Norwegian Gipsies": p. [517]-521.

Voyage au pays des tziganes : (La Hongrie inconnue) /

On cover: Seizième ed.

Les parias de France et d'Espagne (cagots et bohémiens).

Mode of access: Internet.

Des Bohémiens et de leur musique en Hongrie,

Nouvelle éd.

Nouvelles recherches sur l'apparition et la dispersion des Bohémiens en Europe,

"Extrait de la Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes, 3e série, t. I, 1re livraison."

With gypsies in Bulgaria /

Mode of access: Internet.

Intressante Mittheilungen über die Zigeuner /

Zur Unterstützung der unter den Zigeunern bei Nordhausen errichteten Rettungs-Anstalt.