COUV ACTES - Psychologie communautaire

Community Psychology: Common Values, Diverse Practicesheld attitudes by the state in the past - a complex trust and therapist approach towards Roma until 1989(paternalism, Roma were regarded as backward people of Roma origin. They received status of ethnic minorityafter 1989; b/ Some Roma may be influenced by experiences of various discriminatory practices from within theirenvironment and other negative attitudes in the form of inter-ethnic communication (ethnocentrism, xenophobia,discrimination, racism and various forms of extremism); c/ Other Roma can not bear the negative social situationaccompanied with Roma, or living in settlements being concentrated in segregated communities and the way oflife that takes place there, especially if there is an extreme form of loss of human dignity; d/ Some Roma areunable to cope with the loss of positive characteristics of their identity and feel they are gaining more negativeones, mainly social problems; e/ Others are unable to accept the fact that they belong to a minority group of lowstatus called "low caste", which consists of a number of socio-psychological preconceptions.Ethnic Identity and the RomaSome Roma hold the opinion, that if they do not have their own homeland, they must then belong to the countryin which they live. That country is considered their home and there they affirm their ethnic/ national nationality.The role of mixed marriages is also another factor, along side with the current, changing ethnic climate.Nevertheless, many of them are still interested in their own culture and native language. They consider theseimportant attributes of their ethnicity, roots and identity, which they feel within themselves; even if the feeling isnot that dominant.In relation to the ethnic composition of its own population, the current Slovak Republic belongs to the mostheterogeneous countries in Europe. The multi-ethnical character is shown, with the figures of which, at least of20% of the population, being of "non-Slovak" ethnicity. At the same time its Roma minority, which is the secondlargest minority in Slovakia, places Slovakia amongst the most highly populated (Roma) countries of Europe,together with Romania and Hungary, and when calculated by a percentage share of the population, along side ofMacedonia and Romania (Slovak Republic Government Office, 1998-2008). Currently in Slovakia, the Romahave divided into the groups of: Slovak Roma, Hungarian Roma and Olas Roma (Dubayova, 2001, p. 25).Jurova (2003, p. 17) divided the Slovak Roma as follows:Rumunger – In Slovakia, they represent the largest group, Roma which have been settled, for the last threehundred years. Although originally the label applied to the Hungarian Roma (Ungro).Hungarian Roma - Roma Ungrika, according to the linguistic environment of the population majority.Olas Roma - Roma, who came to Slovakia in the nineteenth century from Wallachia and Romania and had beentravelling up until 1959 - Roma Vlachika.Despite the absence of comprehensive historical research, we can clearly present the Romany population inSlovakia as a long standing and settled population. But today, they are in a very difficult situation, with their ownethno-cultural and ethno-emancipating development. Long periods of violent assimilation policies haveencouraged the negative attitudes they have, towards their own ethnic cultural heritage, including language,overcoming fear, reluctance and inability (de facto ethnic uneducated and illiterate) to declare their ethnicity,which the majority of the population grudgingly accepts.128