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Gypsy-Travellers/Roma and Social Integration: Childhood, Habitus and the "We-I Balance"
Gypsy-Reisende/Roma und soziale Integration: Kindheit, Habitus und die ‘Wir-Ich-Balance’
[journal article]
Abstract Norbert Elias provides a very useful theoretical framework for understanding long-term changes in childhood-adulthood relations at the societal level. Key processes central to this theorization include: the increasing separation of the social worlds of children and adults; the increasing distance be... view more
Norbert Elias provides a very useful theoretical framework for understanding long-term changes in childhood-adulthood relations at the societal level. Key processes central to this theorization include: the increasing separation of the social worlds of children and adults; the increasing distance between childhood and adulthood; the partial defunctionalisation of the family; the civilizing of parents; changes in the ‘we-I balance’ towards the ‘I’; and the gradual conversion of social constraints into self-restraints. Yet variable trajectories are under-developed in Elias' work: the differing nature of these interrelated social processes for different ‘outsider’ groups in society were not systematically addressed by Elias. However, this paper argues that Elias’ theories on childhood do provide us with a very useful conceptual framework from which to understand these variable trajectories. It applies his theories on childhood and individualization to Gypsy-Traveller/Roma groups in Europe and situates them within a long-term established-outsider figuration. The paper argues that the above processes differ markedly for many groups and, coupled with the existence of a very strong group orientation and long-term stigmatisation, are central to accounting for their relative lack of social integration. That is, differing processes of childhood and family socialisation are crucial in explaining how Gypsy-Traveller/Roma groups have maintained their own group identity and cultural continuity under intense pressures to assimilation and conformity.... view less
Keywords
Elias, N.; individualization; social integration; group cohesion; social relations; gipsy; assimilation; inequality; childhood; conformity; stigmatization; identity formation; ethnic group; collective identity; exclusion; family socialization; marginality
Classification
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Free Keywords
Gypsy-travellers/Roma; established-outsiders
Document language
English
Publication Year
2016
Page/Pages
p. 134-156
Journal
Historical Social Research, 41 (2016) 3
Issue topic
Figurational Analysis as Historical and Comparative Method: Established-Outsider Relations
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.41.2016.3.134-156
ISSN
0172-6404
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed