The research addresses the relevant contradictions of European Roma inclusion policy-making. The situation which many Roma in European societies experience nowadays combines deprivation and exclusion on the grounds of civil and political recognition, cultural identity and minority rights, and socio-economic justice in (re-)distributing resources. The recent European call for specific Roma-targeted policies is also articulated in these three discourses of inclusion, whether these policies should be based on their distinctive ethnic identity to be emancipated, legally- and politically-defined citizenship to be enforced, or socio-economic precariousness to be improved. Each of these three discourses addresses different type of inequalities; sometimes they can complement each other in promoting substantial equality, whereas at other times one politics of inclusion can reinforce the existing inequalities of another type. These domains are closely connected with and burden one another reciprocally – in the sense that better solutions of the problems of one domain can increase the problems in another and well-intended policies can thus turn into new forms of exclusion. The research confirmed the uncertainty among international policy-makers regarding what should serve as a conceptual base for European Roma inclusion policies. It furthermore traced a lack of attempts to reconcile the identities of passive service recipients and those of actively claiming citizens. It also revealed that most of the policies are designed within patron-client relationship where the benefits of patrons exceed the benefits of activated Roma. Finally, it proposes to recalibrate inclusion policies towards accentuating socio-economic rights and concludes that integration through-and-to low-skilled job does not meet the objective of inclusion.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Hamburg, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 371-427).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Hamburg, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 371-427).