Professor Marion Demossier was recently invited to contribute to a workshop in Paris, Fondation Jean Jaurés on “The threatening ‘Other’? On the collective imagination surrounding the Roma in France”. The workshop was organised by Counterpoint, a research consultancy based in London as part of the Bridges Project in collaboration with the Open Society European Policy Institute, Brussels. The Bridges Project takes ground-breaking research to policy-makers who struggle with making decisions based on often erroneous conceptions of how the public(s) react to various challenges (from immigration to terrorism, from education to climate change) : http://counterpoint.uk.com/ideaslab/bridges/

Professor Demossier presented her work on Sarkozy and the Roma recently published: Demossier , Marion (2014) Sarkozy and Roma: performing securitization. In, Maguire, M., Frois, C. and Zurawski, N. (eds.) The Anthropology of Security: Perspectives from the Frontline of Policing, Counter-terrorism and Border Control. London, GB, Pluto Press, 24-44.

This workshop aimed to contribute to new perspectives in policy-making by exploring the myths, representations and fears that drive the increasingly negative perceptions towards Roma in France. It included different sessions, looking at identity struggles, fear and securitisation.  Panels included very short presentations and open discussion between researchers and policy-makers/practitioners.

For further details on the workshop, please see the below programme.

Agenda Ateliers Imaginaire Collectif autour des Roms en France

Posted By : Erin Forward